OMB Approves CG Change to LNG-LHG ICR

Yesterday the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved a Coast Guard request to extend and revise the information collection request (ICR) for safety and security programs covered under 33 CFR 127  the Waterfront Facilities Handling Liquefied Natural Gas and Liquefied Hazardous Gas. This is fairly routine update supporting a program that has been in place since 1986.

The table below shows the routine changes that have been made in the reporting burden estimates for this program since it came under the control of the Department of Homeland Security.

Approval Date	Responses	Time Burden	Time per Response
3-01-03	463	3272	7.1
4-26-04	524	3540	6.8
6-27-07	3059	2838	0.9
8-20-10	4997	9504	1.9
10-18-13	6258	6425	1.0

The average time per response column is a little misleading since there are a wide variety of responses covered under this program; the most complex (and time consuming) of which is the Waterway Suitability Assessment (33 CFR §127.007). The Coast Guard explained that the sharp reduction in the estimated annual time burden for this ICR, even while the number of estimated annual responses increased by 25%, is due to the decrease in new WSA’s from 7 to 1 per year. The increase in annual responses is due to the increase in recently approved facilities.