[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 214 (Thursday, November 5, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Page 68557]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-28236]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

U.S. Geological Survey

[GX.16.GG00.99600.00]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request

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

ACTION: Notice of an extension of an information collection (1028-
0051).

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SUMMARY: We (the U.S. Geological Survey) will ask the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the information collection (IC) 
described below. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 
1995, and as part of our continuing efforts to reduce paperwork and 
respondent burden, we invite the general public and other Federal 
agencies to take this opportunity to comment on this IC. This 
collection is scheduled to expire on April 30, 2016.

DATES: You must submit comments on or before January 4, 2016.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this information collection to 
the Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Geological Survey, 
12201 Sunrise Valley Drive MS 807, Reston, VA 20192 (mail); (703) 648-
7197 (fax); or [email protected] (email). Please reference 
`Information Collection 1028-0051, Earthquake Hazards Program Research 
and Monitoring' in all correspondence.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Lemersal, Earthquake Hazards 
Program, U.S. Geological Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Mail Stop 
905, Reston, VA 20192 (mail); 703-648-6716 (phone); or 
[email protected] (email). You may also find information about this ICR 
at www.reginfo.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    Research and monitoring findings are essential to fulfilling USGS's 
responsibility under the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act to develop 
earthquake hazard assessments and recording earthquake activity 
nationwide. Residents, emergency responders, and engineers rely on the 
USGS for this accurate and scientifically sound information. The 
Earthquake Hazards Program funds external investigators to carry out 
these important activities. In response to our Program Announcements 
investigators submit proposals for research and monitoring activities 
on earthquake hazard assessments, earthquake causes and effects, and 
earthquake monitoring. This information is used as the basis for 
selection and award of projects meeting the USGS's Earthquake Hazards 
Program objectives. Final reports of research and monitoring findings 
are required for each funded proposal; annual progress reports are 
required for awards of a two- to five-year duration. Final reports are 
made available to the public at the Web site http://earthquake.usgs.gov/research/external/.

II. Data

    OMB Control Number: 1028-0051.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Title: Earthquake Hazards Program Research and Monitoring.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Affected Public: Research scientists, engineers, and the general 
public.
    Respondent's Obligation: None. Participation is voluntary, but 
necessary to receive benefits.
    Frequency of Collection: Annually and once every three to five 
years.
    Estimated Total Number of Annual Responses: 370 (250 applications 
and narratives and 120 annual and final reports).
    Estimated Time per Response: 45 hours per proposal application 
response and 9 hours per final or annual progress report.
    Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 12,330 (11,250 hours per application 
and 1,080 hours per final or annual progress report).
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'' Burden: 
There are no ``non-hour cost'' burdens associated with this IC.
    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 and current expiration date.

III. Request for Comments

    We are soliciting comments as to: (a) Whether the proposed 
collection of information is necessary for the agency to perform its 
duties, including whether the information is useful; (b) the accuracy 
of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of 
information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, usefulness, and clarity 
of the information to be collected; and (d) how to minimize the burden 
on the respondents, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Please note that the comments submitted in response to this notice 
are a matter of public record. Before including your personal mailing 
address, phone number, email address, or other personally identifiable 
information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire 
comment, including your personally identifiable information, may be 
made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your 
comment to withhold your personally identifiable information from 
public view, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

William Leith,
Senior Science Advisor for Earthquake and Geologic Hazards.
[FR Doc. 2015-28236 Filed 11-4-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4338-11-P