[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 224 (Monday, November 22, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67938-67939]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-25879]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service


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

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of extension of an information collection (1010-0112).

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SUMMARY: To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), we 
are notifying the public that we have submitted to OMB an information 
collection request (ICR) to renew approval of the paperwork 
requirements in Form MMS-131, Performance Measures Data. This notice 
also provides the public a second opportunity to comment on the 
paperwork burden of these regulatory requirements.

DATES: Submit written comments by December 22, 2004.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments either by fax (202) 395-6566 or e-
mail ([email protected]) directly to the Office of Information 
and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for the Department 
of the Interior (1010-0112). Mail or hand carry 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. Interested parties may submit a copy of 
their comments on-line to MMS, the address is: https://ocsconnect.mms.gov. From the Public Connect ``Welcome'' screen, you 
will be able to either search for Information Collection 1010-0112 or 
select it from the ``Projects Open For Comment'' menu.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cheryl Blundon, Rules Processing Team, 
(703) 787-1600. You may also contact Cheryl Blundon to obtain a copy, 
at no cost, of the form that involves the subject collection of 
information.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Form MMS-131, Performance Measures Data.
    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

[[Page 67939]]

orderly energy resource development with protection of the 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. These responsibilities are among those 
delegated to 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, 
development, and production of OCS leases.
    In 1991 MMS began promoting, 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 are requesting OMB approval for a routine renewal of the 
Form MMS-131, Performance Measures Data. There are a few editorial 
changes, but no changes to the data elements.
    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 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 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.
    No questions of a ``sensitive'' nature are asked, and the 
collection of information involves no proprietary information. We 
intend to release data collected on Form MMS-131 only in a summary 
format that is not company-specific. We will protect the information 
according to the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) and its 
implementing regulations (43 CFR 2).
    Frequency: The frequency is annual, with responses due during the 
1st quarter of the calendar year.
    Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: Approximately 100 
Federal OCS oil and gas or sulphur lessees and we expect a 63 percent 
response rate.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Hour'' Burden: We 
estimate the public reporting burden averages 8 hours per response. 
This includes the time for reviewing instructions, gathering and 
maintaining data, and completing and reviewing the information. The 
total annual hour burden is estimated to be 504 hours.
    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: Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501, et 
seq.) 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.
    To comply with the public consultation process, on June 22, 2004, 
we published a Federal Register notice (69 FR 34690) announcing that we 
would submit this ICR to OMB for approval. The notice provided the 
required 60-day comment period. In addition, Sec.  250.199 provides the 
OMB control numbers for the information collection requirements imposed 
by the 30 CFR part 250 regulations and forms; specifies that the public 
may comment at any time on these collections of information; and 
provides the address to which they should send comments. This 
information is also contained in the PRA statement on Form MMS-131. We 
have received no comments in response to these efforts.
    If you wish to comment in response to this notice, 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 
December 22, 2004.
    Public Comment Policy: Our practice is to make comments, including 
names and 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 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: Arlene Bajusz, (202) 
208-7744.

    Dated: August 27, 2004.
E.P. Danenberger,
Chief, Engineering and Operations Division.
[FR Doc. 04-25879 Filed 11-19-04; 8:45 am]
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