[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 116 (Thursday, June 15, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37570-37571]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-15106]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service


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

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of extension of a currently approved information 
collection (OMB Control Number 1010-0078).

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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 OMB for 
review and approval. We are also inviting your comments on this ICR.

DATES: Submit written comments by July 17, 2000.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments directly to the Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for 
the Department of the Interior (1010-0078), 725 17th Street, NW., 
Washington, DC 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.
    Our practice is to make comments, including names and home 
addresses of respondents, available for public review during regular 
business hours. Individual respondents may request that we withhold 
their home address from the rulemaking record, which we will honor to 
the extent allowable by law. There may be circumstances in which we 
would withhold from the record a respondent's identity, as allowable by 
law. If you wish us to withhold your name and/or address, you must 
state this prominently at the beginning of your comment. However, we 
will not consider anonymous comments. We will make all submissions from 
organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying 
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or 
businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety.

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 part 250, Subpart O, Training.
    OMB Control Number: 1010-0078.
    Abstract: The Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act, as amended, 
43 U.S.C. 1334(e), gives the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) the 
responsibility to preserve, protect, and develop oil and gas resources 
in the OCS in a manner which is consistent with the need to make such 
resources available to meet the Nation's energy needs as rapidly as 
possible; balance orderly energy resources development with protection 
of human, marine, and coastal environments; ensure the public a fair 
and equitable return on resources of the OCS; and preserve and maintain 
free enterprise competition. Section 1332(6) of the OCS Lands Act 
requires that ``operations in the [O]uter Continental Shelf should be 
conducted in a safe manner by well trained personnel using technology, 
precautions, and other techniques sufficient to prevent or minimize the 
likelihood of blowouts, loss of well control, fires, spillages, 
physical obstructions to other users of the waters or subsoil and 
seabed, or other occurrences which may cause damage to the environment 
or to property or endanger life or health.'' This authority and 
responsibility are among those delegated to MMS. To carry out these 
responsibilities, MMS issues regulations governing oil and gas or 
sulphur operations in the OCS.
    The MMS uses the information collected under subpart O to ensure 
that certain workers in the OCS are properly trained in the use of 
equipment and procedures in drilling, well-completion, well-workover, 
and well-servicing well control operations and production safety system 
operations in order to avoid hazards inherent in those operations. This 
information is necessary to verify personnel training compliance with 
the requirements. Specifically, MMS uses the information to:
     Evaluate new programs and curriculum changes for technical 
accuracy and ensure that the programs incorporate appropriate 
instruction, simulation, and hands-on training activities.
     Review attendance records to verify that a student has 
attended the entire course before issuance of a certificate.
     Schedule MMS onsite evaluations and audits of training 
organizations.
     Ensure that personnel are trained in order to maintain a 
state of preparedness essential for safe operations.
    We will protect information from respondents considered proprietary 
under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) and its 
implementing regulations (43 CFR part 2) and under regulations at 30 
CFR 250.196. We will protect personal information such as social 
security numbers according to the Privacy Act. No items of a sensitive 
nature are collected. Responses are mandatory.
    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

[[Page 37571]]

with the required 60-day comment period soliciting comments on this ICR 
on February 23, 2000 (65 FR 8987).
    Frequency: On occasion or annual.
    Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: Approximately 130 
Federal OCS oil, gas, and sulphur lessees and 52 training schools.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Hour'' Burden: 2,300 
burden hours. Refer to the following chart.

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                                              Reporting and                                              Annual
     Citation 30 CFR 250 subpart O            recordkeeping                Number             Burden     burden
                                               requirement                                    hours      hours
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1508..................................  Request exceptions        15 exceptions...........        .25       \1\4
                                         (departures) to
                                         training requirements.
1512..................................  Request approval of       4 alternative programs..        100        400
                                         alternative training
                                         program.
1515..................................  Apply to MMS for          14 renewal                       46        644
                                         training program          accreditations.
                                         accreditation renewal.
1516..................................  Apply to MMS for          7 new programs..........        100        700
                                         approval of new
                                         training program
                                         accreditation.
1504; 1517(c), (d), (j), (k)..........  Supply trainees with      Supplying these documents is usual/          0
                                         various documents,         customary practice for a training
                                         manuals, course                        situation
                                         updates, and
                                         certificates of
                                         training..
1517(h)...............................  Furnish MMS personnel a     These documents would be readily           0
                                         copy of training                      available.
                                         program and plan during
                                         onsite review.
1517(i)...............................  Submit annual course      48 schedules............          8        384
                                         schedule and changes to
                                         MMS.
1517(l)...............................  Send MMS letter and       2,100 letters/rosters...        .08        168
                                         course roster at the
                                         completion of each
                                         course.
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    Reporting Total                     ........................            2,188 Responses                2,300
1503..................................  Provide drilling and        Training drills are conducted as           0
                                         well-completion/ well-    part of regularly scheduled drills
                                         workover floorhands job    required by subparts D, E, or F;
                                         site well-control           burdens included in 1010-0053,
                                         drill; record in                1010-0057, & 1010-0043
                                         driller and operations
                                         logs.
1517(a)...............................  Retain records for each     Training organizations maintain            0
517(b)................................   trainee for 5 years.          records as usual/customary
                                        Retain records of           business practice. Although some
                                         training program for 5    might retain records for less than
                                         years.                    5 years, once the documentation is
                                                                    recorded and filed, no additional
                                                                     burden for longer retention as
                                                                      verified by the organizations
                                                                               consulted.
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    Recordkeeping Total                 ........................                                              0
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\1\ Rounded.

    Estimated Annual Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'' Burden: We have 
identified no non-hour cost burdens for this collection.
    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 July 17, 2000.
    MMS Information Collection Clearance Officer: Jo Ann Lauterbach, 
(202) 208-7744.

    Dated: May 4, 2000.
John V. Mirabella,
Acting Chief, Engineering and Operations Division.
[FR Doc. 00-15106 Filed 6-14-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-U