[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 6 (Tuesday, January 10, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1552-1553]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-107]


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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 (1010-0128).

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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 250, Subpart O, ``Well 
Control & Production Safety Training.''

DATES: Submit written comments by March 13, 2006.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods 
listed below. Please use the Information Collection Number 1010-0128 as 
an identifier in your message.
     Public Connect on-line commenting system, https://ocsconnect.mms.gov. Follow the instructions on the Web site for 
submitting comments.
     E-mail MMS at [email protected]. Identify with 
Information Collection Number 1010-0128 in the subject line.
     Fax: 703-787-1093. Identify with Information Collection 
Number 1010-0128.
     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 1010-0128'' 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 regulations that require the subject 
collection of information.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: 30 CFR Part 250, Subpart O, Well Control & Production Safety 
Training.
    OMB Control Number: 1010-0128.
    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 that 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; and 
to preserve and maintain free enterprise competition.
    Section 1332(6) of the OCS Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1332) 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 the Minerals Management 
Service (MMS). To carry out these responsibilities, MMS issues 
regulations governing oil and gas or sulphur operations in the OCS.
    Regulations at 30 CFR part 250, subpart O, implement these safe 
operation requirements. The MMS uses the information collected under 
subpart O to ensure that workers in the OCS are properly trained with 
the necessary skills to perform their jobs in a safe and pollution-free 
manner. In some instances, MMS will conduct oral interviews of offshore 
employees to evaluate the effectiveness of a company's training 
program. The information collected is necessary to

[[Page 1553]]

verify personnel training compliance with the requirements.
    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 parts 250, 251, and 252. No items of a sensitive nature are 
collected. Responses are mandatory or required to obtain or retain a 
benefit.
    Frequency: Primarily on occasion or annual.
    Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: Approximately 130 
Federal oil and gas OCS lessees.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Hour'' Burden: The 
currently approved annual reporting burden for this collection is 2,067 
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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                                           Reporting and recordkeeping
   Citation 30 CFR 250  subpart O                  requirement                           Hour burden
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1503(b), (c)........................  Develop training plans...............  60.
1503(c).............................  Maintain copies of training plan and   plan = 15 min.; employee record = 5
                                       employee training documentation for    min.
                                       5 years.
1503(c).............................  Upon request, provide MMS copies of    5.
                                       employee training documentation or
                                       provide copy of training plan.
1507(b).............................  Employee oral interview conducted by   10 min.
                                       MMS.
1507(c), (d); 1508; 1509............  Written testing conducted by MMS or
                                       authorized representative. [Exempt
                                       under 5 CFR 1320.3(h)(7).].
1510(b).............................  Revise training plan and submit to     4.
                                       MMS.
1500-1510...........................  General departure or alternative       2.
                                       compliance requests not specifically
                                       covered elsewhere in subpart O.
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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 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 Procedures: 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: December 20, 2005.
E.P. Danenberger,
Chief, Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs.
 [FR Doc. E6-107 Filed 1-9-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P