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.

BOEM is soliciting comments on this proposed ICR. BOEM is especially ( printed page 13460) 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. BOEM will include or summarize each comment in its ICR to OMB for approval of this information collection, and comments will be posted on www.reginfo.gov. 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 personally identifiable information in the context of this ICR, your comment is subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552). If your comment 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 of the Interior's (DOI) FOIA regulations (43 CFR part 2) and applicable law.

For BOEM to consider withholding from disclosure your personally identifiable 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 privacy. You must also briefly describe any possible harmful consequences of the disclosure of information, such as embarrassment, injury, or other harm.

BOEM will make available for public inspection all comments in their entirety (except propriety 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), DOI's implementing regulations, and 30 CFR parts 550 and 552 promulgated pursuant to the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1352(c)).

Title of Collection: “30 CFR 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 OCS Lands Act, as amended (43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq., as amended), authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to prescribe regulations to administer leasing of mineral resources on the OCS. Such regulations apply to all operations conducted under a lease. The OCS Lands Act requires 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 these 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 Secretary delegated that regulatory authority to BOEM. 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. This ICR also covers the related notices to lessees and operators (NTLs) that BOEM issues to provide additional guidance on its regulations.

BOEM geologists, geophysicists, and environmental scientists and other Federal agencies ( e.g., USFWS, 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, DDP, or DOCD as submitted or require modifications. 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 issued biological opinions. These reports may include information on mitigation effectiveness, adverse impacts of activities, and any incidental takes, in accordance with 50 CFR 402.14(i)(3). For example, NMFS' recent biological opinion “ Biological Opinion on the Federally Regulated Oil and Gas Program Activities in the Gulf of Mexico,” (Consultation Number FPR-2017-92341) 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 2030. 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 plan. Certain post-lease approvals ( e.g., for activities involving new and unusual technologies, equipment involving entanglement risks, and all ancillary geological and geophysical (G&G) surveys) require step-down review with NMFS and may require additional information to fully assess the potential for impacts to protected species. BOEM uses the information submitted by the lessees and operators ( e.g., BOEM-0137, OCS Plan Information Form) to determine which mitigations are necessary. The GOM BiOp modified reporting requirements compared to 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—Exploration Plan (EP) Air Quality Screening Checklist
• BOEM-0139—Development Operations Coordination Document (DOCD) Air Quality Screening Checklist
• 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 compromise 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 $413,600 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). ( printed page 13461)

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.

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.

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. Per the GOM BiOp, BOEM currently requires monthly marine mammal observation and monitoring reports and a final report within 90 days of the completion of an OCS survey. Because the GOM BiOp replaced BOEM's NTL 2016-G02, which had required two reports each month, 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 deepwater drilling is done. The operator must report the observation within 24 hours and daily thereafter as long as any individuals from a protected species remain 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 non-hour costs are estimated to decrease slightly due to the anticipated reduction in the number of plans submitted to BOEM.

The following table estimates the information collection burden contained in 30 CFR 550, subpart B.

( printed page 13464)

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.).

88 FR 13459