[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 209 (Wednesday, October 28, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68365-68366]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-23851]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

[OMB Control Number 1010-0191; Docket ID: BOEM-2017-0016]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Negotiated 
Noncompetitive Agreement for the Use of Sand, Gravel and Shell 
Resources on the Outer Continental Shelf

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.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
November 27, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent to the Office of Management and 
Budget's Desk Officer for the Department of the Interior within 30 days 
of publication of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. 
Find this information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day 
Review--Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function. 
Please provide a copy of your comments 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 Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) Control Number 1010-0191 in the subject line of your 
comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information 
about this Information Collection Request (ICR), contact Anna Atkinson 
by email, or by telephone at 703-787-1025. You may also view the ICR at 
http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.

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 the information collection requirements and minimize the 
public's reporting burden. It also helps the public understand BOEM's 
information collection requirements and provide the requested data in 
the desired format.
    Abstract: In 2017, BOEM published a final rule that created part 
583 in Title 30 of the Code of Federal Regulations to address the use 
of Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) sand, gravel and shell resources for 
shore protection, beach restoration, or coastal wetlands restoration 
projects by Federal, State or local government agencies, or for use in 
construction projects authorized by, or funded in whole or in part, by 
the Federal Government.
    The OCS Lands Act, 43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq. as amended, authorizes 
the Secretary of the Interior to prescribe rules and regulations to 
administer leasing of mineral resources on the OCS other than oil, gas 
and sulphur. Section 1337(k)(1) authorizes the Secretary ``. . . to 
grant to the qualified persons offering the highest cash bonuses on a 
basis of competitive bidding leases of any mineral other than oil, gas, 
and sulphur in any area of the [O]uter Continental Shelf not then under 
lease for such mineral upon such royalty, rental, and other terms and 
conditions as the Secretary may prescribe at the time of offering the 
area for lease.'' An amendment to the OCS Lands Act adding a paragraph 
(2) to section 8(k) authorizes the Secretary to negotiate agreements 
(in lieu of the previously required competitive bidding process) for 
the use of OCS sand, gravel, and shell resources for certain specified 
types of public uses. The specified uses will support construction of 
governmental projects for beach nourishment, shore protection, and 
wetlands enhancement, or any such project authorized by the Federal 
Government.
    Under the authority delegated by the Secretary of the Interior, 
BOEM is authorized, pursuant to section 1337(k)(2) of the OCS Lands 
Act, 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.
    Title of Collection: 30 CFR 583, Negotiated Noncompetitive 
Agreement for Use of Sand, Gravel and Shell Resources on the Outer 
Continental Shelf.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Potential respondents include Federal, 
State, or local governments.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 45 responses.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 299 hours.

[[Page 68366]]

    Respondent's Obligation: Required to retain or obtain a benefit.
    Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
    Total Estimated Annual Non-hour Burden Cost: No non-hour paperwork 
cost burden.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden: We estimate that 
the annual reporting burden for this collection is 299 hours, which 
would be an increase of 56 annual burden hours from the OMB-approved 
burden hours. This increase is due to changes in estimated hour burdens 
and number of responses related to 30 CFR 583, subpart C, since the 
publication of the regulations in 2017. The hour burden estimates would 
be revised to more accurately estimate the number of state and local 
governments requesting negotiated noncompetitive agreements from BOEM. 
In addition, BOEM has reviewed the hour burdens for requested 
information under this subpart, and the increase would better reflect 
the hours it takes for respondents to collect and submit the 
information.
    A Federal Register notice with a 60-day public comment period 
soliciting comments on this proposed information collection request was 
published on July 14, 2020 (85 FR 42428). BOEM received one comment 
from a private citizen during the 60-day comment period. This citizen 
suggested publishing information on the web about how sand resources 
are used and by whom. BOEM posts information on the Marine Mineral 
Program at boem.gov/marine-minerals. This site provides information on 
the National Offshore Sand Inventory, requests and active leases, state 
marine mineral projects, research and studies, and other related 
information.
    BOEM is again soliciting comments on the proposed ICR that is 
described above. BOEM is especially interested in public comment 
addressing the following issues: (1) Is the collection necessary to the 
proper functions of BOEM; (2) what can BOEM do to ensure this 
information will be processed and used in a timely manner; (3) is the 
estimate of burden 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 that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. BOEM will include or summarize each comment in its 
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 personally 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 clearly constitute 
an 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 BOEM in your comment to withhold your personally identifiable 
information from public review, BOEM cannot guarantee that it will be 
able to do so.
    BOEM protects proprietary information in accordance with the 
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA, 5 U.S.C. 552), and the Department of 
the Interior's FOIA implementing regulations (43 CFR part 2).
    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. 2020-23851 Filed 10-27-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P