Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request, 30624-30625 [E7-10615]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Minerals Management Service

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 105 (Friday, June 1, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30624-30625]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-10615]


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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 an information collection (1010-0112).

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SUMMARY: To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), MMS 
is inviting comments on a collection of information that we will submit 
to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. 
The information collection request (ICR) concerns the paperwork 
requirements in the Performance Measures Data, Form MMS-131.

DATES: Submit written comments by July 31, 2007.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods 
listed below. Please use the Information Collection Number 1010-0112 as 
an identifier in your message.
     E-mail MMS at rules.comments@mms.gov. Identify with 
Information Collection Number 1010-0112 in the subject line.
     Fax: 703-787-1093. Identify with Information Collection 
Number 1010-0112.
     Mail or hand-carry comments to the Department of the 
Interior; Minerals Management Service; Attention: Cheryl Blundon; 381 
Elden Street, MS-4024; Herndon, Virginia 20170-4817. Please reference 
``Information Collection 1010-0112'' in your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cheryl Blundon, Regulations and 
Standards Branch at (703) 787-1607. You may also contact Cheryl Blundon 
to obtain a copy, at no cost, of Form MMS-131.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Performance Measures Data, Form MMS-131.
    OMB Control Number: 1010-0112.
    Abstract: The Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 
1331 et seq.), as amended, requires the Secretary of the Interior to 
preserve, protect, and develop OCS oil, gas, and sulphur resources; 
make such resources available to meet the Nation's energy needs as 
rapidly as possible; balance orderly energy resources development with 
protection of the human, marine, and coastal environments; ensure the 
public a fair and equitable return on the resources offshore; and 
preserve and maintain free enterprise competition. These 
responsibilities are among those delegated to the MMS. MMS generally 
issues regulations to ensure that operations in the OCS will meet 
statutory requirements; provide for safety and protect the environment; 
and result in diligent exploration, development, and production of OCS 
leases.
    Beginning in 1991, MMS has promoted, on a voluntary basis, the 
implementation of a comprehensive Safety and Environmental Management 
Program (SEMP) for the offshore oil and gas industry as a complement to 
current regulatory efforts to protect people and the environment during 
OCS oil and gas exploration and production activities.
    From the beginning, MMS, the industry as a whole, and individual 
companies realized that at some point they would want to know the 
effect of SEMP on safety and environmental management of the OCS. The 
natural consequence of this interest was the establishment of 
performance measures. We will be requesting OMB approval for an 
extension of the performance measures on data Form MMS-131.
    The responses to this collection of information are voluntary, 
although we consider the information to be critical for assessing the 
effects of the OCS Safety and Environmental Management Program. We can 
better focus our regulatory and research programs on areas where the 
performance measures indicate that operators are having difficulty 
meeting MMS expectations. We are more effective in leveraging resources 
by redirecting research efforts, promoting appropriate regulatory 
initiatives, and shifting inspection program emphasis. The performance 
measures also give us valuable quantitative information to use in 
judging the reasonableness of company requests for alternative 
compliance or departures under 30 CFR 250.141 and 250.142. We also use 
the information collected to work with industry representatives to 
identify and request ``pacesetter'' companies to make presentations at 
periodic workshops.
    Knowing how the offshore operators, as a group, are doing and where 
their own company ranks, provides company management with information 
to focus their continuous improvement efforts. This leads to more cost-
effective prevention actions and, therefore, better cost containment. 
This information also provides offshore operators and organizations 
with a credible data source to demonstrate to those outside the 
industry how well the industry and individual companies are doing.
    We will protect information from respondents considered proprietary 
under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) and its 
implementing regulations (43 CFR Part 2) and under regulations at 30 
CFR 250.197, ``Data and information to be made available to the public 
or for limited inspection.'' No items of a sensitive nature are 
collected. Responses are voluntary. We intend to release data collected 
on Form MMS-131 only in a summary format that is not company-specific.
    Frequency: The frequency is annual, during the 1st quarter of the 
year.
    Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: Approximately 100 
Federal OCS oil and gas or sulphur lessees.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Hour'' Burden: The 
currently approved ``hour'' burden for Form MMS-131 is 504 hours. We 
estimate the public reporting burden averages 8 hours per response. 
This includes the time for reviewing instructions, gathering and 
maintaining data, and completing and reviewing the information.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost''

[[Page 30625]]

Burden: We have identified no ``non-hour cost'' burden associated with 
Form MMS-131.
    Public Disclosure Statement: The PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.) 
provides that an agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of 
information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. 
Until OMB approves a collection of information, you are not obligated 
to respond.
    Comments: Before submitting an ICR to OMB, PRA section 
3506(c)(2)(A) requires each agency ``* * * to provide notice * * * and 
otherwise consult with members of the public and affected agencies 
concerning each proposed collection of information * * *''. Agencies 
must specifically solicit comments to: (a) Evaluate whether the 
proposed collection of information is necessary for the agency to 
perform its duties, including whether the information is useful; (b) 
evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information; (c) enhance the quality, 
usefulness, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) 
minimize the burden on the respondents, including the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Agencies must also estimate the ``non-hour cost'' burdens to 
respondents or recordkeepers resulting from the collection of 
information. Therefore, if you have costs to generate, maintain, and 
disclose this information, you should comment and provide your total 
capital and startup cost components or annual operation, maintenance, 
and purchase of service components. 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, and record storage 
facilities. You should not include estimates for 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.
    We will summarize written responses to this notice and address them 
in our submission for OMB approval. As a result of your comments, we 
will make any necessary adjustments to the burden in our submission to 
OMB.
    Public Comment Policy: Before including your address, phone number, 
email address, or other personal identifying information in your 
comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including your 
personal identifying information--may be made publicly available at any 
time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal 
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we 
will be able to do so.
    MMS Information Collection Clearance Office: Arlene Bajusz, (202) 
208-7744.

    Dated: May 18, 2007.
E.P. Danenberger,
Chief, Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs.
[FR Doc. E7-10615 Filed 5-31-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P