[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 98 (Monday, May 21, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30022-30023]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-12303]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

[Docket No. ONRR-2012-0003]


U.S. Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative Stakeholder 
Assessment Public Listening Sessions, Webinar and Workshop

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: On May 3, 2012, The Department of the Interior (Interior) 
published a Federal Register Notice (77 FR 26315) announcing the May 18 
publication of the United States Extractive Industries Transparency 
Initiative Stakeholder Assessment and Multi-Stakeholder Group Options. 
In that notice, Interior announced it would also initiate a public 
comment period regarding the Assessment, starting May 18, to include 
public listening sessions, a webinar and a workshop, the details of 
which would be provided on the Interior Web site and in this Federal 
Register Notice.

DATES: Submit written comments on or before June 29th, 2012.
    The public listening sessions, webinar and workshop dates, times 
and locations are:

Session 1--Anchorage, Alaska Public Listening Session, 6:00-8:00 pm 
ADT, May 30, 2012, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, 3801 
Centerpoint Drive, Suite 100, Anchorage, AK 99503-5820, tel. 907-
334-5200
Session 2--Public Webinar, 1:00-3:00 pm EDT, June 1, 2012, see 
www.doi.gov/eiti/for details
Session 3--Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Public Listening Session, 1:00-
3:00 pm EDT, June 11, 2012, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and 
Enforcement, Building 3, Parkway Center, Conference Room, 2nd Floor, 
Pittsburgh, PA 15220, tel. 412-937-2828
Session 4--New Orleans, Louisiana Public Listening Session, 1:00-
3:00 pm CDT, June 12, 2012, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, 1201 
Elmwood Park Boulevard, Room 135, New Orleans, LA 70123-2394, tel. 
800-200-4853
Session 5--Washington, DC Public Workshop, 10:00am-4:00 pm EDT, June 
22, 2012, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1849 C St., NW., Rooms 
7000A and B, Washington, DC 20240, tel. 202-254-5573


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ben Nussdorf, telephone (202) 254-
5573, fax number (202) 254-5589, email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On February 24th, 2012, Interior published a 
notice in the Federal Register seeking public comment on the formation 
of a multi-stakeholder group to implement USEITI (74 FR 11151). In that 
notice, Interior stated that it would hold a series of public listening 
sessions to provide additional opportunities for public comment. In 
March, Interior held those listening sessions in St. Louis, Missouri; 
Denver, Colorado; Houston, Texas; and Washington, DC The Consensus 
Building Institute (CBI), an independent third-party facilitator, 
analyzed the input from these four public listening sessions, 
interviews with potential stakeholders, and written comments that were 
submitted to Interior. This input has formed the basis of CBI's 
independent stakeholder assessment and findings regarding options for 
establishing the U.S. multi-stakeholder group, which will be 
responsible for implementing USEITI.
    Starting May 18, the CBI stakeholder assessment will be available 
online at www.doi.gov/EITI. Alternatively, you may request a copy of 
the assessment from Ben Nussdorf, whose contact information is listed 
previously in this notice. We encourage stakeholders and members of the 
public to participate in public comment period from May 18-

[[Page 30023]]

June 29, 2012, to provide feedback on the stakeholder assessment and 
recommended options for establishing the U.S. multi-stakeholder group. 
During the May 18-June 29 public comment period, three public listening 
sessions, a public webinar, and a public workshop will be held as 
listed previously in this notice. Details on participating in the 
webinar will be available from Ben Nussdorf and online at www.doi.gov/EITI.
    Background: In September 2011, President Barack Obama announced the 
United States' commitment to participate in the Extractive Industries 
Transparency Initiative. EITI is a signature initiative of the U.S. 
National Action Plan for the international Open Government Partnership 
and offers a voluntary framework for governments and companies to 
publicly disclose in parallel the revenues paid and received for 
extraction of oil, gas and minerals owned by the state. The design of 
each framework is country-specific, and is developed through a multi-
year, consensus based process by a multi-stakeholder group comprised of 
government, industry and civil society representatives. On October 25, 
President Obama named Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar as the U.S. 
Senior Official responsible for implementing USEITI. In response, 
Secretary Salazar posted a White House blog the same day, committing to 
work with industry and civil society to implement USEITI. For further 
information on EITI, please visit the USEITI Web page at http://www.doi.gov/EITI.

    Dated: May 16, 2012.
Amy Holley,
Acting Assistant Secretary, Policy, Management and Budget.
[FR Doc. 2012-12303 Filed 5-17-12; 11:15 am]
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