[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 119 (Tuesday, June 22, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34690-34691]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-14097]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 (1010-0112).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), MMS 
is 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 Performance Measures Data Form MMS-131.

DATES: Submit written comments by August 23, 2004.

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, the e-mail address is: 
[email protected]. Reference ``Information Collection 1010-0112'' 
in your e-mail subject line. Include your name and return address in 
your e-mail message and mark your message for return receipt.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cheryl Blundon, Rules Processing Team 
at (703) 787-1600. You may also contact Cheryl Blundon to obtain a 
copy, at no cost, of Form MMS-131.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Performance Measures Data Form, MMS-131.
    OMB Control Number: 1010-0112.
    Abstract: The Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 
1331 et seq.), as amended, requires the Secretary of the Interior to 
preserve, protect, and develop OCS oil, gas, and sulphur resources; 
make such resources available to meet the Nation's energy needs as 
rapidly as possible; balance orderly energy resources development with 
protection of the human, marine, and coastal environments; ensure the 
public a fair and equitable return on the resources offshore; and 
preserve and maintain free enterprise competition. These 
responsibilities are among those delegated to the MMS. MMS generally 
issues regulations to ensure that operations in the OCS will meet 
statutory requirements; provide for safety and protect the environment; 
and result in diligent exploration,

[[Page 34691]]

development, and production of OCS leases.
    Beginning in 1991, MMS has promoted, on a voluntary basis, the 
implementation of a comprehensive Safety and Environmental Management 
Program (SEMP) for the offshore oil and gas industry as a complement to 
current regulatory efforts to protect people and the environment during 
OCS oil and gas exploration and production activities.
    From the beginning, MMS, the industry as a whole, and individual 
companies realized that at some point they would want to know the 
effect of SEMP on safety and environmental management of the OCS. The 
natural consequence of this interest was the establishment of 
performance measures. We will be requesting OMB approval for a routine 
renewal of the performance measures on data Form MMS-131 with minor 
wording changes.
    The responses to this collection of information are voluntary, 
although we consider the information to be critical for assessing the 
effects of the OCS Safety and Environmental Management Program. We can 
better focus our regulatory and research programs on areas where the 
performance measures indicate that operators are having difficulty 
meeting MMS expectations. We are more effective in leveraging resources 
by redirecting research efforts, promoting appropriate regulatory 
initiatives, and shifting inspection program emphasis. The performance 
measures also give us valuable quantitative information to use in 
judging the reasonableness of company requests for alternative 
compliance or departures under 30 CFR 250.141 and 250.142. We also use 
the information collected to work with industry representatives to 
identify and request ``pacesetter'' companies to make presentations at 
periodic workshops.
    Knowing how the offshore operators, as a group, are doing and where 
their own company ranks, provides company management with information 
to focus their continuous improvement efforts. This leads to more cost-
effective prevention actions and, therefore, better cost containment. 
This information also provides offshore operators and organizations 
with a credible data source to demonstrate to those outside the 
industry how well the industry and individual companies are doing.
    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, ``Data and information to be made available to the 
public.'' No items of a sensitive nature are collected. Responses are 
voluntary. We intend to release data collected on Form MMS-131 only in 
a summary format that is not company-specific.
    Frequency: The frequency is annual, during the 1st quarter of the 
year.
    Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: Approximately 100 
Federal OCS oil and gas or sulphur lessees.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Hour'' Burden: The 
currently approved ``hour'' burden for Form MMS-131 is 756 hours. We 
estimate the public reporting burden averages 12 hours per response. 
This includes the time for reviewing instructions, gathering and 
maintaining data, and completing and reviewing the information.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'' 
Burden: We have identified no ``non-hour cost'' burden associated with 
Form MMS-131.
    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: MMS's practice is to make comments, 
including names and addresses of respondents, available for public 
review during regular business hours. If you wish your name and/or 
address to be withheld, you must state this prominently at the 
beginning of your comment. MMS will honor this request to the extent 
allowable by law; however, anonymous comments will not be considered. 
All submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals 
identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations 
or businesses, will be made available for public inspection in their 
entirety.
    MMS Information Collection Clearance Office: Arlene Bajusz (202) 
208-7744.

    Dated: June 17, 2004.
E.P. Danenberger,
Chief, Engineering and Operations Division.
[FR Doc. 04-14097 Filed 6-21-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P