[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 208 (Thursday, October 28, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58095-58097]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-28234]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB) Review; Comment Request

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of extension of currently approved information 
collection (1010-0059).

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SUMMARY: To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 
U.S.C. 3501, et seq.), we are notifying you that we have submitted the 
information collection request (ICR) discussed below to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. We are also 
inviting your comments on this ICR.

DATES: Submit written comments by November 29, 1999.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments directly to the Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for 
the Department of the Interior (1010-0059), 725 17th Street, N.W., 
Washington, D.C. 20503. Mail or handcarry a copy of your comments to 
the Department of the Interior; Minerals Management Service; attention: 
Rules Processing Team; Mail Stop 4024; 381 Elden Street; Herndon, 
Virginia 20170-4817.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alexis London, Rules Processing Team, 
telephone (703) 787-1600. You may also contact Alexis London to obtain 
a copy of the collection of information at no cost.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: 30 CFR 250, Subpart H, Oil and Gas Production Safety 
Systems.
    OMB Control Number: 1010-0059.
    Abstract: The Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 
1331 et seq.) gives the Secretary of the Interior the responsibility to 
preserve, protect, and develop oil and gas resources in the OCS 
consistent with the need to make such resources available to meet the 
Nation's energy needs as rapidly as possible; balance orderly energy 
resource development with protection of human, marine, and coastal 
environments; ensure the public a fair and equitable return on the 
resources of the OCS; and preserve and maintain free enterprise 
competition. To carry out these responsibilities, we established 
regulations at 30 CFR 250, subpart H, Oil and Gas Production Safety 
Systems. In addition, we also issue Notices to Lessees and Operators 
(NTL) to clarify and provide additional guidance on some aspects of the 
regulations.
    We collect information under subpart H of the regulations to 
evaluate equipment and/or procedures that lessees propose to use during 
production operations. Information is also used to verify the no-flow 
condition of wells to continue the waiver of requirements to install 
valves capable of preventing backflow. The MMS inspectors review the 
records maintained to verify compliance with testing and minimum safety 
requirements. In the Pacific OCS Region, respondents submit Emergency 
Action Plans (EAP) to their local air quality agencies in response to 
California air quality laws to protect public health during exceptional 
air pollution episodes. We review these plans prior to the event of an 
air pollution episode to ensure that abatement measures do not 
jeopardize safe platform operations.
    If we did not collect the information, we could not carry out the 
mandate of the OCS Lands Act to ensure safe operations in the OCS. 
Specifically, MMS could not review safety system designs prior to 
installation to ensure that minimum safety standards will be met; 
review records of erosion control to ensure that erosion control 
programs are effective; review plans for simultaneous operations to 
ensure safety of operations when more than one activity is being 
conducted simultaneously on a production facility; review records of 
safety devices to ensure proper maintenance during the useful life of 
that equipment; and verify proper performance of safety and pollution 
prevention equipment (SPPE).
    We will protect proprietary information submitted with the plans 
according to the Freedom of Information Act and 30 CFR 250.118, ``Data 
and information to be made available to the

[[Page 58096]]

public.'' No items of a sensitive nature are collected. Responses are 
mandatory or required to obtain or retain a benefit.
    The PRA provides that an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a 
person is not required to respond to, a collection of information 
unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. We published a 
Federal Register notice with the required 60-day comment period 
soliciting comments on this ICR on August 12, 1999 (64 FR 44044).
    Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: Approximately 130 
Federal OCS sulphur or oil and gas lessees.
    Frequency: The frequency of reporting is on occasion and annual.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Hour'' Burden: 5,204 
burden hours, averaging approximately 40 hours per respondent. See 
following chart.

                                                Burden Breakdown
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   Reporting and                                                        Annual
Citation 30 CFR 250 subpart H      recordkeeping              Annual number               Burden        burden
                                    requirement                                                          hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
800; 801(a), (d), (e)(1),      Application and       176 Submissions...............  4 hours........         704
 (f), (g), (h)(3); 802(e);      approvals for
 803(b)(1)(iii), (2)(ii)(A),    design,
 (4)(ii), (7)(iii),(8).         installation, and
                                operation of
                                subsurface safety
                                devices and surface
                                production-safety
                                systems and related
                                requirements.
800; 804(a)(11)..............  Notify MMS prior to   152 Notices...................  .5 hour........          76
                                production when
                                ready to conduct
                                pre-production test
                                and inspection.
801(g).......................  Submit annual         35 Verifications..............  2 hours........          70
                                verification of no-
                                flow condition of
                                well.
801(h)(1)....................  Form MMS-124, Sundry    Burden covered under 1010-0045 for this form.           0
                                Notices and Reports
                                on Wells.
801(h)(2); 803(c)............  Identify well with     Usual/customary safety procedures for removing           0
                                sign on wellhead       or identifying out-of-service safety devices.
                                that subsurface
                                safety device is
                                removed; flag
                                safety devices that
                                are out of service.
802..........................  Submit statement      150 Statements................  3 hours........         450
                                verifying final
                                surface production
                                safety system
                                installed conforms
                                to approved design.
803(b)(8)(iv)................  Post diagram of       75 Postings...................  2 hours........         150
                                firefighting system.
804; related NTL.............  Submit copy of state- 8 Plans.......................  1 hour.........           8
                                required EAP
                                containing test
                                abatement plans in
                                the Pacific OCS
                                Region.
806(c).......................  Request evaluation    1 Request.....................  2 hours........           2
                                and approval of
                                other quality
                                assurance programs
                                covering
                                manufacture of SPPE.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Reporting--Subtotal......  ....................  597...........................  ...............       1,460
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
801(h)(2); 802(e); 804(b)....  Maintain records on   130 Recordkeepers.............  12 hours.......       1,560
                                subsurface and
                                surface safety
                                devices to include
                                approved design &
                                installation
                                features, testing,
                                repair, removal,
                                etc.
803(b)(1)(iii), (2)(i).......  Maintain pressure-    130 Recordkeepers.............  10 hours.......       1,300
                                recorder charts.
803(b)(4)(iii)...............  Maintain schematic    130 Recordkeepers.............  4 hours........         520
                                of the emergency
                                shutdown which
                                indicates the
                                control functions
                                of all safety
                                devices.
803(b)(11)...................  Maintain records of   130 Recordkeepers.............  2.8 hours......         364
                                wells that have
                                erosion-control
                                programs and
                                results.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Recordkeeping--Subtotal..  ....................  130...........................  ...............       3,744
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Reporting & Recordkeeping  ....................  727                             ...............       5,204
     Total Hour Burden.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'' 
Burden: We have identified no information collection cost burdens for 
this collection of information.
    Comments: All comments are made a part of the public record. 
Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA requires each agency ``* * * to 
provide notice * * * and otherwise consult with members of the public 
and affected agencies concerning each proposed collection of 
information * * *'' Agencies must specifically solicit comments to: (a) 
Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary 
for the agency to perform its duties, including whether the information 
is useful; (b) evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the 
burden of the proposed collection of information; (c) enhance the 
quality, usefulness, and clarity of the information to be collected; 
and (d) minimize the burden on the respondents, including the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    Send your comments directly to the offices listed under the 
addresses section of this notice. The OMB has up to 60 days to approve 
or disapprove the information collection but may respond after 30 days. 
Therefore, to ensure maximum consideration, OMB should receive public 
comments by November 29, 1999.

[[Page 58097]]

    MMS Information Collection Clearance Officer: Jo Ann Lauterbach, 
(202) 208-7744.

    Dated: September 30, 1999.
E.P. Danenberger,
Chief, Engineering and Operations Division.
[FR Doc. 99-28234 Filed 10-27-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P