[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 21 (Thursday, January 31, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6829-6830]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-02114]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Geological Survey

[GX13NM000HF1000]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submitted for Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) Review; Comment Request

AGENCY: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

ACTION: Notice of an extension of a currently approved information 
collection, 1028-0094.

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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 the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) an information collection request (ICR) for 
approval of the paperwork requirements for the National Coal Resources 
Data System (NCRDS) competitive cooperative agreement program. This 
collection is scheduled to expire on January 31, 2013. This notice 
provides the public an opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden 
of this project.

DATES: You must submit comments on or before March 4, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Please submit written comments on this information 
collection directly to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Office 
of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attention: Desk Officer for the 
Department of the Interior via email to [email protected] or 
fax at 202-395-5806; and identify your submission with Information 
Collection Number 1028-0094.
    Please also submit a copy of your written comments to the USGS 
Information Collection Clearance Officer, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, 
MS 807, Reston, VA 20192 (mail); (703) 648-7199 (fax); or 
[email protected] (email). Please reference information collection 
1028-0094. NCRDS in the subject line.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Joseph East by mail at U.S. 
Geological Survey, National Center, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, 
VA 20192 or by telephone at 703-648-6450.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Abstract

    The primary objective of the National Coal Resources Data System 
(NCRDS) is to advance the understanding of the energy endowment of the 
United States (U.S.) by gathering and organizing digital geologic 
information related to coal, coal bed gas, shale gas and other energy 
resources and related information regarding these resources. These data 
are needed to support regional or national assessments concerning coal, 
coal bed gas, and other solid fuel occurrences. Requesting external 
cooperation is the best way for NCRDS to collect energy data and 
perform research and analyses on the characterization of coals and 
organic-rich shale, and obtain other information (including geophysical 
or seismic data, sample collection for generation of thermal maturity 
data) that can be used in solid-fuel resource assessments and related 
studies.
    The USGS will issue a call for proposals to support researchers 
from State Geological Surveys and associated

[[Page 6830]]

accredited Universities that can provide geologic data to support NCRDS 
and other energy assessment projects being conducted by the Energy 
Resources Program.
    Data submitted to NCRDS by external cooperators constitute more 
than two-thirds of the USGS point-source stratigraphic database 
(USTRAT) on coal occurrence. In 2012, NCRDS supported 30 projects in 23 
States. This program is conducted under various authorities, including 
30 U.S.C. 208-1, 42 U.S.C. 15801, and 43 U.S.C. 31 et seq. This 
collection will consist of applications, proposals and reports (annual 
and final).

I. Data

    OMB Control Number: 1028-0094.
    Title: Energy Cooperatives to Support the National Coal Resources 
Data System (NCRDS).
    Respondent Obligation: Required to obtain or retain benefits.
    Frequency of Collection: One time every 5 years for applications 
and final reports; annually for progress reports.
    Affected Public: Individuals; State, local and tribal governments; 
State Geological Surveys, universities, and businesses.
    Annual burden hours: 300.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 26.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses: 35 (9 applications 26 
reports).
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'': 
None.

II. Request for Comments

    Public Disclosure Statement: The PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.) 
provides that an agency may not conduct or sponsor and you are not 
required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a 
currently valid OMB control number.
    On October 12, 2012, we published a Federal Register notice (77 FR 
62253) announcing that we would submit this information collection to 
OMB for approval. The notice provided a 60-day comment period ending on 
December 10, 2012. We did not receive any comments in response to that 
notice.
    We again invite comments concerning this information collection on: 
(1) Whether or not the collection of information is necessary, 
including whether or not the information will have practical utility; 
(2) the accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this collection of 
information; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information to be collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of 
the collection of information on respondents.
    Please note that the comments submitted in response to this notice 
are a matter of public record. 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 OMB in your comment to withhold your 
personal identifying information from public review, we cannot 
guarantee that it will be done.

    Dated: January 23, 2013.
Brenda Pierce,
Program Coordinator, USGS Energy Resources Program.
[FR Doc. 2013-02114 Filed 1-30-13; 8:45 am]
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