Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 155 (Thursday, August 12, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44044-44045]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-20799]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of extension of a currently approved information 
collection (OMB Control Number 1010-0059).

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SUMMARY: As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and 
respondent burden, MMS invites the public and other Federal agencies to 
comment on a proposal to extend the currently approved collection of 
information discussed below. The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) 
provides that 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 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number.

DATES: Submit written comments by October 12, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Mail or hand carry comments to the Department of the 
Interior; Minerals Management Service; Attention: Rules Processing 
Team; Mail Stop 4024; 381 Elden Street; Herndon, Virginia 20170-4817.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alexis London, Rules Processing Team, 
telephone (703) 787-1600. You may also contact Alexis London to obtain 
a copy of the collection of information at no cost.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

[[Page 44045]]

    Title: 30 CFR 250, Subpart H, Oil and Gas Production Safety Systems 
(1010-0059).
    Abstract: The Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act, 43 U.S.C. 
1331 et seq., gives the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) the 
responsibility to preserve, protect, and develop oil and gas resources 
in the OCS. This must be done in a manner that is consistent with the 
need to make such resources available to meet the Nation's energy needs 
as rapidly as possible; balance orderly energy resource development 
with protection of the human, marine, and coastal environments; ensure 
the public a fair and equitable return on the resources of the OCS; and 
preserve and maintain free enterprise competition. The OCS Lands Act at 
43 U.S.C. 1332(6) states that ``operations in the [O]uter Continental 
Shelf should be conducted in a safe manner by well-trained personnel 
using technology, precautions, and techniques sufficient to prevent or 
minimize the likelihood of blowouts, loss of well control, fires, 
spillages, physical obstruction to other users of the waters or subsoil 
and seabed, or other occurrences which may cause damage to the 
environment or to property, or endanger life or health.''
    Regulations at 30 CFR 250, subpart H, ``Oil and Gas Production 
Safety Systems'' implement these statutory requirements. We use the 
information collected under subpart H to evaluate equipment and/or 
procedures that lessees propose to use during production operations. 
Information is also used to verify the no-flow condition of wells to 
continue the waiver of requirements to install valves capable of 
preventing backflow. The MMS inspectors review the records maintained 
to verify compliance with testing and minimum safety requirements.
    In addition, in the Pacific OCS Region, MMS reviews copies of the 
Emergency Action Plans that lessees and operators submit to their local 
air quality agencies to ensure that abatement procedures do not 
jeopardize safe platform operations.
    We will protect proprietary information submitted according to the 
Freedom of Information Act; 30 CFR 250.118, ``Data and information to 
be made available to the public''; and 30 CFR Part 252, ``OCS Oil and 
Gas Information Program.'' No items of a sensitive nature are 
collected. Responses are mandatory.
    Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: Approximately 130 
Federal OCS sulphur or oil and gas lessees.
    Frequency: The frequency of reporting is on occasion or annual.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Hour'' Burden: The 
currently approved annual hour burden for this collection is 2,900 
hours, which averages 22.5 hours per respondent.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'' 
Burden: None identified.
    Comments: We will summarize written responses to this notice and 
address them in our submission for OMB approval. All comments will 
become a matter of public record. As a result of your comments and our 
consultations with a representative sample of respondents, we will make 
any necessary adjustments to the burden in our submission to OMB. In 
calculating the burden, we assumed that respondents perform many of the 
requirements and maintain records in the normal course of their 
activities. We consider these to be usual and customary and took that 
into account in estimating the burden.
    (1) We specifically solicit your comments on the following 
questions:
    (a) Is the proposed collection of information necessary for us to 
properly perform our functions, and will it be useful?
    (b) Are the estimates of the burden hours of the proposed 
collection reasonable?
    (c) Do you have any suggestions that would enhance the quality, 
clarity, or usefulness of the information to be collected?
    (d) Is there a way to minimize the information collection burden on 
respondents, including through the use of appropriate automated 
electronic, mechanical, or other forms of information technology?
    (2) In addition, the PRA requires agencies to estimate the total 
annual reporting and recordkeeping ``non-hour cost'' burden to 
respondents or recordkeepers resulting from the collection of 
information. We need to know if you have costs associated with the 
collection of this information for either total capital and startup 
cost components or annual operation, maintenance, and purchase of 
service components. Your estimates should consider the costs to 
generate, maintain, and disclose or provide the information. You should 
describe the methods you use to estimate major cost factors, including 
system and technology acquisition, expected useful life of capital 
equipment, discount rate(s), and the period over which you incur costs. 
Capital and startup costs include, among other items, computers and 
software you purchase to prepare for collecting information; 
monitoring, sampling, drilling, and testing equipment; and record 
storage facilities. Generally, your estimates should not include 
equipment or services purchased: (i) Before October 1, 1995; (ii) to 
comply with requirements not associated with the information 
collection; (iii) for reasons other than to provide information or keep 
records for the Government; or (iv) as part of customary and usual 
business or private practices.
    MMS Information Collection Clearance Officer: Jo Ann Lauterbach, 
(202) 208-7744.

    Dated: August 4, 1999.

E.P. Danenberger,

Chief, Engineering and Operations Division.
[FR Doc. 99-20799 Filed 8-11-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P