[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 27 (Monday, February 10, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7536-7537]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-02569]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; NOAA Space-
Based Data Collection System (DCS) Agreements

AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed and/or continuing 
information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995.

DATES: To ensure consideration, written or on-line comments must be 
submitted on or before April 10, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Adrienne Thomas, PRA Officer, 
NOAA, 151 Patton Avenue, Room 159, Asheville, NC 28801 (or via the 
internet at [email protected]). All comments received are part of the 
public record. Comments will generally be posted without change. All 
Personally Identifiable Information (for example, name and address) 
voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do 
not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise sensitive or 
protected information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instruments and instructions 
should be directed to Scott Rogerson, Office of Satellite and Product 
Operations, (301) 817-4543 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    This request is for extension of an existing information 
collection.
    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) operates 
two space-based data collection systems (DCS) per 15 CFR part 911: The 
Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) DCS and the 
Polar-Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite (POES) DCS, also 
known as the Argos system. Both the GOES DCS and the Argos DCS are 
operated to support environmental applications, e.g., meteorology, 
oceanography, hydrology, ecology, and remote sensing of Earth 
resources. In addition, the Argos DCS currently supports applications 
related to protection of the environment, e.g., hazardous material 
tracking, fishing vessel tracking for treaty enforcement, and animal 
tracking. Presently, the majority of users of these systems are 
government agencies and researchers and much of the data collected by 
both the GOES DCS and the Argos DCS are provided to the World 
Meteorological Organization via the Global Telecommunication System for 
inclusion in the World Weather Watch Program.
    Current loading on both of the systems does not use the entire 
capacity of that system, so NOAA is able to make its excess capacity 
available to other users who meet certain criteria. Applications are 
made in response to the requirements in 15 CFR 911 (under the authority 
of 15 U.S.C. 313, Duties of the Secretary of Commerce and others), 
using system use agreement (SUA) forms. The application information 
received is used to determine if the applicant meets the criteria for 
use of the system. The system use agreements contain the following 
information: (1) The period of time the agreement is valid and 
procedures for its termination, (2) the authorized use(s) of the DCS, 
and its priorities for use, (3) the extent of the availability of 
commercial services which met the user's requirements and the reasons 
for choosing the government system, (4) any applicable government 
interest in the data, (5) required equipment standards, (6) standards 
of operation, (7) conformance with applicable International 
Telecommunication Union (ITU) and Federal Communications Commission 
(FCC) agreements and regulations, (8) reporting time and frequencies, 
(9) data formats, (10) data delivery systems and schedules and (11) 
user-borne costs.
    Accepted applicants use the NOAA DCS to collect environmental data 
and in limited cases, non-environmental data via the Argos DCS, to 
support other governmental and non-governmental research or operational 
requirements, such as for law enforcement purposes. The applicants must 
submit information to ensure that they meet these criteria. NOAA does 
not approve agreements where there is a commercial service available to 
fulfill the user requirements (per 15 CFR part 911).

II. Method of Collection

    Method of submittal is electronically (via internet).

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0157.
    Form Number: None.

[[Page 7537]]

    Type of Review: Regular submission (extension of a current 
information collection).
    Affected Public: Not-for-profit institutions; Federal government; 
state, local, or tribal government; business or other for-profit 
organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 225.
    Estimated Time per Response: Thirty minutes per response.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 113.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0 in recordkeeping/
reporting costs.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2020-02569 Filed 2-7-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-HR-P