[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 133 (Thursday, July 13, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44832-44834]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-14822]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

[OMB Control Number 1010-0151; Docket ID: BOEM-2023-0004]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Plans and Information

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) proposes this information 
collection request (ICR) to renew with revisions Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) Control Number 1010-0151.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments no later than 
August 11, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Submit your written comments on this ICR to the OMB's desk 
officer for the Department of the Interior (DOI) at www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. From the www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain landing 
page, find this information collection by selecting ``Currently under

[[Page 44833]]

Review--Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function. 
Please provide a copy of your comments by parcel delivery 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 1010-0151 in the subject line of your comments. You may also 
comment by searching the docket number BOEM-2023-0004 at 
www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anna Atkinson by email at 
[email protected] or by telephone at 703-787-1025. 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.

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 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.
    Title of Collection: ``30 CFR part 550, subpart B, Plans and 
Information.''
    Abstract: This ICR concerns the paperwork requirements in the 
regulations under 30 CFR part 550, subpart B, ``Plans and 
Information.''
    The Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act, as amended (43 U.S.C. 
1331 et seq.), authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to prescribe 
regulations to administer leasing of mineral resources on the OCS. The 
Secretary delegated that regulatory authority to BOEM. BOEM's 
regulations apply to all operations conducted under a lease. The OCS 
Lands Act and BOEM's implementing regulations require lessees to submit 
exploration plans (EPs), development and production plans (DPPs), and 
development operations coordination documents (DOCDs) to the Secretary 
for approval prior to commencing certain activities. See 43 U.S.C. 1340 
and 1351. On the Arctic OCS, lessees and operators are required to 
develop an integrated operations plan (IOP) for each exploratory 
program and to submit additional planning information with their EPs.
    The BOEM regulations at 30 CFR part 550, subpart B, require lessees 
to submit plans and information before conducting OCS activities under 
a lease. Those information collections are the subject of this ICR.
    BOEM geologists, geophysicists, and environmental scientists and 
other Federal agencies (e.g., the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
(USFWS), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)) analyze and evaluate 
the information collected under subpart B. Their analyses ensure that 
planned operations are safe, conserve OCS resources, and avoid undue 
effects on the marine, coastal, or human environment. BOEM uses the 
information to make an informed decision on whether to approve the 
proposed EP, DPP, or DOCD as submitted, or require modifications. BOEM 
also uses the information submitted by the lessees and operators (e.g., 
BOEM-0137, OCS Plan Information Form) to determine which mitigation 
measures are necessary to minimize adverse impacts. Also, the affected 
States may review the information collected to ensure consistency with 
their coastal zone management plans.
    BOEM also provides reports (typically annually) to NMFS and USFWS 
to document compliance with the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and any 
relevant biological opinions. These reports may include information on 
the effectiveness of implemented terms and conditions and reasonable 
and prudent measures, adverse impacts of activities, and any incidental 
takes, in accordance with 50 CFR 402.14(i)(3).
    NMFS' recent biological opinion titled ``Biological Opinion on the 
Federally Regulated Oil and Gas Program Activities in the Gulf of 
Mexico,'' (Consultation Number FPR-2017-9234) dated March 13, 2020, and 
amended in 2021 (GOM BiOp), covers all activities associated with the 
OCS oil and gas program in the Gulf of Mexico through approximately 
March 2029. The GOM BiOp addresses the impacts to and incidental take 
of ESA-listed species as a result of BOEM-authorized activities. 
Compliance with the GOM BiOp's relevant terms, conditions, mitigation 
measures, and protocols necessitates updates to the information that 
lessees and operators must submit in the appendices to their plans. 
Certain post-lease approvals (e.g., for activities involving new and 
unusual technologies, equipment involving entanglement risks, and 
certain geological and geophysical surveys) require step-down review 
with NMFS and may require additional information to fully assess the 
potential for impacts to protected species. A step-down review allows 
for a more expedient and detailed assessment of effects on species 
within the context of geographic area. The GOM BiOp modified reporting 
requirements from the prior BiOp issued by NMFS; therefore, BOEM is 
revising the estimated burdens identified in this ICR.
    OMB Control Number: 1010-0151.
    Form Number:

 BOEM-0137--OCS Plan Information Form
 BOEM-0138--EP Air Quality
 BOEM-0139--DOCD/DPP--Air Quality
 BOEM-0141--ROV Survey Report
 BOEM-0142--Environmental Impact Analysis Worksheet

    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved information 
collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Potential respondents comprise Federal 
OCS oil, gas, and sulfur lessees and operators.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 1,291 responses.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 286,144 hours.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Frequency of Collection: On occasion, semi-monthly, and varies by 
section.
    Total Estimated Annual Non-Hour Burden Cost: $3,688,524.
    BOEM identified three non-hour costs associated with this 
information collection. Those costs are fees that BOEM charges lessees 
to review their planning documents, such as EPs ($4,348 fee for 95 EPs; 
total $413,060 annually), DPPs or DOCDs ($5,017 fee for 180 DPPs and 
DOCDs; total $903,060 annually), and conservation information documents 
(CIDs) ($32,372 fee for 17 CIDs; total $550,324 annually).
    Also, lessees incur a non-hour cost associated with the Protected 
Species Observer Program. This cost totals $1,822,080 and covers 
observation activities that are usually subcontracted to companies with 
expertise in these areas.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden: The current OMB 
Control Number 1010-0151 accounts for 436,438 annual burden hours, 
4,266 responses, and $3,939,435 non-hour cost burdens. Based on several 
revisions, BOEM estimates the burden for the renewal will be 286,144 
annual burden hours with 1,291 responses, and $3,688,524 non-hour cost 
burdens.

[[Page 44834]]

    In calculating the information collection burdens, BOEM accounted 
for decreases in the number of plans submitted annually and for the 
changes resulting from the GOM BiOp. BOEM currently requires monthly 
marine mammal observation and monitoring reports and a final report 
within 90 days of the completion of a lessee's OCS survey, consistent 
with GOM BiOp Appendix A, ``Seismic Survey Mitigation and Protected 
Species Observer Protocols.'' The GOM BiOp requirements supersede 
BOEM's Notice to Lessees and Operators 2016-G02, which had required two 
reports each month. Therefore, BOEM estimates an overall decrease in 
the burden related to these monitoring reports.
    The GOM BiOp requires additional reporting if one or more 
individuals from a protected species are observed within an enclosed 
moon pool, which is an opening in the bottom of a marine platform, 
drill ship, or vessel through which drilling is done. The operator must 
report the observation within 24 hours and daily thereafter as long as 
any individual from a protected species remains within the moon pool. 
With this new requirement, BOEM estimates a slight increase in annual 
reporting.
    While the GOM BiOp increased certain reporting burdens for lessees 
and operators in the Gulf of Mexico, the overall burdens are estimated 
to decrease slightly due to the anticipated reduction in the number of 
plans submitted to BOEM.
    A Federal Register notice with a 60-day public comment period on 
this proposed ICR was published on March 3, 2023 (88 FR 13459). BOEM 
received one comment during the 60-day comment period, which was 
supportive of the Federal Government's reporting and burden updates. No 
burdens were changed in connection with the public comment.
    BOEM is again soliciting comments on the proposed ICR. BOEM is 
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 is 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 and will be available for public review on 
www.reginfo.gov. BOEM will include or summarize each comment in its ICR 
to OMB for approval of this information collection. You should be aware 
that your entire comment--including your address, phone number, email 
address, or other personally identifiable information included in your 
comment--may be made publicly available at any time. Even if BOEM 
withholds your information in the context of this ICR, your comment is 
subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). If your submission is 
requested under FOIA, your information will only be withheld if a 
determination is made that one of the FOIA exemptions to disclosure 
applies. Such a determination will be made in accordance with the 
Department's FOIA regulations (43 CFR part 2) and applicable law.
    In order for BOEM to consider withholding from disclosure your 
personal identifying information, you must identify, in a cover letter, 
any information contained in your comment 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 information, such as embarrassment, injury, or other 
harm. Note that BOEM will make available for public inspection all 
comments in their entirety (except for proprietary information 
submitted by organizations and businesses, or by individuals 
identifying themselves as representatives of organizations or 
businesses).
    BOEM protects proprietary information in accordance with FOIA (5 
U.S.C. 552), the DOI's implementing regulations (43 CFR part 2), and 30 
CFR part 550.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required 
to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid 
OMB control number.
    The authority for this action is the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

Karen Thundiyil,
Chief, Office of Regulations, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
[FR Doc. 2023-14822 Filed 7-12-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4340-98-P