[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 226 (Monday, November 27, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56116-56117]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-25565]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Docket Number: DOT-OST-2017-0043]


Agency Information Collection Activity; Notice of Reinstatement 
To Collect Information: Barrier Failure Reporting in Oil and Gas 
Operations on the Outer Continental Shelf

AGENCY: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), Office of the 
Assistant Secretary for Research Technology (OST-R), U.S. Department of 
Transportation.

ACTION: Notice; Reinstatement to Collect Data.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of the BTS to request 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to reinstate previously 
approved OMB Number 2139-0046 for the following information collection: 
Barrier Failure Reporting in Oil and Gas Operations on the Outer 
Continental Shelf (OCS). BTS entered into a memorandum of understanding 
(MOU) with the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) to 
include an industry-wide repository of equipment failure data, analyze 
and aggregate information collected under this program, and publish 
reports that will provide BSEE, the industry, and all OCS stakeholders 
with essential information about failure types and modes of critical 
safety barriers for offshore operations related to well control. The 
data collection effort that is the subject of this notice, addressed 
the collection of failure data as referenced in recently issued BSEE 
regulations on (81 FR 25888), April 29, 2016 and (81 FR 61834), 
September 7, 2016. BTS received permission to collect the data under an 
emergency OMB control number on September 29, 2016. Through this 
notice, BTS is requesting permission to reinstate this previously 
approved OMB control number. This information collection is necessary 
to aid BSEE, the oil and gas industry, and other stakeholders in 
identifying barrier failure trends and causes of critical safety 
barrier failure events.

DATES: Comments must be received by December 27, 2017.

ADDRESSES: BTS seeks public comments on its proposed continuation of 
information collection. Comments should address whether the information 
will have practical utility; the accuracy of the estimated burden hours 
of the proposed information collection; ways to enhance the quality, 
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to 
minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, 
including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of 
information technology. Send comments to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th Street 
NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention: BTS Desk Officer.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Demetra V. Collia, Bureau of 
Transportation Statistics, Office of the Assistant Secretary for 
Research and Technology (OST-R), U.S. Department of Transportation, 
Office of Statistical and Economic Analysis (OSEA), RTS-31, E36-302, 
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590-0001; Phone No. (202) 
366-1610; Fax No. (202) 366-3383; email: [email protected]. Office 
hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., EST, Monday through Friday, except 
Federal holidays.
    Data Confidentiality Provisions: This data collection is protected 
under the BTS confidentiality statute (49 U.S.C. 6307(b)) and the 
Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act 
(CIPSEA) of 2002 (Public Law 107-347, Title V). In accordance with 
these confidentiality statutes, only statistical and non-identifying 
data will be made publicly available through reports. Further, BTS will 
not release to BSEE or any other public or private entity any 
information that might reveal the identity of individuals or 
organizations mentioned in SafeOCS reports.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. The Data Collection

    The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35; as 
amended) and 5 CFR part 1320 require each Federal agency to obtain OMB 
approval to continue an information collection activity. BTS is seeking 
OMB approval for the following BTS information collection activity:
    Title: Barrier Failure Reporting in Oil and Gas Operations on the 
Outer Continental Shelf.
    OMB Control Number: 2139-0046.
    Type of Review: Approval of data collection.
    Respondents: Oil and Gas Operators on the Outer Continental Shelf.
    Number of Respondents: As a request to be authorized repository for 
previously collected information, BTS has identified BSEE as the sole 
respondent reporting to BTS at the annual frequency of one.
    Estimated Time per Response: 60 minutes.
    Frequency: Once.
    Total Annual Burden: 1 hour.
    BTS has agreed through an MOU with BSEE to undertake the 
information collection identified in the previously approved BSEE 
notice for OMB Control Number(s) 1014-0028, expiration 4/30/2019 and 
the BSEE notice with OMB Control Number 1014-0003, expiration 8/31/
2019, to ensure the confidentiality of submissions under CIPSEA. The 
information collection is limited to the establishment of BTS as an 
authorized repository. This information collection request does not 
create any additional burden for respondents.

II. Public Participation and Request for Public Comments

    On March 30, 2017, BTS published a notice (82 FR 15787) encouraging 
interested parties to submit comments to docket number DOT-OST-2017-
0043 and allowing for a 60-day comment period. The comment period 
closed on May 30, 2017. To view comments, go to http://www.regulations.gov and insert the docket number, ``DOT-OST-2017-0043'' 
in the ``Search'' box and click ``Search.'' Next, click ``Open Docket

[[Page 56117]]

Folder'' button and choose document listed to review. If you do not 
have access to the Internet, you may view the docket by visiting the 
Docket Management Facility in Room W12-140 on the ground floor of the 
U.S. DOT West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 
20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays.

Privacy Act

    All comments the BTS received were posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov. Anyone may search the electronic form of all 
comments received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual 
submitting the comment (or of the person signing the comment, if 
submitted on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.). 
You may review DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal 
Register published on January 17, 2008 (73 FR 3316), or you may visit 
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2017-03-30/pdf/2017-06272.pdf.

III. Discussion of Public Comments and BTS Responses

    BTS announced on March 30, 2017 in a Federal Register Notice (82 FR 
15788) its intention to request that OMB approve the following 
continuation of information collection: Barrier Failure Reporting in 
Oil and Gas Operations on the Outer Continental Shelf. BTS received no 
comments during the 60-day public comment period. The March 30th notice 
stated that the BTS was seeking to renew the previously approved 
collection 2139-0046. This 30-day notice clarifies that BTS is seeking 
reinstatement of the expired collection and is requesting OMB authorize 
the collection for three years.

    Issued on: November 21, 2017.
Patricia Hu,
Director, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Office of the Assistant 
Secretary for Research and Technology
[FR Doc. 2017-25565 Filed 11-24-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-P