[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 126 (Monday, July 3, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42738-42739]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-14038]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Geological Survey

[GX23GB00UM20200; OMB Control Number 1028-0133]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Earth Mapping 
Resources Initiative (Earth MRI) Competitive Cooperative Agreement 
Program With State Geological Surveys

AGENCY: U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 
the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) will seek Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) approval of an extension of a previously approved 
information collection.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
August 2, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments on this information collection request 
(ICR) by mail to USGS, Information Collections Clearance Officer, 12201 
Sunrise Valley Drive, MS 159, Reston, VA 20192; or by email to [email protected]. Please reference OMB Control Number ``1028-
0133 Earth MRI'' in the subject line of your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information 
about this ICR, contact James Mosely by email at [email protected], or 
by telephone at (703) 648-6312. Individuals in the United States who 
are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may 
dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay 
services. Individuals outside the United States should use the relay 
services offered within their country to make international calls to 
the point-of-contact in the United States. You may also view the ICR at 
http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501 
et seq. and 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1)), we provide the general public and 
other federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on new, proposed, 
revised, and continuing collections of information. This helps us 
assess the impact of our information collection requirements and 
minimize the public's reporting burden. It also helps the public 
understand our information collection requirements and provide the 
requested data in the desired format.
    A Federal Register notice with a 60-day public comment period 
soliciting comments on this collection of information was published on 
April 25, 2023 (88 FR 25010). No comments were received.
    As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent 
burdens, we are again soliciting comments from the public and other 
federal agencies on the proposed ICR that is described below. We are 
especially interested in public comment addressing the following:
    (1) Whether or not the collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including 
whether or not the information will have practical utility;
    (2) The accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this collection 
of information, including the validity of the methodology and 
assumptions used;
    (3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
    (4) How the agency might minimize the burden of the collection of 
information on those who are to respond, including through the use of 
appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., 
permitting electronic submission of response.
    Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. Before including your address, phone number, email 
address, or other personally identifiable information (PII) in your 
comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including your 
PII--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us 
in your comment to withhold your PII from public review, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so.
    Abstract: Public Law 117-58, section 40201, ``Earth Mapping 
Resources Initiative'' contained in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law 
(BIL) (November 15, 2021) authorizes and accelerates the mapping 
efforts of the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI).
    Earth MRI is a component of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 
Mineral Resources Program and is a national effort to carry out the 
fundamental resources- and mapping mission of the USGS. The goal of 
Earth MRI is to modernize the surface and subsurface geologic mapping 
of the United States, with a focus on identifying areas that may have 
the potential to contain mineral resources.
    The BIL directed the USGS to accelerate efforts to carry out 
fundamental integrated topographic, geologic, geochemical, and 
geophysical mapping and provide interpretation of subsurface and above-
ground (mine waste) critical-mineral resources data at a funding level 
of $320,000,000 annually for five years (FY2022-FY2026). The USGS 
developed a new competitive cooperative agreement program with the 
state geological surveys to support mine-waste activities authorized 
and funded by the BIL. State geological surveys apply for funds through 
an annual competitive agreement process. Individual state projects last 
for up to two years.
    BIL section 40201 stipulates that the USGS may enter into 
cooperative agreements with state geological surveys to accelerate the 
efforts of Earth MRI. The BIL requires the USGS to collect information 
necessary to ensure that cooperative-agreement funds authorized by this 
legislation are used in accordance with the BIL and federal assistance 
requirements under 2 CFR 200. Information collected by Earth MRI as 
part of the consolidated workplan is described below. The USGS seeks 
OMB approval to continue to collect this information to manage and 
monitor cooperative agreement awards to comply with the BIL.
    Title of Collection: Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI) 
Competitive Cooperative Agreement Program with State Geological 
Surveys.
    OMB Control Number: 1028-0133.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: 20.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 20.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 84 (20 applications, 48 
total six-month progress reports, and 16 final technical reports).
    Estimated Completion Time per Response: We expect to receive 20 
applications, each taking approximately 60 hours to complete (totaling 
1,200 burden hours). We anticipate awarding

[[Page 42739]]

an average of 16 agreements per year. The 16 award recipients are 
required to submit 6-month progress reports throughout the duration of 
the project, and a final technical report. We estimate an additional 
eight hours for each six-month progress report (24 hours per award 
recipient, totaling 384 burden hours) and 20 hours for each cooperative 
agreement recipient to complete and submit a final technical report due 
within 90 days of the project ending date (totaling 320 burden hours).
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 1,904.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
    Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
    Total Estimated Annual Non-hour Burden Cost: None.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor, nor is a person required to 
respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently 
valid OMB control number.
    The authority for this action is the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

Sarah J. Ryker,
Associate Director for Energy and Mineral Resources, U.S. Geological 
Survey.
[FR Doc. 2023-14038 Filed 6-30-23; 8:45 am]
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