[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 210 (Thursday, October 30, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64613-64617]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-25804]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement

[Docket ID BSEE-2014-0007; OMB Control Number 1014-0003; 14XE1700DX 
EEEE500000 EX1SF0000.DAQ000]


Information Collection Activities: Oil and Gas Production Safety 
Systems; Submitted for Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Review; 
Comment Request

ACTION: 30-Day notice.

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SUMMARY: To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the 
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) is 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 Subpart H, Oil and Gas Production Safety Systems. 
This notice also provides the public a second opportunity to comment on 
the revised paperwork burden of these regulatory requirements.

DATES: You must submit comments by December 1, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments by either fax (202) 395-5806 or email 
([email protected]) directly to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for the Department of 
the Interior (1014-0003). Please provide a copy of your comments to 
BSEE by any of the means below.
     Electronically go to http://www.regulations.gov. In the 
Search box, enter BSEE-2014-0007 then click search. Follow the 
instructions to submit public comments and view all related materials. 
We will post all comments.
     Email [email protected], fax (703) 787-1546, or mail 
or hand-carry comments to the Department of the Interior; Bureau of 
Safety and Environmental Enforcement; Regulations and Standards Branch; 
ATTN: Cheryl Blundon; 381 Elden Street, HE3314; Herndon, Virginia 
20170-4817. Please reference ICR 1014-0003 in your comment and include 
your name and return address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cheryl Blundon, Regulations and 
Standards Branch, (703) 787-1607, to request additional information 
about this ICR. To see a copy of the entire ICR submitted to OMB, go to 
http://www.reginfo.gov (select Information Collection Review, Currently 
Under Review).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: 30 CFR 250, Subpart H, Oil and Gas Production Safety 
Systems.
    OMB Control Number: 1014-0003.
    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 necessary 
for the administration of the leasing provisions of that Act related to 
mineral resources on the OCS. Such rules and regulations will apply to 
all operations conducted under a lease, pipeline right-of-way, or a 
right-of-use and easement. Section 1332(6) states 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.''
    In addition to the general authority of OCS Lands Act, section 
301(a) of the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act (FOGRMA), 30 
U.S.C. 1751(a), grants authority to the Secretary to prescribe such 
rules and regulations as are reasonably necessary to carry out FOGRMA's 
provisions. While the majority of FOGRMA is directed to royalty 
collection and enforcement, some provisions apply to offshore 
operations. For example, For example, section 108 of FOGRMA, 30 U.S.C. 
1718, grants the Secretary broad authority to inspect lease sites for 
the purpose of determining whether there is compliance with the mineral 
leasing laws. Section 109(c)(2) and (d)(1), 30 U.S.C. 1719(c)(2) and 
(d)(1), impose substantial civil penalties for failure to permit lawful 
inspections and for knowing or willful preparation or submission of 
false, inaccurate, or misleading reports, records, or other 
information. The Secretary has delegated some of the authority under 
FOGRMA to BSEE.
    The Independent Offices Appropriations Act (31 U.S.C. 9701), the 
Omnibus Appropriations Bill (Pub. L. 104-133, 110 Stat. 1321, April 26, 
1996), and OMB Circular A-25, authorize Federal agencies to recover the 
full cost of services that confer special benefits. Under the 
Department of the Interior's implementing policy, the Bureau of Safety 
and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) is required to charge fees for 
services that provide special benefits or privileges to an identifiable 
non-Federal recipient above and beyond those which accrue to the public 
at large. Facility Production Safety System Applications are subject to 
cost recovery and BSEE regulations specify filing fees for these 
applications.
    In addition, BSEE also issues various Notices to Lessees (NTLs) and 
Operators to clarify and provide additional guidance on some aspects of 
the regulations to capture the data and information.
    Regulations implementing these responsibilities are among those 
delegated to BSEE.
    Responses are mandatory. No questions of a sensitive nature are 
asked. BSEE protects information considered proprietary under the 
Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) and DOIs implementing 
regulations (43 CFR part 2), and under regulations at 30 CFR part 
250.197, Data and information to be made available to the public or for 
limited inspection, 30 CFR Part 252, OCS Oil and Gas Information 
Program.
    BSEE uses the information collected under subpart H to evaluate 
equipment and/or procedures that lessees and operators propose to use 
during production operations, including evaluation of requests for 
departures or use of alternate procedures or equipment. Information is 
also used to verify that production operations are safe and protect the 
human, marine, and coastal environment. BSEE inspectors review the 
records required by this subpart to verify compliance with testing and 
minimum safety requirements.

[[Page 64614]]

    The Gulf of Mexico OCS Region (GOMR) has a policy regarding 
approval of requests to use a chemical-only fire prevention and control 
system in lieu of a water system. BSEE may require additional 
information be submitted to maintain approval. The information is used 
to determine if the chemical-only system provides the equivalent 
protection of a water system for the egress of personnel should a fire 
occur. The
    Frequency: Is generally on occasion or as required by regulations.
    Description of Respondents: Potential respondents comprise OCS 
Federal oil, gas, or sulphur lessees and/or operators.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden: The estimated 
annual hour burden for this information collection is a total of 92,341 
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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    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Non-Hour Cost Burden: We have 
identified 10 non-hour cost burdens, all of which are cost recovery 
fees required under Sec.  250.802(e). However, the actual fee amounts 
are specified in Sec.  250.125, which provides a consolidated table of 
all of the fees required under the 30 CFR 250 regulations. The total 
non-hour cost burdens (cost recovery fees) in this IC request are 
$323,481 and are as follows:
     Submit application for a production safety system with 
>125 components--$5,426 per submission; $14,280 per offshore visit; and 
$7,426 per shipyard visit.
     Submit application for a production safety system with 25-
125 components--$1,314 per submission; $8,967 per offshore visit; and 
$5,141 per shipyard visit.
     Submit application for a production safety system with <25 
components--$652 per submission.
     Submit modification to application for production safety 
system with >125 components--$605 per submission.
     Submit modification to application for production safety 
system with 25-125 components--$217 per submission.
     Submit modification to application for production safety 
system with <25 components--$92 per submission.
    We have not identified any other non-hour cost burdens associated 
with this 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 
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.
    To comply with the public consultation process, on August 18, 2014, 
we published a Federal Register notice (79 FR 48757) 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, Subpart H 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 received no comments in response to the Federal Register.
    Public Availability of Comments: 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: October 20, 2014.
Robert W. Middleton,
Deputy Chief, Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs.
[FR Doc. 2014-25804 Filed 10-29-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-VH-P