[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 246 (Thursday, December 22, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79705-79707]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-32862]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE)

[Docket ID No. BSEE-2011-0005; OMB Control Number 1014-NEW]


Information Collection Activities: Operations in the Outer 
Continental Shelf for Minerals Other than Oil, Gas, and Sulphur; 
Submitted for Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Review; Comment 
Request

ACTION: 60-day Notice.

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SUMMARY: To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), BSEE 
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 a revision to the 
paperwork requirements in the regulations under 30 CFR part 282, 
``Operations in the Outer Continental Shelf for Minerals Other than 
Oil, Gas, and Sulphur''.

DATES: Submit comments by February 21, 2012.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods 
listed below.
     Electronically: go to http://www.regulations.gov. In the 
entry titled ``Enter Keyword or ID,'' enter BSEE-2011-0005 then click 
search. Follow the instructions to submit public comments and view all 
related materials. We will post all comments.
     Email: [email protected]. Mail or hand-carry 
comments to the Department of the Interior; Bureau of Safety and 
Environmental Enforcement; Regulations Development Branch; Attention: 
Cheryl Blundon; 381 Elden Street, MS-4024; Herndon, Virginia 20170-
4817. Please reference ICR 1014-NEW in your comment and include your 
name and return address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cheryl Blundon, Regulations 
Development Branch at (703) 787-1607 to request additional information 
about this ICR.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: 30 CFR part 282, Operations in the Outer Continental Shelf 
for Minerals other than Oil, Gas, and Sulphur.
    OMB Control Number: 1014-NEW.
    Abstract: The Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act, as amended 
(43 U.S.C. 1334 and 43 U.S.C. 1337(k)), authorizes the Secretary of the 
Interior to implement regulations to grant leases of any mineral other 
than oil, gas, and sulphur to qualified parties. This regulation 
governs mining operations within the OCS and establishes a 
comprehensive leasing and regulatory program for such minerals. This 
regulation has been designed to: (a) Recognize the differences between 
the OCS activities associated with oil, gas, and sulphur discovery and 
development and those associated with the discovery and development of 
other minerals; (b) facilitate participation by States directly 
affected by OCS mining activities; (c) provide opportunities for 
consultation and coordination with other OCS users and uses; (d) 
balance development with environmental protection; (e) insure a fair 
return to the public; (f) preserve and maintain free enterprise 
competition; and (g) encourage the development of new technology.
    The authorities and responsibilities described above are among 
those delegated to BSEE. This ICR addresses the regulations at 30 CFR 
part 282, Operations in the Outer Continental Shelf for Minerals Other 
than Oil, Gas, and Sulphur. It should be noted that there has been no 
activity in the OCS for minerals other than oil, gas and sulphur for 
many years and no information collected. However, because these are 
regulatory requirements, the potential exists for information to be 
collected; therefore, we are requesting this collection of information 
be approved by OMB. To accommodate the split of regulations from the 
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement to BSEE, 
BSEE is requesting OMB approval of the already approved burden hours 
that were previously under 1010-0081 to reflect BSEE's new 1014 
numbering system.
    Regulations at 30 CFR part 282 implement these statutory 
requirements. We use the information to determine if lessees are 
complying with the regulations that implement the mining operations 
program for minerals other than oil, gas, and sulphur. Specifically, 
BSEE will use the information to: (a) To ensure that operations for the 
production of minerals other than oil, gas, and sulphur in the OCS are 
conducted in a manner that will result in orderly resource recovery, 
development, and the protection of the human, marine, and coastal 
environments; (b) to ensure that adequate measures will be taken during 
operations to prevent waste, conserve the natural resources of the OCS, 
and to protect the environment, human life, and correlative rights; (c) 
to determine if suspensions of activities are in the national interest, 
to facilitate proper development of a lease including reasonable time 
to develop a mine and construct its supporting facilities, or to allow 
for the construction or negotiation for use of transportation 
facilities; (d) to identify and evaluate the cause(s) of a hazard(s) 
generating a suspension, the potential damage from a hazard(s) and the 
measures available to mitigate the potential for damage; and (e) for 
technical evaluations that provide a basis for BSEE to make informed 
decisions to approve, disapprove, or require modification of the 
proposed activities.
    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 30 CFR 282.5, 282.6, and 
282.7. No items of a

[[Page 79706]]

sensitive nature are collected. Responses are mandatory.
    Frequency: On occasion; and as a result of situations encountered.
    Description of Respondents: Potential respondents comprise Federal 
OCS lessees and/or operators.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden: We estimate that 
the reporting burden for this collection will be approximately 156 
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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                                                                                               Hour Burden
         Citation 30 CFR 282               Reporting or recordkeeping requirement      -------------------------
                                                                                          Non-Hour Cost Burden
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                                               Subpart A--General
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5...................................  Request non-disclosure of G&G info..............  10.
6...................................  Governor(s) of adjacent State(s) request for      1.
                                       proprietary data, information, samples, etc.,
                                       and disclosure agreement with BSEE.
7...................................  Governor of affected State requests negotiation   1.
                                       to settle jurisdictional controversy, etc.;
                                       enters into an agreement with BSEE.
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                            Subpart B--Jurisdiction and Responsibilities of Director
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11(d)(1);...........................  Request consolidation of two or more OCS mineral  1.
                                       leases or portions.
11(d)(1); 12(f)(l), (2); 13(d),       Submit delineation plan, including environmental  40.
 (e)(2);.                              information, contingency plan, monitoring
                                       program, and various requests for approval
                                       referred to throughout; submit modifications to
                                       plan.
11(d)(1); 12(f)(l), (2); 13(d),       Submit testing delineation plan, including        40.
 (e)(2);.                              environmental information, contingency plan,
                                       monitoring program, and various requests for
                                       approval referred to throughout; submit
                                       modifications to plan.
11(d)(1); 12(f)(1), (2); 13(d),       Submit mining delineation plan, including         40.
 (e)(2);.                              environmental information, contingency plan,
                                       monitoring program, and various requests for
                                       approval referred to throughout; submit
                                       modifications to plan.
11(d)(4)............................  State requests different method of allocating     1.
                                       production.
12(f)(1), (h);......................  Request approval of operations or departure from  0.
                                       operating requirements [burden included with
                                       applicable operation].
13(b), (f)(2); 31...................  Request suspension or temporary prohibition or    2.
                                       production or operations.
13(e)...............................  Submit site-specific study plan and results.....  8
 
                                                                                       -------------------------
                                                                                        $100,000 per study.
14..................................  Submit ``green'' response copy of Form BSEE-1832  2.
                                       indicating date violations (INCs) corrected..
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                             Subpart C--Obligations and Responsibilities of Lessees
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27(b)...............................  Request use of new or alternative technologies,   1.
                                       techniques, etc.
27(c)...............................  Notify BSEE of death or serious injury; fire,     1.
                                       explosion, or other hazardous event; submit
                                       report.
27(d)(2)............................  Request reimbursement for furnishing food,        2.
                                       quarters, and transportation for BSEE
                                       representatives (no requests received in many
                                       years; minimal burden).
27(e)...............................  Identify vessels, platforms, structures, etc.,    1.
                                       with signs.
27(f)(2)............................  Log all drill holes susceptible to logging;       3.
                                       submit copies of logs to BSEE.
27(h)(3), (4).......................  Mark equipment; record items lost overboard;      1.
                                       notify BSEE.
28(d)...............................  Demonstrate effectiveness procedure(s) for        1.
                                       mitigating environmental impacts.
28(k)...............................  Enter weight, quality, and/or quantity of each    0.
                                       mineral produced [burden covered under 1010-
                                       0081].
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                                               Subpart E--Appeals
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
50..................................  File an appeal [burden exempt under 5 CFR         0.
                                       1320.4(a)(2), (c)]..
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    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Non-Hour Cost Burden: We have 
identified one non-hour cost burden associated with Sec.  282.13(e)(1), 
a site specific study. Since this has not been done to date, we 
estimated that the study would cost industry approximately $100,000 to 
comply with the requirement. We have not identified any other non-hour 
paperwork cost burdens associated with 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 
collection is necessary or useful; (b) evaluate the accuracy 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 
technology.
    Agencies must also estimate the non-hour paperwork cost burdens to 
respondents or recordkeepers resulting from the collection of 
information. Therefore, if you have other than hour burden costs to 
generate, maintain, and disclose this information, you should comment 
and provide your total capital and startup cost components or annual

[[Page 79707]]

operation, maintenance, and purchase of service components. For further 
information on this burden, refer to 5 CFR 1320.3(b)(1) and (2), or 
contact the Bureau representative listed previously in this notice.
    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, email 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.

    Dated: December 15, 2011.
Douglas W. Morris,
Chief, Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs.
[FR Doc. 2011-32862 Filed 12-21-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P