[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 164 (Friday, August 23, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44328-44330]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-18213]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

[OMB Control Number 1010-0106; Docket ID: BOEM-2017-0016]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Oil Spill Financial 
Responsibility for Offshore Facilities

AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is proposing to renew an 
information collection request (ICR) with revisions.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
October 22, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments on this ICR by mail to the BOEM 
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Anna Atkinson, Bureau of 
Ocean Energy Management, 45600 Woodland Road, Sterling, Virginia 20166; 
or by email to [email protected]. Please reference OMB Control 
Number 1010-0106 in the subject line of your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information 
about this ICR, contact Anna Atkinson by email, or by telephone at 703-
787-1025.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, BOEM provides the general public and other Federal 
agencies with an opportunity to comment on new, proposed, revised, and 
continuing collections of information. This helps BOEM assess the 
impact of its information collection requirements and minimizes the 
public's reporting burden. It also helps the public understand our 
information collection requirements and provide the requested data in 
the desired format.
    BOEM is soliciting comments on the proposed ICR described below. We 
are especially interested in public comments addressing the following 
issues: (1) Is the collection necessary to the proper functions of 
BOEM; (2) what can BOEM do to ensure that this information be processed 
and used in a timely manner; (3) is the burden estimate accurate; (4) 
how might BOEM enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (5) how might BOEM minimize the burden 
of this collection on the respondents, including minimizing the burden 
through the use of information technology?
    Comments submitted in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. BOEM will include or summarize each comment in our 
request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval of 
this ICR. You should be aware that your entire comment--including your 
address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. In order for 
BOEM to withhold from disclosure your personally identifiable 
information, you must identify any information contained in the 
submittal of your comments that, if released, would constitute a 
clearly unwarranted invasion of your personal privacy. You must also 
briefly describe any possible harmful consequences of the disclosure of 
your information, such as embarrassment, injury, or other harm. While 
you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personally identifiable 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.
    BOEM protects proprietary information in accordance with the 
Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) and the Department of the 
Interior's FOIA regulations (43 CFR part 2), and under applicable 
sections of 30 CFR parts 550 and 552 promulgated pursuant to Outer 
Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) at 43 U.S.C. 1352(c).
    Abstract: This ICR concerns the paperwork requirements in the 
regulations in 30 CFR part 553, Oil Spill Financial Responsibility for 
Offshore Facilities, including any supplementary notices to leases and 
operators that provide clarification, description, or explanation of 
these regulations; and forms BOEM-1016 through 1023, and BOEM-1025.
    BOEM uses the information collected under 30 CFR part 553 to verify 
compliance with section 1016 of the Oil Pollution Act, as amended, 33 
U.S.C. 2701 et seq. This information is necessary to confirm that 
applicants can pay for cleanup and damages resulting from oil spills 
and other hydrocarbon discharges that originate from covered offshore 
facilities.
    BOEM uses forms to collect information to ensure proper and 
efficient administration of Oil Spill Financial Responsibility. BOEM 
collects information to:
     Provide a standard method for establishing eligibility for 
oil spill financial responsibility for offshore facilities;
     Identify and maintain a record of those offshore 
facilities that have a potential oil spill liability;
     Establish and maintain a continuous record, over the 
liability term specified in Title I of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, 
of financial evidence and instruments established to pay claims for oil 
spill cleanup and damages resulting from operations conducted on 
covered offshore facilities and the transportation of oil from covered 
offshore facilities and wells;
     Establish and maintain a continuous record of responsible 
parties, as defined in Title I of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, and 
their agents or Authorized Representatives for oil spill financial 
responsibility for covered offshore facilities; and
     Establish and maintain a continuous record, over the 
liability term specified in Title I of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, 
of persons to contact and U.S. Agents for Service of Process for claims 
associated with oil spills from covered offshore facilities.

[[Page 44329]]

    Title of Collection: 30 CFR 553, Oil Spill Financial Responsibility 
for Offshore Facilities.
    OMB Control Number: 1010-0106.
    Form Number:
     BOEM-1016, Designated Applicant Information Collection;
     BOEM-1017, Appointment of Designated Applicant;
     BOEM-1018; Self-Insurance Information;
     BOEM-1019, Insurance Certificate;
     BOEM-1020, Surety Bond;
     BOEM-1021, Covered Offshore Facility;
     BOEM-1022, Covered Offshore Facility Changes;
     BOEM-1023, Financial Guarantee; and
     BOEM-1025, Independent Designated Applicant Information 
Certification.
    Type of Review: Renewal with revisions of a currently approved 
information collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Holders of leases, permits, right-of-
way grants, and right-of-use and easement grants in the OCS and in 
State coastal waters who are responsible parties and/or who will 
appoint designated applicants. Other respondents may be the designated 
applicants' insurance agents and brokers, bonding companies, and 
guarantors. Some respondents may also be claimants.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 1,823 responses.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 22,133 hours.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Frequency of Collection: On occasion or annual.
    Total Estimated Annual Non-Hour Burden Cost: None.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden: The current 
annual burden hours for this collection are 22,132 hours. BOEM proposes 
to increase the annual burden hours to 22,133 hours to account for a 
requirement under 30 CFR 553.62 not previously counted. BOEM, under 30 
CFR 553.62, requires the designated applicant to notify their 
guarantors and responsible parties within 15 calendar days of receiving 
a claim for removal costs and damages. BOEM plans to add 1 annual 
burden hour under 30 CFR 553.62 to account for the burden. The burden 
was not previously counted in this OMB control number, because it was 
thought to overlap with U.S. Coast Guard's requirements.
    The following table details the individual components and 
respective hour burden estimates of this ICR.

                                                Burden Breakdown
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                  Average number
       Citation 30 CFR part 553         Reporting requirement *     Hour burden      of annual     Annual burden
                                                                                     reponses          hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Various sections.....................   The burdens for all references to submitting evidence of               0
                                        OSFR, as well as required or supporting information, are
                                                      covered with the forms below
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        Applicability and Amount of OSFR
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11(a)(1); 40; 41.....................  Form BOEM-1016--                        1             200             200
                                        Designated Applicant
                                        Information
                                        Certification.
11(a)(1); 40; 41.....................  Form BOEM-1017--                        9             600           5,400
                                        Appointment of
                                        Designated Applicant.
11(a)(1); (2)........................  Form BOEM-1025--                        1             200             200
                                        Independent Designated
                                        Applicant Information
                                        Certification.
12, 45...............................  Request for determination               2               5              10
                                        of OSFR applicability.
                                        Provide required and
                                        supporting information.
15...................................  Notify BOEM of change in                1               1               1
                                        ability to comply.
15(f)................................  Provide claimant written                1              15              15
                                        explanation of denial.
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Subtotal.........................  .........................  ..............           1,021           5,826
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         Methods for Demonstrating OSFR
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
21-28; 40............................  Form BOEM-1018--Self-                   1              50              50
                                        Insurance Information,
                                        including renewals.
30; 40; 41; 43.......................  Form BOEM-1023--Financial             1.5              25              38
                                        Guarantee.
29; 40; 41; 43.......................  Form BOEM-1019--Insurance             120             120          14,400
                                        Certificate.
31; 40; 41; 43.......................  Form BOEM-1020--Surety                 24               4              96
                                        Bond.
32...................................  Proposal and supporting               120               1             120
                                        information for
                                        alternative method to
                                        evidence OSFR
                                        (anticipate no
                                        proposals, but
                                        regulations provide the
                                        opportunity).
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Subtotal.........................  .........................  ..............             200          14,704
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  Requirements for Submitting OSFR Information
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
14; 40; 41; 43.......................  Form BOEM-1021--Covered                 6             200           1,200
                                        Offshore Facilities.
40-42................................  Form BOEM-1022--Covered                 1             400             400
                                        Offshore Facility
                                        Changes.
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Subtotal.........................  .........................  ..............             600           1,600
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                 Claims for Oil-Spill Removal Costs and Damages
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subpart F............................     Claims: BOEM is not involved in the claims process.                  0
                                          Assessment of burden for claims against the Oil Spill
                                         Liability Trust Fund (33 CFR parts 135, 136, 137) falls
                                            under the responsibility of the U.S. Coast Guard
                                      -----------------------------------------------------------
60(d)................................  Claimant request for BOEM               2               1               2
                                        assistance to determine
                                        whether a guarantor may
                                        be liable for a claim.

[[Page 44330]]

 
62...................................  Within 15 calendar days                 1               1               1
                                        of claim, designated
                                        applicant must notify
                                        the guarantor and
                                        responsible parties of
                                        the claim.
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Subtotal.........................  .........................  ..............               2               3
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
        Total Burden.................  .........................  ..............           1,823          22,133
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* In the future, BOEM may require specified electronic filing of financial/bonding submissions.

    An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required 
to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a 
currently valid OMB control number.
    The authority for this action is the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

Deanna Meyer-Pietruszka,
Chief, Office of Policy, Regulation, and Analysis.
[FR Doc. 2019-18213 Filed 8-22-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P