[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 196 (Friday, October 9, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61231-61232]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-25781]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLNM006200 L99110000.EK0000 XXX L4053RV]


Revision of Approved Information Collection; OMB Control No. 
1004-0179

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: 30-Day notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has submitted an 
information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) to revise control number 1004-0179, ``Helium Contracts.'' This 
request is prompted by the need to update the control number in 
response to legislation.

DATES: The OMB is required to respond to this information collection 
request within 60 days but may respond after 30 days. For maximum 
consideration, written comments should be received on or before 
November 9, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Please submit comments directly to the Desk Officer for the 
Department of the Interior (OMB #1004-0179), Office of Management and 
Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, fax 202-395-5806, 
or by electronic mail at [email protected]. Please provide a 
copy of your comments to the BLM. You may do so via mail, fax, or 
electronic mail.
    Mail: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, 
1849 C Street NW., Room 2134LM, Attention: Jean Sonneman, Washington, 
DC 20240.
    Fax: to Jean Sonneman at 202-245-0050.
    Electronic mail: [email protected].
    Please indicate ``Attn: 1004-0179'' regardless of the form of your 
comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Jolley, at 806-356-1002. 
Persons who use a telecommunication device for the deaf may call the 
Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339, to leave a 
message for Mr. Jolley. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a 
week. You will receive a reply during normal business hours. You may 
also review the information collection request online at http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501-
3521) and OMB regulations at 5 CFR part 1320 provide 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. In order to obtain and 
renew an OMB control number, Federal agencies are required to seek 
public comment on information collection and recordkeeping activities 
(see 5 CFR 1320.8(d) and 1320.12(a)).
    As required at 5 CFR 1320.8(d), the BLM published a 60-day notice 
in the Federal Register on April 16, 2015, and the comment period ended 
June 15, 2015. The BLM received comments from one commenter. The 
commenter stated that we underestimated the burdens for ``Refined 
Helium Deliveries Detail'' and ``Refiners' Tolling Occurrence Report.'' 
In response, the BLM re-considered the burden estimates and changed the 
burden estimates for each of these information collection activities to 
four hours. The commenter also suggested revisions of the descriptions 
of the information collection activities to be consistent with the 2013 
Act. The BLM concurs with these modifications and has made the 
suggested revisions.
    The BLM now requests comments on the following subjects:
    1. Whether the collection of information is necessary for the 
proper functioning of the BLM, including whether the information will 
have practical utility;
    2. The accuracy of the BLM's estimate of the burden of collecting 
the information, including the validity of the methodology and 
assumptions used;
    3. The quality, utility and clarity of the information to be 
collected; and
    4. How to minimize the information collection burden on those who 
are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic, 
mechanical, or other forms of information technology.
    Please send comments as directed under ADDRESSES and DATES. Please 
refer to OMB control number 1004-0179 in your correspondence. 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.
    The following information pertains to this request:
    Title: Helium Contracts (43 CFR part 3195).
    OMB Control Number: 1004-0179.
    Summary: At present, control number 1004-0179 (expiration date: 
April 30, 2017) enables the BLM to monitor purchases and sales of 
helium from the Federal Helium Reserve. This information collection 
activity is in accordance with the BLM's authority to implement in-kind 
sales of helium in accordance with 43 CFR part 3195. The BLM seeks OMB 
clearance to revise and extend this ongoing collection of information 
for another 3 years. The requested revision will be the addition of a 
new form (``Refined Helium Deliveries Detail'') that will replace the 
existing non-form activity titled ``Sales Reports.''
    In addition, the BLM seeks OMB clearance to add information 
collection activities that are necessary for the implementation of the 
Helium Stewardship Act of 2013 (Act or 2013 Act), Public Law 113-40 
(127 Stat. 534, codified at 50 U.S.C. 167-167q). Section 5(b)(8) of the 
2013 Act amends 50 U.S.C. 167d, and establishes the following

[[Page 61232]]

additional terms and conditions of Federal helium sales that 
necessitate new information collection activities:
     Parties to a helium storage contract with the BLM must 
disclose on a strictly confidential basis:
    (1) The volumes and associated prices in dollars per thousand cubic 
feet (Mcf) in purchase and sales transactions made pursuant to any 
agreement entered into or renegotiated agreement during the preceding 
1-year period in the United States involving at least 15 million 
standard cubic feet of crude or pure helium;
    (2) Refinery operational capacity, future operational capacity, and 
excess refining capacity in Mcf; and
     Refiners of crude helium that enter into ``tolling 
agreements'' must submit a Tolling Occurrence Report to the BLM 
whenever they enter into such tolling agreements. (``Tolling 
agreements'' refers to the helium industry's practice of processing or 
refining another party's helium at an agreed upon price. While refiners 
can purchase, access, and refine their own helium, non-refiners rely 
upon the refiners to process and refine the helium that they have 
purchased--this process is called tolling.)
    Frequency of Collection: Quarterly for the Refined Helium 
Deliveries Detail; annually for the Calculation of Excess Refining 
Capacity and Refiners' Annual Tolling Report; and ``on occasion'' for 
the Refiners' Tolling Occurrence Report.
    Forms:
    Refined Helium Deliveries Detail;
    Calculation of Excess Refining Capacity;
    Refiners' Annual Tolling Report; and
    Refiners' Tolling Occurrence Report.
    Description of Respondents: Suppliers, purchasers, and refiners of 
Federal helium.
    Estimated Annual Responses: 60.
    Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 240.
    Estimated Annual Non-Hour Costs: None.
    The estimated annual burdens of these revised and new collection 
activities are itemized in the following table:

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                                                                                                  F. Total hours
      A. Type of response         B. Frequency     C. Number of    D. Number of    E. Hours per     (Column D x
                                                    respondents      responses       response        Column E)
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Refined Helium Deliveries       Quarterly.......              10              40               4             160
 Detail.
Calculation of Excess Refining  Annually........               4               4               4              16
 Capacity.
Refiners' Annual Tolling        Annually........               4               4               4              16
 Report.
Refiners' Tolling Occurrence    On occasion.....               4              12               4              48
 Report.
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals....................  ................              22              60  ..............             240
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Jean Sonneman,
Bureau of Land Management, Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015-25781 Filed 10-8-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-P