[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 151 (Tuesday, August 6, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50895-50896]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-19813]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of extension of an information collection (1010-0072).

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SUMMARY: To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), we 
are inviting comments on a collection of information that we will 
submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and 
approval. The information collection request (ICR) concerns the 
paperwork requirements in the regulations under 30 CFR 280, 
``Prospecting for Minerals other than Oil, Gas, and Sulphur in the 
Outer Continental Shelf.''

DATES: Submit written comments by October 7, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Mail or hand-carry comments to the Department of the 
Interior; Minerals Management Service; Attention: Rules Processing 
Team; Mail Stop 4024; 381 Elden Street; Herndon, Virginia 20170-4817. 
If you wish to e-mail comments to MMS, the address is: 
[email protected]. Reference ``Information Collection--1010-0072'' 
in your subject line. Include your name and return address in your 
message and mark it for return receipt.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:   
    Title: 30 CFR 280, Prospecting for Minerals other than Oil, Gas, 
and Sulphur in the Outer Continental Shelf.
    OMB Control Number: 1010-0072.
    Abstract: The Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act, as amended 
(43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq. and 43 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), authorizes the 
Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) to prescribe rules and 
regulations to administer leasing of the OCS. Section 1340 states that 
``* * * any person authorized by the Secretary may conduct geological 
and geophysical explorations in the [O]uter Continental Shelf, which do 
not interfere with or endanger actual operations under any lease 
maintained or granted pursuant to this Act, and which are not unduly 
harmful to aquatic life in such area.'' The section further requires 
that, permits to conduct such activities may only be issued if it is 
determined that: the applicant is qualified; the activities are not 
polluting, hazardous, or unsafe; they do not interfere with other users 
of the area; and do not disturb a site, structure, or object of 
historical or archaeological significance.
    Section 1352 further requires that certain costs be reimbursed to 
the parties submitting required G&G information and data. Under the 
Act, permittees are to be reimbursed for the costs of reproducing any 
G&G data required to be submitted. Permittees are to be reimbursed also 
for the reasonable cost of processing geophysical information required 
to be submitted when processing is in a form or manner required by the 
Director and is not used in the normal conduct of the business of the 
permittee.
    Regulations implementing these responsibilities are under 30 CFR 
part 280. On December 8, 1999, MMS published a Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking (64 FR 68649) that proposed amendments to, and revised into 
plain language, the 30 CFR 280 regulations, as well as other 
amendments. The OMB approved the information collection burden for the 
proposed rulemaking. On July 17, 2002, MMS published final regulations 
(67 FR 46855) with an effective date of August 16, 2002. There were no 
changes from proposed to final that impacted the information collection 
burden that OMB had approved as part of the proposed rulemaking 
process. The current OMB approval expires in January 2003. The revised 
30 CFR 280 final regulations, as published, are the subject of this 
notice and the subsequent submission to OMB for approval of the 
information collection burden.
    Responses are mandatory or required to obtain or retain a benefit. 
No questions of a ``sensitive'' nature are asked. The MMS protects 
information considered proprietary according to 30 CFR 280.70 and 
applicable sections of 30 CFR parts 250 and 252, and the Freedom of 
Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) and its implementing regulations (43 CFR 
2).
    MMS OCS Regions collect information required under part 280 to 
ensure there is no environmental degradation, personal harm or unsafe 
operations and conditions, damage to historical or archaeological 
sites, or interference with other uses; to analyze and evaluate 
preliminary or planned drilling activities; to monitor progress and 
activities in the OCS; to acquire G&G data and information collected 
under a Federal permit offshore; and to determine eligibility for 
reimbursement from the Government for certain costs. Respondents are 
required to submit form MMS-134 to provide the information necessary to 
evaluate their qualifications. The information is necessary for MMS to 
determine if the applicants for permits or filers of notices meet the 
qualifications specified by the Act. The MMS uses the information 
collected to understand the G&G characteristics of hard mineral-bearing 
physiographic regions of the OCS. It aids MMS in obtaining a proper 
balance among the potentials for environmental damage, the discovery of 
hard minerals, and adverse impacts on affected coastal states. 
Information from permittees is necessary to determine the propriety and 
amount of reimbursement.
    Frequency: On occasion, annual; and as required in the permit.
    Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: Approximately 1 
permittee, 1 notice filer, and 1 adjacent State.

[[Page 50896]]

    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Hour'' Burden: The 
currently approved annual ``hour'' burden for this information 
collection is 88 hours. The following chart details the individual 
components and respective hour burden estimates of this ICR. In 
calculating the burdens, we assumed that respondents perform certain 
requirements in the normal course of their activities. We consider 
these to be usual and customary and took that into account in 
estimating the burden.

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                                                                                                          Hour
             Citation 30 CFR 280                       Reporting and recordkeeping requirement           burden
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10; 11(a); 12; 13; Permit Forms..............  Apply for a permit (form MMS-134) to conduct                    8
                                                prospecting or G&G scientific research activities,
                                                including prospecting/scientific research plan and
                                                environmental assessment or drilling plan as required.
11(b); 12(c).................................  File notice to conduct scientific research activities           8
                                                related to hard minerals, including notice to MMS
                                                prior to beginning and after concluding activities.
21(a)........................................  Report to MMS if hydrocarbon/other mineral occurrences          1
                                                or environmental hazards are detected or adverse
                                                effects occur.
22...........................................  Request approval to modify operations..................         1
23(b)........................................  Request reimbursement for expenses for MMS inspection..         1
24...........................................  Submit status and final reports quarterly or on                 8
                                                specified schedule and final report.
28...........................................  Request relinquishment of permit.......................         1
31(b); 73(a) and (b).........................  Governor(s) of adjacent state(s) submissions to MMS:            1
                                                comments on activities involving an environmental
                                                assessment; request for proprietary data, information,
                                                and samples; and disclosure agreement.
33, 34.......................................  Appeal penalty, order, or decision--burden covered       ........
                                                under 1010-0121.
40; 41; 50; 51; Permit Forms.................  Notify MMS and submit G&G data/information collected            4
                                                under a permit and/or processed by permittees or 3rd
                                                parties, including.
42(b); 52(b).................................  Advise 3rd party recipient of obligations. Part of       ........
                                                licensing agreement between parties; no submission to
                                                MMS.
42(c), 42(d); 52(c), 52(d)...................  Notify MMS of 3rd party transactions...................         1
60; 61(a)....................................  Request reimbursement for costs of reproducing data/           20
                                                information & certain processing costs.
72(b)........................................  Submit in not less than 5 days comments on MMS intent           1
                                                to disclose data/information.
72(d)........................................  Contractor submits written commitment not to sell,              1
                                                trade, license, or disclose data/information.
1-80.........................................  General departure and alternative compliance requests           2
                                                not specifically covered elsewhere in part 280
                                                regulations.
Permit Forms.................................  Request extension of permit time period................         1
Permit Forms.................................  Retain G&G data/information for 10 years and make               1
                                                available to MMS upon request.
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    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'' Burden: We 
have identified no non-hour cost burdens for this collection of 
information.
    Public Disclosure Statement: The PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.) 
provides that an agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of 
information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. 
Until OMB approves a collection of information, you are not obligated 
to respond.
    Comments: Before submitting an ICR to OMB, PRA section 
3506(c)(2)(A) 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.
    Agencies must also estimate the ``non-hour cost'' burdens to 
respondents or recordkeepers resulting from the collection of 
information. Therefore, if you have costs to generate, maintain, and 
disclose this information, you should comment and provide your total 
capital and startup cost components or annual operation, maintenance, 
and purchase of service components. You should describe the methods you 
use to estimate major cost factors, including system and technology 
acquisition, expected useful life of capital equipment, discount 
rate(s), and the period over which you incur costs. Capital and startup 
costs include, among other items, computers and software you purchase 
to prepare for collecting information, monitoring, and record storage 
facilities. You should not include estimates for equipment or services 
purchased: (i) before October 1, 1995; (ii) to comply with requirements 
not associated with the information collection; (iii) for reasons other 
than to provide information or keep records for the Government; or (iv) 
as part of customary and usual business or private practices.
    We will summarize written responses to this notice and address them 
in our submission for OMB approval. As a result of your comments, we 
will make any necessary adjustments to the burden in our submission to 
OMB.
    Public Comment Policy: 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 record, which we will honor to 
the extent allowable by the law. There may be circumstances in which we 
would withhold from the record a respondent's identity, as allowable by 
the 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.
    MMS Information Collection Clearance Officer: Jo Ann Lauterbach, 
(202) 208-7744.

    Dated: July 26, 2002.
John V. Mirabella,
Acting Chief, Engineering and Operations Division.
[FR Doc. 02-19813 Filed 8-5-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P