[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 196 (Wednesday, October 12, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59368-59370]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-20435]


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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 revision of an information collection (1010-0164).

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[[Page 59369]]

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 regulations under 30 CFR part 250, subpart I, 
Platforms and Structures, Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL)--Damage 
Caused by Hurricane(s). MMS is consolidating, renewing, and expanding 
upon OMB approved Emergency Requests 1010-0163 and 1010-0164. MMS is 
consolidating the burden hours from NTL-- Damage Caused by Hurricane 
Katrina into this collection. We are also renewing this collection 
because information needs to be collected for a longer period than 
allowed by the Emergency OMB Requests. After a major hurricane, lessees 
need to keep reporting and submitting new information to MMS until all 
facilities that are able, are back to normal. We are expanding this ICR 
to include all damage due to any hurricane(s) that may occur in the 
Gulf of Mexico (GOM) over the next 3 years.

DATES: Submit written comments by December 12, 2005.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods 
listed below. Please use the Information Collection Number 1010-0164 as 
an identifier in your message.
     E-mail MMS at [email protected]. Identify with 
Information Collection Number 1010-0164 in the subject line.
     Fax: 703-787-1093. Identify with Information Collection 
Number 1010-0164.
     Mail or hand-carry comments to the Department of the 
Interior; Minerals Management Service; Attention: Rules Process Team 
(RPT); 381 Elden Street, MS-4024; Herndon, Virginia 20170-4817. Please 
reference ``Information Collection 1010-0164'' in your comments.

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 the regulation and the NTL that requires the 
subject collection of information.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: 30 CFR part 250, subpart I, Platforms and Structures, NTL--
Damage Caused by Hurricane(s).
    OMB Control Number: 1010-0164.
    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. Such rules and 
regulations will apply to all operations conducted under a lease. 
Operations on the OCS must preserve, protect, and develop oil and 
natural gas resources 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; to balance orderly energy resource development 
with protection of human, marine, and coastal environments; to ensure 
the public a fair and equitable return on the resources of the OCS; 
preserve and maintain free enterprise competition; and ensure that the 
extent of oil and natural gas resources of the OCS is assessed at the 
earliest practicable time. Section 43 U.S.C. 1332(6) states that 
``operations in the outer Continental Shelf should be conducted in a 
safe manner by well-trained personnel using technology, precautions, 
and techniques sufficient to prevent or minimize the likelihood of 
blowouts, loss of well control, fires, spillages, physical obstruction 
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.''
    To carry out these responsibilities, the Minerals Management 
Service (MMS) 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 addition, we also issue Notices to Lessees 
and Operators (NTLs) that provide clarification, explanation, and 
interpretation of our regulations. These NTLs are used to convey purely 
informational material and to cover situations that might not be 
adequately addressed in our regulations. The latter is the case for the 
information collection required in the NTL. Because of the unusual 
nature of this information collection, issuing a temporary NTL is the 
appropriate means to collect the information.
    The subject of this information collection request (ICR) is an NTL 
titled, ``Damage Caused by Hurricane(s)'' to be issued to lessees and 
operators in the MMS Gulf of Mexico OCS (GOM) Region after a hurricane 
occurs. This ICR is a merging of two OMB approved Emergency Requests 
relating to hurricanes, 1010-0163 and 10101-0164. MMS is also renewing 
this ICR because information will need to be collected for a longer 
period than the 180 days allowed under an emergency request. Also, we 
are expanding this submission to now include all damage due to any 
hurricane(s) that occurred in the 2005 season, as well as any future 
hurricanes that may occur in the GOM. Once this ICR is approved by OMB, 
MMS will reissue the NTL for each new hurricane that, in the future, 
impacts operations in the GOM with MMS inserting the appropriate 
hurricane name, longitudes, and dates of submittal, etc.
    Currently, there are over 4,000 facilities/structures in the GOM 
OCS. MMS anticipates that potential major hurricanes may impact 40 
percent or more of the platforms in the GOM (1,600 facilities) during 
any one event. For example, at the time of this writing, Hurricanes 
Katrina and Rita combined affected approximately 2,900 OCS facilities--
only 10 facilities were affected by both storms; they each followed 
different paths and had their own specific meteorological anomalies 
(deviation or departure from the normal phenomena of the atmosphere). 
It needs to be stressed that the information we propose to collect 
under this NTL is information that a prudent lessee/operator would 
prepare in the event of a major hurricane. The primary authority for 
this submission is 30 CFR 250, Subpart I, information collection 
approved under the OMB Control Number 1010-0149. However, in connection 
with this subpart, MMS thinks that the burden hour requirements in the 
proposed NTL are in addition to the currently approved paperwork burden 
under those requirements.
    With regard to the ``OCS Pipelines'' section of this NTL, MMS has 
the authority to collect the information requested under 30 CFR 250, 
Subpart J, Pipelines and Pipeline Rights-of-Way. The OMB has already 
approved the collection of pipeline information under OMB Control 
Number 1010-0050.
    Emergency NTLs were issued relating to this same subject--
structural damage caused by hurricanes--in 2003 after Hurricane Lili, 
in 2004 after Hurricane Ivan, and in 2005 after Hurricanes Katrina and 
Rita. Due to the nature of these incidents and their increasing 
occurrences, immediately after Hurricane Ivan, proposed rulemaking was 
started to require lessees to submit to MMS information about structure 
damage on the OCS due to natural phenomena, e.g., hurricanes, 
earthquakes. It is currently in the surnaming process and OMB has 
issued Regulatory Identification Number 1010-AD18.
    We will protect information from respondents considered proprietary 
under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) and its 
implementing

[[Page 59370]]

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 mandatory.
    Frequency: Monthly; and as specified in the NTL.
    Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: Approximately 110 
Federal OCS oil and gas lessees.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Hour'' Burden: The approved 
reporting burdens for the current collections are 202,320 hours for 
1010-0164, and 73,920 hours for 1010-0163. We expect the new burden 
hours to be approximately 26,880 which is an adjustment decrease of 
249,360 burden hours. This decrease is a result of number of responses 
submitted. Even though there were approximately 1,600 facilities 
affected by Hurricane Rita, and 1,300 facilities affected by Hurricane 
Katrina in the GOM, usually respondents will submit only one or more 
reports listing the damage to their facilities thereby making the 
number of responses significantly lower than what was previously 
estimated. 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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                                                                                     Number of     Annual burden
                      Reporting requirement                         Hour burden      responses         hours
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Prepare and submit to MMS (1) list of impacted OCS structures,                12             150           1,800
 (2) timetable for inspections, and (3) inspection plan for each
 listed platform describing work to determine condition of
 structure......................................................
Submit amendments to list and inspection plans..................              12              90           1,080
Submit report to MMS describing detected damage that may                     120             200          24,000
 adversely affect structural integrity, including assessment of
 ability to withstand anticipated environmental storm
 conditions, and any remediation plans..........................
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    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'' Burden: We 
have identified no cost burdens for this collection.
    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 informtion 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 Procedure: MMS's practice is to make comments, 
including names and addresses of respondents, available for public 
review. 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 Officer: Arlene Bajusz (202) 
208-7744.

    Dated: October 3, 2005.
E.P. Danenberger,
Chief, Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs.
[FR Doc. 05-20435 Filed 10-11-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P