[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 133 (Wednesday, July 12, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39353-39354]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-10886]


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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 (1010-0128).

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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 the regulations under 30 CFR part 250, subpart O, 
``Well Control and Production Safety Training.'' This notice also 
provides the public a second opportunity to comment on the paperwork 
burden of these regulatory requirements.

DATES: Submit written comments by August 11, 2006.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this information collection 
directly to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for 
the Department of the Interior via OMB e-mail: ([email protected]); or by fax (202) 395-6566; identify with (1010-
0128).
    Submit a copy of your comments to the Department of the Interior, 
MMS, via:
     MMS's 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]. Use 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 Processing 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, 
(703) 787-1600. You may also contact Cheryl Blundon to obtain a copy, 
at no cost, of the ICR and regulations that require the subject 
collection of information.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: 30 CFR part 250, subpart O, Well Control and 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 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 verify personnel 
training compliance with the requirements.
    Frequency: Primarily on occasion.
    Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: Approximately 130 
Federal OCS lessees.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Hour'' Burden: The 
estimated annual ``hour'' burden for this information collection is a 
total of 2,106 hours. The following chart details the individual 
components and estimated hour burdens. 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.

[[Page 39354]]



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                                                                                      Average
                                          Reporting &                                number of     Annual burden
  Citation 30 CFR 250  subpart O         recordkeeping           Hour burden          annual           hours
                                          requirement                                responses
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1503(b), (c).....................  Develop training plans.   60.................               2             120
                                    Note: Existing lessees/
                                    respondents already
                                    have training plans
                                    developed. This number
                                    reflects development of
                                    plans for any new
                                    lessees.
1503(c)..........................  Maintain copies of        \1/4\ hr. (plan)...             136              34
                                    training plan and        \1/12\ hr. (record)                          *1,667
                                    employee training         x 20,000 employee
                                    documentation/record      records.
                                    for 5 years.
1503(c)..........................  Upon request, provide     5..................              31             155
                                    MMS copies of employee
                                    training documentation
                                    or provide copy of
                                    training plan.
1507(b)..........................  Employee oral interview   \1/6\ hr...........             600             100
                                    conducted by MMS.
1507(c), (d); 1508; 1509.........  Written testing              Exempt under 5 CFR 1320.3(h)(7)                0
                                    conducted by MMS or
                                    authorized
                                    representative.
1510(b)..........................  Revise training plan and  6..................               4              24
                                    submit to MMS.
1500-1510........................  General departure or      2..................               3               6
                                    alternative compliance
                                    requests not
                                    specifically covered
                                    elsewhere in subpart O.
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    Total Hour Burden............  ........................  ...................             776           2,106
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\*\Rounded.

    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'' Burden: We 
have identified no paperwork ``non-hour cost'' burdens associated with 
the collection of information.
    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 January 10, 
2006, we published a Federal Register notice (71 FR 1552) announcing 
that we would submit this ICR to OMB for approval. The notice provided 
the required 60-day comment period. In addition, section 250.199 
provides the OMB control number for the information collection 
requirements imposed by 30 CFR part 250, subpart O, regulations. The 
regulation also informs the public that they may comment at any time on 
the collections of information and provides the address to which they 
should send comments. We received two comments in response to the 
Federal Register notice. One comment was not germane to regulations at 
30 CFR part 250, subpart O. The other commenter felt that * * *. 
``records on safety training should be kept for more than 5 years. with 
record storage requiring very little space these days, there is 
absolutely no reason why these records cannot be kept for ten years.''
    MMS's response to the above commenter is the following: The 5-year 
retention requirement was not promulgated arbitrarily by MMS. Our 
rulemaking process follows the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) (5 
U.S.C. 553) mandates with a comment period. Public comments are 
analyzed and incorporated into final rules. The oil and gas industry 
commented on the proposed rule after which a final rule was published. 
(Please refer to August 14, 2000, 65 FR 49487, final rule comment 
section.) Industry felt that the 5-year retention requirement was 
costly and unwarranted. The MMS disagreed and made the retention period 
5 years (the APA says we only have to retain records for 3 years) to 
ensure that records will be available for the maximum time allowable 
under the statute of limitations for audit purposes.
    If you wish to comment in response to this notice, you may send 
your comments to the offices listed under the ADDRESSES section of this 
notice. 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 August 11, 2006.
    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 
the request to the extent allowable by the 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: March 22, 2006.
E.P. Danenberger,
Chief, Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs.

    Editorial Note: This document was received at the Office of the 
Federal Register on July 6, 2006.

[FR Doc. E6-10886 Filed 7-11-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P