[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 147 (Monday, August 3, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38465-38466]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-18418]



[[Page 38465]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service

[Docket No. MMS-2008-OMM-0042]


MMS Information Collection Activity: 1010-0128, Subpart O, Well 
Control and Production Safety Training, Extension of a Collection; 
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 250, Subpart O, Well 
Control and Production Safety Training, and related documents. This 
notice also provides the public a second opportunity to comment on the 
paperwork burden of these regulatory requirements.

DATES: Submit written comments by September 2, 2009.

ADDRESSES: You should submit comments directly to the Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for 
the Department of the Interior (1010-0128), either by fax (202) 395-
5806 or e-mail ([email protected]).
    Please also send a copy to MMS by either of the following methods:
     http://www.regulations.gov. Under the tab More Search 
Options, click Advanced Docket Search, then select Minerals Management 
Service from the agency drop-down menu, then click submit. In the 
Docket ID column, select MMS-2008-OMM-0042 to submit public comments 
and to view supporting and related materials. Information on using 
Regulations.gov, including instructions for accessing documents, 
submitting comments, and viewing the docket after the close of the 
comment period, is available through the site's User Tips link. Submit 
comments to regulations.gov by September 2, 2009. The MMS will post all 
comments.
     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 1010-0128 in your subject line and include your 
name and address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cheryl Blundon, Regulations and 
Standards Branch, (703) 787-1607. You may also contact Cheryl Blundon 
to obtain a copy, at no cost, of the regulation that requires the 
subject collection of information.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: 30 CFR 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, right-of-use and easement, and 
pipeline right-of-way. Operations in 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 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.'' To carry out these responsibilities, the 
Minerals Management Service (MMS) has issued rules governing training 
requirements for certain personnel working in the OCS at 30 CFR 250, 
Subpart O, Well Control and Production Safety Training. Responses are 
mandatory or required to obtain or retain a benefit and are primarily 
on occasion. No questions of a sensitive nature are asked. The MMS 
protects information considered proprietary according to 30 CFR 
250.197, Data and information to be made available to the public or for 
limited inspection, and 30 CFR Part 252, Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) 
Oil and Gas Information Program.
    The MMS will use the information collected under subpart O 
regulations 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. We do the oral interviews to gauge how effectively the 
companies are implementing their own training program. The MMS would 
use the interview form and keep the information internally. This 
information is necessary to verify training compliance with the 
requirements.
    Frequency: On occasion or annual.
    Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: Approximately 130 
Federal OCS oil and gas lessees and/or operators.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden: The estimated 
annual hour burden for this information collection is a total of 1,144 
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.

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                                                                                      Average
    Citation 30, CFR 250,          Reporting and                                    Number  of     Annual burden
          Subpart O                recordkeeping              Hour burden             annual           hours
                                    requirement                                      responses
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1503(b)......................  Develop training       70........................               2             140
                                plans. 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\1/2\ hr. (plan).........             130             195
                                training plan and
                                employee training
                                documentation/record
                                for 5 years.
                                                      2 hrs. for records........                             260

[[Page 38466]]

 
1503(c)......................  Upon request, provide  5.........................              31             155
                                MMS copies of
                                employee training
                                documentation or
                                provide copy of
                                training plan.
1507(b)......................  Employee oral          \1/2\ hr..................             650             325
                                interview conducted
                                by MMS.
                                                     --------------------------------------------
1507(c), (d); 1508; 1509.....  Written testing           Not considered information collection                 0
                                conducted by MMS or             under 5 CFR 1320.3(h)(7)
                                authorized
                                representative.
                                                     --------------------------------------------
1510(b)......................  Revise training plan   12........................               5              60
                                and submit to MMS.
250.1500-1510................  General departure or   3.........................               3               9
                                alternative
                                compliance requests
                                not specifically
                                covered elsewhere in
                                subpart O.
                              ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total Hour Burden........  .....................  ..........................             821           1,144
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 May 1, 2009, we 
published a Federal Register notice (74 FR 20330) announcing that we 
would submit this ICR to OMB for approval. The notice provided the 
required 60-day comment period. In addition, Sec.  250.199 provides the 
OMB control number for the information collection requirements imposed 
by the 30 CFR 250 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 have 
received no comments in response to these efforts.
    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. The 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 
September 2, 2009.
    Public Availability of Comments: 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: July 15, 2009.
E.P. Danenberger,
Chief, Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs.
[FR Doc. E9-18418 Filed 7-31-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P