[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 184 (Monday, September 24, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54283-54285]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-18643]


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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 reinstatement of an information collection (1010-
0082).

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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 281, Leasing for Minerals 
Other than Oil, Gas and Sulphur in the Outer Continental Shelf.

DATES: Submit written comments by November 23, 2007.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods 
listed below. Please use the Information Collection Number 1010-0082 as 
an identifier in your message.
     E-mail MMS at [email protected]. Identify with 
Information Collection Number 1010-0082 in the subject line.
     Fax: 703-787-1093. Identify with Information Collection 
Number 1010-0082.
     Mail or hand-carry comments to the Department of the 
Interior; Minerals Management Service; Attention: Cheryl Blundon; 381 
Elden Street, MS-4024; Herndon, Virginia 20170-4817. Please reference 
``Information Collection 1010-0082'' in your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cheryl Blundon, Regulations and 
Standards Branch at (703) 787-1607. 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 281, Leasing for Minerals 
Other than Oil, Gas, and Sulphur in the Outer Continental Shelf.
    OMB Control Number: 1010-0082.
    Abstract: Section 8(k) of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands 
Act, as amended (43 U.S.C. 1337), authorizes the Secretary of the 
Interior (Secretary) to grant to the qualified persons offering the 
highest cash bonuses on a basis of competitive bidding leases of any 
mineral other than oil, gas, and sulphur. This applies to any area of 
the Outer Continental Shelf not then under lease for such mineral upon 
such royalty, rental, and other terms and conditions as the Secretary 
may prescribe at the time of offering the area for lease. The Secretary 
is to administer the leasing provisions of the Act and prescribe the 
rule and regulations necessary to carry out those provisions.
    Regulations at 30 CFR Part 281 implement these statutory 
requirements. However, there has been no activity in the OCS for 
minerals other than oil, gas, and sulphur for many years and no 
information collected since we allowed the OMB approval to expire in 
1991. Nevertheless, because these are regulatory requirements, the 
potential exists for information to be collected and we are requesting 
that OMB reinstate this collection of information.
    We use the information required by 30 CFR Part 281 to determine if 
statutory requirements are met prior to the issuance of a lease. 
Specifically, MMS uses the information to:
     Evaluate the area and minerals requested by the lessee to 
assess the viability of offering leases for sale.

[[Page 54284]]

     Allows the State(s) to initiate the establishment of a 
joint group.
     Ensure excessive overriding royalty interests are not 
created that would put economic constraints on all parties involved.
     Document that a leasehold or geographical subdivision has 
been surrendered by the record title holder.
    We protect proprietary information according to the Freedom of 
Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) and its implementing regulations (43 CFR 
Part 2), and 30 CFR Parts 280 and 282. No items of a sensitive nature 
are collected. Responses are mandatory.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: As there are no 
active respondents, we estimated the potential annual number of 
respondents to be one. Respondents are OCS lessees.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Hour'' Burden: The previous 
OMB inventory included 1,248 annual burden hours for the collection of 
information. 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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         Citation 30 CFR 281              Reporting and/or recordkeeping requirement        Hour burden Fee(s)
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                                               Subpart A--General
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6....................................  Appeal decisions................................  Exempt under 5 CFR
                                                                                          1320.4(a)(2), (c).
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                                          Subpart B--Leasing Procedures
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11(a), (c)...........................  Request approval for mineral lease with relevant  60
                                        information.
All sections.........................  Submit response to Call for Information and       120
                                        Interest on areas for leasing of minerals
                                        (other than oil, gas, sulphur) in accordance
                                        with approved lease program, including
                                        information from States/local governments.
13...................................  States or local governments submit comments/      200
                                        recommendations on planning, coordination,
                                        consultation, and other issues that may
                                        contribute to the leasing process.
All sections.........................  Submit suggestions and relevant information in    160
                                        response to request for comments on proposed
                                        lease including information form States/local
                                        governments.
18(a), (b), (c); 20(e), (f); 26(a)...  Submit bids (oral or sealed) and required         250
                                        information.
18(c); 20(e), (f)....................  Tie bids--submit oral bids for highest bidder...  20
20(a), (b), (c); 41(a)...............  Establish a Company File for qualification;       58
                                        submit updated information, submit
                                        qualifications for lessee/bidder.
21(a); 47(c).........................  Request for reconsideration of bid rejection/     Exempt as defined 5 CFR
                                        cancellation.                                     1320.3(h)(9).
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                                       Subpart C--Financial Considerations
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26; 21(b), (e); 40(b); 41(b).........  Execute lease (includes submission of evidence    100
                                        of authorized agent and request for dating of
                                        leases).
31(b); 41............................  File application and required information for     160
                                        assignment or transfer for approval.             $50 application fee
32(b), (c)...........................  File application for waiver, suspension, or       80
                                        reduction and supporting documentation.
33; 41(c)............................  Submit surety or personal bond..................  Burden covered under
                                                                                          1010-0081.
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                                        Subpart E--Termination of Leases
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46(a)................................  File written request for relinquishment.........  40
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    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'' Burden: We 
have identified one ``non-hour cost'' burden for this collection, a $50 
application fee under Sec.  281.41. It should be noted that this fee 
was never previously included since the non-hour cost burdens were not 
subject to reporting under the 1980 Paperwork Reduction Act. 
Furthermore, this fee has never been collected since we have not had 
any leases for minerals other than oil, gas, and sulphur.
    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,

[[Page 54285]]

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: Before including your address, phone 
number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in 
your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including 
your personal identifying information--may be made publicly available 
at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your 
personal identifying information from public review, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so.
    MMS Information Collection Clearance Officer: Arlene Bajusz (202) 
208-7744.

    Dated: August 6, 2007.
E.P. Danenberger,
Chief, Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs.
[FR Doc. E7-18643 Filed 9-21-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P