[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 37 (Monday, February 27, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11941-11942]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-03770]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

[OMB Control Number 1010-0187]


Information Collection: Project Planning for the Use of Outer 
Continental Shelf Sand, Gravel, and Shell Resources in Construction 
Projects That Qualify for a Negotiated Noncompetitive Agreement; 
Proposed Collection for OMB Review; Comment Request; MMAA104000

ACTION: 60-day notice.

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SUMMARY: To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the 
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is inviting comments on a 
renewal of a collection of information that we will submit to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The 
information collection request (ICR) concerns the paperwork 
requirements that respondents will submit to BOEM to obtain Outer 
Continental Shelf (OCS) sand, gravel, and shell resources for use in 
shore protection, beach and coastal restoration, and other authorized 
projects that qualify for a negotiated noncompetitive agreement.

DATES: Submit written comments by April 28, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Please send your comments on this ICR to the BOEM 
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Anna Atkinson, Bureau of 
Ocean Energy Management, 45600 Woodland Road, Sterling, Virginia 20166 
(mail); or [email protected] (email); or 703-787-1209 (fax). 
Please reference ICR 1010-0187 in your comment and include your name 
and return address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To obtain information pertaining to 
this notice, contact Anna Atkinson at (703) 787-1025.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    OMB Control Number: 1010-0187.
    Title: Project Planning for the Use of Outer Continental Shelf 
Sand, Gravel, and Shell Resources in Construction Projects that Qualify 
for a Negotiated Noncompetitive Agreement.
    Abstract: Under the authority delegated by the Secretary of the 
Interior, BOEM is authorized, pursuant to section 8(k)(2) of the OCS 
Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1337(k)(2)), to convey rights to OCS sand, gravel, 
and shell resources by negotiated noncompetitive agreement for use in 
shore protection and beach and coastal restoration, or for use in 
construction projects funded, in whole or part by, or authorized by the 
Federal Government.

Background

    Between 1994 and 2014, 43 shore protection or beach and coastal 
restoration projects were completed using OCS sand resources, conveying 
more than 119 million cubic yards of OCS material and restoring more 
than 295 miles of shoreline. The program has seen an increase in demand 
for OCS resources due to the decreasing availability of sand sources 
located in state waters and an increase in coastal storm intensity, 
duration, and frequency. Since 2014, an additional eight projects have 
been processed. In order for BOEM to continue to meet the needs of 
local and state governments, information regarding upcoming projects 
must be acquired to plan for future projects and anticipated workload. 
Therefore, BOEM will issue calls for information about needed resources 
and locations from interested parties to develop and maintain a project 
schedule. It includes an annual call for information and the potential 
for a call in response to an emergency declaration, such as a tropical 
storm. This ICR has no significant changes from the 2014 OMB approved 
information collection.
    BOEM's calls for information (e.g., letters or Federal Register 
notices) will request interested parties to submit, in writing or 
electronically, a description of their proposed projects for which OCS 
resources will be used. The description must include the offshore 
borrow sites (if known); the estimated date of construction; a short 
description of current project funding; the name of a primary point of 
contact with that person's mailing address, telephone number, and email 
address and any additional information concerning the status of the 
project that would be useful to BOEM. This information may include 
detailed maps; geospatial data and coordinates of desired sand 
resources and sites that would be nourished; a description of the 
environmental documents that have been completed to date concerning any 
portion of the project; a cited reference list; status of geological 
and geophysical permit (if required); information concerning known or 
suspected archaeological or historic artifacts; interpretations of the 
geology and extent of sand areas; known volumes of sand resource sites; 
historical data related to the proposed borrow or placement area; and a 
description of the status of Federal, state, and/or local permits 
required for the project.
    In the event the number of requested projects exceeds the limits of 
the current BOEM staff and funding resources, BOEM may request the 
relevant states to prioritize their own projects based on several 
criteria including likelihood of project funding and progress of 
environmental work.
    BOEM will use the information to determine appropriate future 
resource allocations, identify potential conflicts of use, conduct 
environmental analyses, develop negotiated noncompetitive agreements, 
and meet all necessary environmental and legal requirements. BOEM will 
publish all ongoing projects on the Web site https://www.boem.gov/MMP-State-and-Regional-Activities/.
    With this renewal, we are also including a provision for a call in 
response to emergency declarations, such as a tropical storm. Hurricane 
Sandy demonstrated BOEM's need for accurate and timely information 
following a natural disaster declaration.
    We will protect information from respondents considered proprietary 
under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) and the Department 
of the Interior's implementing regulations at 43 CFR part 2. No items 
of a sensitive nature are collected, and responses are voluntary.
    Frequency: Annually and on occasion.
    Description of Respondents: Potential respondents comprise States, 
counties, localities and tribes.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden: We estimate that 
the annual reporting burden for this collection is about 200 hours, 
assuming an emergency declaration is made each year.
    Local Government Compilation: 25 local x 1 hour/entity x 2 
responses/year = 50 hours; State Compilation: 15 States x 5 hours/State 
x 2 responses/year = 150 hours (50 county hours + 150 State hours = 200 
total burden hours).
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Non-Hour Cost Burden: We have 
identified no non-hour paperwork cost burdens for this collection.
    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

[[Page 11942]]

displays a currently valid OMB control number.
    Comments: Before submitting an ICR to OMB, PRA section 
3506(c)(2)(A) 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 on: (a) Whether or not the 
collection of information is necessary, including whether or not the 
information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the burden 
estimates; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden on 
respondents.
    Agencies must also estimate the non-hour cost burdens to 
respondents or recordkeepers resulting from the collection of 
information. Therefore, if you incur costs to generate, maintain, and 
disclose this information, you should comment and provide your total 
capital and startup costs or annual operation, maintenance, and 
purchase of service costs. You should describe the methods you use to 
estimate major cost factors, including system and technology 
acquisition, expected useful life of capital equipment, discount 
rate(s), and the period over which you incur costs. Capital and startup 
costs include, among other items, computers and software you purchase 
to prepare for collecting information, monitoring, and record storage 
facilities. You should not include estimates for equipment or services 
purchased: (a) Before October 1, 1995; (b) to comply with requirements 
not associated with the information collection; (c) for reasons other 
than to provide information or keep records for the Government; or (d) 
as part of customary and usual business or private practices.
    We will summarize written responses to this notice and address them 
in our submission for OMB approval. Any necessary adjustments to the 
burden resulting from your comments will be reflected in our submission 
to OMB.
    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: February 14, 2017.
Robert Sebastian,
Acting Chief, Office of Policy, Regulations, and Analysis.
[FR Doc. 2017-03770 Filed 2-24-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P