[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 99 (Tuesday, May 23, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29666-29668]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-7856]


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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 a new information collection (1010-NEW).

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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 that address the narrative portion only of MMS's Coastal 
Impact Assessment Program (CIAP) which is a grant program. The Energy 
Policy Act of 2005 gave responsibility to MMS for CIAP by amending 
Section 31 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1356a; 
Appendix A).

DATES: Submit written comments by July 24, 2006.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods 
listed below. Please use the Information Collection Number 1010-NEW 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-NEW in the subject line.
     Fax: 703-787-1093. Identify with Information Collection 
Number 1010-NEW.
     Mail or hand-carry comments to the Department of the 
Interior; Minerals Management Service; Attention: Rules

[[Page 29667]]

Process Team (RPT); 381 Elden Street, MS-4024; Herndon, Virginia 20170-
4817. Please reference ``Information Collection 1010-NEW'' 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 CIAP Guidelines.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP).
    OMB Control Number: 1010-NEW.
    Abstract: With the passage of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 
(EPAct), the Minerals Management Service (MMS) was given responsibility 
for the Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP) through the amendment 
of Section 31 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1356a 
Appendix A). The program was authorized for FY 2007, 2008, 2009 and 
2010.
    The CIAP recognizes that impacts from Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) 
oil and gas activities fall disproportionately on the coastal states 
and localities nearest to where the activities occur, and where 
associated facilities are located. The CIAP legislation appropriates 
money for eligible states and coastal political subdivisions for 
coastal restoration/improvement projects. MMS shall disburse $250 
million for each FY 2007 through 2010 to eligible producing states and 
coastal political subdivisions (CPSs) through a grant program. The 
funds allocated to each state are based on the proportion of qualified 
OCS revenues offshore the individual state to total qualified OCS 
revenues from all states. In order to receive funds, the states submit 
CIAPs detailing how the funds will be expended. Alabama, Alaska, 
California, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas are the only eligible 
states under EPAct. Counties, parishes or equivalent units of 
government within those states lying all or in part within the coastal 
zone, as defined by section 304(1) of the Coastal Zone Management Act 
(CZMA) 1972, as amended, are the Coastal Political Subdivisions (CPSs) 
eligible for CIAP funding, a total of 67 local jurisdictions.
    To approve a plan, legislation requires that the Secretary of the 
Interior must be able to determine that the funds will be used in 
accordance with EPAct criteria and that projects will use the funds 
according to the EPAct. To confirm appropriate use of funds, MMS 
requires affirmation of grantees meeting Federal, state, and local laws 
and adequate project descriptions. To accomplish this, MMS is providing 
in its CIAP Environmental Assessment a suggested narrative format to be 
followed by each applicant for a CIAP grant. This narrative will assist 
MMS in its review of applications to determine that adequate and 
appropriate measures were taken to meet the laws that affect the 
proposed coastal projects. This narrative will be submitted 
electronically as part of the grant application. At that time, 
applicants will be obliged to fill out several OMB-approved standard 
forms as well. Most of the eligible states and CPSs, as experienced 
grant applicants, will be familiar with this narrative request.
    This information collection request (ICR) addresses the narrative 
portion only of the MMS CIAP grant program.
    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). No items of a sensitive 
nature are collected. Responses are required to obtain or retain 
benefits.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: Approximately 6 
states and 67 CPSs.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Hour'' Burden: We are 
requesting 1,500 hours. 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. We anticipate an average of 300 
projects annually, which will take approximately 5 hours each to 
complete. This would be a total of 1,500 burden hours.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'' Burden: We 
have identified no non-hour 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.


[[Page 29668]]


    Dated: May 15, 2006.
E.P. Danenberger,
Chief, Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs.
 [FR Doc. E6-7856 Filed 5-22-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P