Proposed Renewal of Information Collection: Alternatives Process in Hydropower Licensing, 30308-30310 [2012-12413]

Download as PDF 30308 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 99 / Tuesday, May 22, 2012 / Notices Mortgage Loan Sale Policy HUD reserves the right to add Mortgage Loans to, or delete Mortgage Loans from, MHLS 2012–2 at any time prior to the Award Date. HUD also reserves the right to reject any and all bids, in whole or in part, without prejudice to HUD’s right to include any Mortgage Loans in a later sale. Mortgage Loans will not be withdrawn after the Award Date except as is specifically provided in the Loan Sale Agreement. This is a sale of unsubsidized mortgage loans, pursuant to Section 204(a) of the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act of 1997, 12 U.S.C. 1715z–11a(a). srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Mortgage Loan Sale Procedure HUD selected a competitive sale as the method to sell the Mortgage Loans. This method of sale optimizes HUD’s return on the sale of these Mortgage Loans, affords the greatest opportunity for all qualified bidders to bid on the Mortgage Loans, and provides the quickest and most efficient vehicle for HUD to dispose of the Mortgage Loans. Bidder Eligibility In order to bid in the sale, a prospective bidder must complete, execute and submit both a Confidentiality Agreement and a Qualification Statement acceptable to HUD. The following individuals and entities are ineligible to bid on any of the Mortgage Loans included in MHLS 2012–2: (1) Any employee of HUD, a member of such employee’s household, or an entity owned or controlled by any such employee or member of such an employee’s household; (2) Any individual or entity that is debarred, suspended, or excluded from doing business with HUD pursuant to Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 24, and Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 24; (3) Any contractor, subcontractor and/ or consultant or advisor (including any agent, employee, partner, director, principal or affiliate of any of the foregoing) who performed services for, or on behalf of, HUD in connection with MHLS 2012–2; (4) Any individual who was a principal, partner, director, agent or employee of any entity or individual described in subparagraph 3 above, at any time during which the entity or individual performed services for or on behalf of HUD in connection with MHLS 2012–2; (5) Any individual or entity that uses the services, directly or indirectly, of VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:20 May 21, 2012 Jkt 226001 any person or entity ineligible under subparagraphs 1 through 4 above to assist in preparing any of its bids on the Mortgage Loans; (6) Any individual or entity which employs or uses the services of an employee of HUD (other than in such employee’s official capacity) who is involved in MHLS 2012–2; (7) Any affiliate, principal or employee of any person or entity that, within the two-year period prior to June 1, 2012, serviced any of the Mortgage Loans or performed other services for or on behalf of HUD; (8) Any contractor or subcontractor to HUD that otherwise had access to information concerning the Mortgage Loans on behalf of HUD or provided services to any person or entity which, within the two-year period prior to June 1, 2012, had access to information with respect to the Mortgage Loans on behalf of HUD; (9) Any employee, officer, director or any other person that provides or will provide services to the potential bidder with respect to such Mortgage Loans during any warranty period established for the Loan Sale, that (a) serviced any of the Mortgage Loans or performed other services for or on behalf of HUD or (b) within the two-year period prior to June 1, 2012, provided services to any person or entity which serviced, performed services or otherwise had access to information with respect to the Mortgage Loans for or on behalf of HUD; (10) Any mortgagor or operator that failed to submit to HUD on or before May 30, 2012, audited financial statements for fiscal years 2008 through 2011 (for such time as the project has been in operation or the prospective bidder served as operator, if less than three (3) years) for a project securing a Mortgage Loan; (11) Any individual or entity and any Related Party (as such term is defined in the Qualification Statement) of such individual or entity that is a mortgagor in any of HUD’s multifamily and/or healthcare housing programs and that is in default under such mortgage loan or is in violation of any regulatory or business agreements with HUD, unless such default or violation is cured on or before May 30, 2012; (12) Additionally, in MHLS 2012–2, only non-profit entities, Indian tribes, and Tribal organizations may qualify to bid on Pool # 202. Prospective bidders should carefully review the Qualification Statement to determine whether they are eligible to submit bids on the Mortgage Loans in MHLS 2012–2. PO 00000 Frm 00049 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Freedom of Information Act Requests HUD reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to disclose information regarding MHLS 2012–2, including, but not limited to, the identity of any successful bidder and its bid price or bid percentage for any pool of loans or individual loan, upon the closing of the sale of all the Mortgage Loans. Even if HUD elects not to publicly disclose any information relating to MHLS 2012–2, HUD will have the right to disclose any information that HUD is obligated to disclose pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act and all regulations promulgated thereunder. Scope of Notice This notice applies to MHLS 2012–2 and does not establish HUD’s policy for the sale of other mortgage loans. Dated: May 16, 2012. Carol J. Galante, Acting Assistant Secretary for Housing— Federal Housing Commissioner. [FR Doc. 2012–12389 Filed 5–21–12; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4210–67–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Office of the Secretary Proposed Renewal of Information Collection: Alternatives Process in Hydropower Licensing Office of the Secretary, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance, Interior. ACTION: Notice and request for comments. AGENCY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance, Office of the Secretary, Department of the Interior announces the proposed extension of a public information collection and seeks public comments on the provisions thereof. DATES: Consideration will be given to all comments received by July 23, 2012. ADDRESSES: Send your written comments to Shawn Alam, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street NW., MS 2462–MIB, Washington, DC 20240, fax 202–208–6970, or by electronic mail to Shawn_Alam@ios.doi.gov. Please mention that your comments concern the Alternatives Process in Hydropower Licensing, OMB Control Number 1094– 0001. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request a copy of the information SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\22MYN1.SGM 22MYN1 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 99 / Tuesday, May 22, 2012 / Notices collection request, any explanatory information and related forms, contact Shawn Alam, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street NW., MS 2462–MIB, Washington, DC 20240, phone 202–208–5465, fax 202– 208–6970, or by electronic mail to Shawn_Alam@ios.doi.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES I. Abstract This notice is for renewal of information collection. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations at 5 CFR part 1320, which implement the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq., require that interested members of the public and affected agencies have an opportunity to comment on information collection and recordkeeping activities (see 5 CFR 1320.8 (d)). On November 14, 2005, the Departments of Agriculture, the Interior, and Commerce published regulations at 7 CFR part 1, 43 CFR part 45, and 50 CFR part 221 to implement section 241 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct), Public Law 109–58, which the President signed into law on August 8, 2005. Section 241 of the EPAct adds a new section 33 to the Federal Power Act (FPA), 16 U.S.C. 823d, that allows the license applicant or any other party to the license proceeding to propose an alternative to a condition or prescription that one or more of the Departments develop for inclusion in a hydropower license issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) under the FPA. This provision requires that the Departments of Agriculture, the Interior, and Commerce collect the information covered by 1094–0001. Under FPA section 33, the Secretary of the Department involved must accept the proposed alternative if the Secretary determines, based on substantial evidence provided by a party to the license proceeding or otherwise available to the Secretary, (a) that the alternative condition provides for the adequate protection and utilization of the reservation, or that the alternative prescription will be no less protective than the fishway initially proposed by the Secretary, and (b) that the alternative will either cost significantly less to implement or result in improved operation of the project works for electricity production. In order to make this determination, the regulations require that all of the following information be collected: (1) A description of the alternative, in an equivalent level of detail to the VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:20 May 21, 2012 Jkt 226001 Department’s preliminary condition or prescription; (2) an explanation of how the alternative: (i) if a condition, will provide for the adequate protection and utilization of the reservation; or (ii) if a prescription, will be no less protective than the fishway prescribed by the bureau; (3) an explanation of how the alternative, as compared to the preliminary condition or prescription, will: (i) Cost significantly less to implement; or (ii) result in improved operation of the project works for electricity production; (4) an explanation of how the alternative or revised alternative will affect: (i) Energy supply, distribution, cost, and use; (ii) flood control; (iii) navigation; (iv) water supply; (v) air quality; and (vi) other aspects of environmental quality; and (5) specific citations to any scientific studies, literature, and other documented information relied on to support the proposal. This notice of proposed renewal of an existing information collection is being published by the Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance, Department of the Interior, on behalf of all three Departments and the data provided below covers anticipated responses (alternative conditions/ prescriptions and associated information) for all three Departments. II. Data (1) Title: 7 CFR Part 1; 43 CFR Part 45; 50 CFR Part 221; the Alternatives Process in Hydropower Licensing. OMB Control Number: 1094–0001. Current Expiration Date: September 30, 2012. Type of Review: Information Collection Renewal. Affected Entities: Business or forprofit entities. Estimated annual number of respondents: 5. Frequency of responses: Once per alternative proposed. (2) Annual reporting and recordkeeping burden: Total annual reporting per response: 500 hours. Total number of estimated responses: 5. Total annual reporting: 2,500 hours. (3) Description of the need and use of the information: The purpose of this information collection is to provide an opportunity for license parties to propose an alternative condition or prescription to that proposed by the Federal Government for inclusion in the hydropower licensing process. III. Request for Comments The Departments invite comments on: (a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper PO 00000 Frm 00050 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 30309 performance of the functions of the agencies, including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) The accuracy of the agencies’ estimate of the burden of the collection of information and the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other collection techniques or other forms of information technology. ‘‘Burden’’ means the total time, effort, and financial resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or provide information to or for a Federal agency. This includes the time needed to review instructions; to develop, acquire, install, and use technology and systems for the purposes of collecting, validating, and verifying information, processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and providing information; to train personnel and to be able to respond to a collection of information, to search data sources, and to complete and review the collection of information; and to transmit or otherwise disclose the information. All written comments, with names and addresses, will be available for public inspection. If you wish us to withhold your personal information, you must prominently state at the beginning of your comment what personal information you want us to withhold. We will honor your request to the extent allowable by law. If you wish to view any comments received, you may do so by scheduling an appointment with the Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance by calling (202) 208–3891. A valid picture identification is required for entry into the Department of the Interior. Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information collection; they also will become a matter of public record. 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 control number. E:\FR\FM\22MYN1.SGM 22MYN1 30310 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 99 / Tuesday, May 22, 2012 / Notices Dated: May 16, 2012. Mary Josie Blanchard, Deputy Director, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: [FR Doc. 2012–12413 Filed 5–21–12; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–79–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement [Docket ID BSEE–2012–0009; OMB Control Number 1014–0005] Information Collection Activities: Relief or Reduction in Royalty Rates; Proposed Collection; Comment Request ACTION: 60-day Notice. To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), BSEE 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 a renewal to the paperwork requirements in the regulations under 30 CFR 203, Relief or Reduction in Royalty Rates. DATES: You must submit comments by July 23, 2012. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods listed below. • Electronically: go to https:// www.regulations.gov. In the entry titled ‘‘Enter Keyword or ID,’’ enter BSEE– 2012–0009 then click search. Follow the instructions to submit public comments and view all related materials. We will post all comments. • Email nicole.mason@bsee.gov. Mail or hand-carry comments to the Department of the Interior; Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement; Regulations Development Branch; Attention: Nicole Mason; 381 Elden Street, HE–3313; Herndon, Virginia 20170–4817. Please reference ICR 1014– 0005 in your comment and include your name and return address. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nicole Mason, Regulations Development Branch at (703) 787–1605 to request additional information about this ICR. srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: Title: 30 CFR part 203, Relief or Reduction in Royalty Rates. OMB Control Number: 1014–0005. Abstract: The Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act, as amended by Public Law 104–58, Deep Water Royalty Relief Act (DWRRA), gives the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) the authority to reduce or eliminate royalty or any net profit share specified in OCS oil and gas leases to promote increased production. The DWRRA also authorized the Secretary to suspend royalties when necessary to promote development or recovery of marginal resources on producing or non-producing leases in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) west of 87 degrees, 30 minutes West longitude. Section 302 of the DWRRA provides that new production from a lease in existence on November 28, 1995, in a water depth of at least 200 meters, and in the GOM west of 87 degrees, 30 minutes West longitude qualifies for royalty suspension in certain situations. To grant a royalty suspension, the Secretary must determine that the new production or development would not be economic in the absence of royalty relief. The Secretary must then determine the volume of production on which no royalty would be due in order to make the new production from the lease economically viable. This determination is be done on a case-bycase basis. Production from leases in the same water depth and area issued after November 28, 2000, also can qualify for royalty suspension in addition to any that may be included in their lease terms. In addition, the Independent Offices Appropriations Act (31 U.S.C. 9701), the Omnibus Appropriations Bill (Pub. L. 104–133, 110 Stat. 1321, April 26, 1996), and OMB Circular A–25, authorize Federal agencies to recover the full cost of services that confer special benefits. Under the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) implementing policy, BSEE is required to charge fees for services that provide special benefits or privileges to an identifiable nonFederal recipient above and beyond those which accrue to the public at large. Regulations at 30 CFR part 203 implement these statutes and policy and require respondents to pay a fee to request royalty relief. Section 30 CFR 203.3 states that, ‘‘We will specify the necessary fees for each of the types of royalty-relief applications and possible BSEE audits in a Notice to Lessees. We will periodically update the fees to reflect changes in costs as well as provide other information necessary to administer royalty relief.’’ BSEE uses the information to make decisions on the economic viability of leases requesting a suspension or elimination of royalty or net profit share. These decisions have enormous monetary impacts to both the lessee and the Federal Government. Royalty relief can lead to increased production of natural gas and oil, creating profits for lessees and royalty and tax revenues for the government that they might not otherwise receive. We could not make an informed decision without the collection of information required by 30 CFR part 203. 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 2) and under regulations at 30 CFR 203.63, Does my application have to include all leases in the field, and 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 mandatory or are required to obtain or retain a benefit. Frequency: On occasion. Description of Respondents: Potential respondents comprise Federal oil, gas, or sulphur lessees and/or operators. Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden: The currently approved annual reporting burden for this collection is 2,635 hours. The following table details the individual components and respective hour burden estimates of this ICR. In calculating the burdens, we assumed that respondents perform certain requirements in the normal course of their activities. We consider these to be usual and customary and took that into account in estimating the burden. Hour burden Citation 30 CFR 203 and related NTL(s) Reporting or recordkeeping requirement 2(b); 3; 4; 70 ......................................... These sections contain general references to submitting reports, applications, requests, copies, demonstrating qualifications, for BSEE approval burdens covered under specific requirements. VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:20 May 21, 2012 Application fees Jkt 226001 PO 00000 Frm 00051 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\22MYN1.SGM 22MYN1 0

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 99 (Tuesday, May 22, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30308-30310]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-12413]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of the Secretary


Proposed Renewal of Information Collection: Alternatives Process 
in Hydropower Licensing

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Office of Environmental Policy and 
Compliance, Interior.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance, Office of the Secretary, 
Department of the Interior announces the proposed extension of a public 
information collection and seeks public comments on the provisions 
thereof.

DATES: Consideration will be given to all comments received by July 23, 
2012.

ADDRESSES: Send your written comments to Shawn Alam, Office of 
Environmental Policy and Compliance, U.S. Department of the Interior, 
1849 C Street NW., MS 2462-MIB, Washington, DC 20240, fax 202-208-6970, 
or by electronic mail to Shawn_Alam@ios.doi.gov. Please mention that 
your comments concern the Alternatives Process in Hydropower Licensing, 
OMB Control Number 1094-0001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request a copy of the information

[[Page 30309]]

collection request, any explanatory information and related forms, 
contact Shawn Alam, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance, U.S. 
Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street NW., MS 2462-MIB, Washington, 
DC 20240, phone 202-208-5465, fax 202-208-6970, or by electronic mail 
to Shawn_Alam@ios.doi.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    This notice is for renewal of information collection.
    The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations at 5 CFR part 
1320, which implement the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 
3501 et seq., require that interested members of the public and 
affected agencies have an opportunity to comment on information 
collection and recordkeeping activities (see 5 CFR 1320.8 (d)).
    On November 14, 2005, the Departments of Agriculture, the Interior, 
and Commerce published regulations at 7 CFR part 1, 43 CFR part 45, and 
50 CFR part 221 to implement section 241 of the Energy Policy Act of 
2005 (EPAct), Public Law 109-58, which the President signed into law on 
August 8, 2005. Section 241 of the EPAct adds a new section 33 to the 
Federal Power Act (FPA), 16 U.S.C. 823d, that allows the license 
applicant or any other party to the license proceeding to propose an 
alternative to a condition or prescription that one or more of the 
Departments develop for inclusion in a hydropower license issued by the 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) under the FPA. This 
provision requires that the Departments of Agriculture, the Interior, 
and Commerce collect the information covered by 1094-0001.
    Under FPA section 33, the Secretary of the Department involved must 
accept the proposed alternative if the Secretary determines, based on 
substantial evidence provided by a party to the license proceeding or 
otherwise available to the Secretary, (a) that the alternative 
condition provides for the adequate protection and utilization of the 
reservation, or that the alternative prescription will be no less 
protective than the fishway initially proposed by the Secretary, and 
(b) that the alternative will either cost significantly less to 
implement or result in improved operation of the project works for 
electricity production.
    In order to make this determination, the regulations require that 
all of the following information be collected: (1) A description of the 
alternative, in an equivalent level of detail to the Department's 
preliminary condition or prescription; (2) an explanation of how the 
alternative: (i) if a condition, will provide for the adequate 
protection and utilization of the reservation; or (ii) if a 
prescription, will be no less protective than the fishway prescribed by 
the bureau; (3) an explanation of how the alternative, as compared to 
the preliminary condition or prescription, will: (i) Cost significantly 
less to implement; or (ii) result in improved operation of the project 
works for electricity production; (4) an explanation of how the 
alternative or revised alternative will affect: (i) Energy supply, 
distribution, cost, and use; (ii) flood control; (iii) navigation; (iv) 
water supply; (v) air quality; and (vi) other aspects of environmental 
quality; and (5) specific citations to any scientific studies, 
literature, and other documented information relied on to support the 
proposal.
    This notice of proposed renewal of an existing information 
collection is being published by the Office of Environmental Policy and 
Compliance, Department of the Interior, on behalf of all three 
Departments and the data provided below covers anticipated responses 
(alternative conditions/prescriptions and associated information) for 
all three Departments.

II. Data

    (1) Title: 7 CFR Part 1; 43 CFR Part 45; 50 CFR Part 221; the 
Alternatives Process in Hydropower Licensing.
    OMB Control Number: 1094-0001.
    Current Expiration Date: September 30, 2012.
    Type of Review: Information Collection Renewal.
    Affected Entities: Business or for-profit entities.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 5.
    Frequency of responses: Once per alternative proposed.
    (2) Annual reporting and recordkeeping burden:

Total annual reporting per response: 500 hours.
Total number of estimated responses: 5.
Total annual reporting: 2,500 hours.
    (3) Description of the need and use of the information: The purpose 
of this information collection is to provide an opportunity for license 
parties to propose an alternative condition or prescription to that 
proposed by the Federal Government for inclusion in the hydropower 
licensing process.

III. Request for Comments

    The Departments invite comments on:
    (a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the 
proper performance of the functions of the agencies, including whether 
the information will have practical utility;
    (b) The accuracy of the agencies' estimate of the burden of the 
collection of information and the validity of the methodology and 
assumptions used;
    (c) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
    (d) Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
respondents, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other collection techniques or other forms 
of information technology.
    ``Burden'' means the total time, effort, and financial resources 
expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or provide 
information to or for a Federal agency. This includes the time needed 
to review instructions; to develop, acquire, install, and use 
technology and systems for the purposes of collecting, validating, and 
verifying information, processing and maintaining information, and 
disclosing and providing information; to train personnel and to be able 
to respond to a collection of information, to search data sources, and 
to complete and review the collection of information; and to transmit 
or otherwise disclose the information.
    All written comments, with names and addresses, will be available 
for public inspection. If you wish us to withhold your personal 
information, you must prominently state at the beginning of your 
comment what personal information you want us to withhold. We will 
honor your request to the extent allowable by law. If you wish to view 
any comments received, you may do so by scheduling an appointment with 
the Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance by calling (202) 208-
3891. A valid picture identification is required for entry into the 
Department of the Interior.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.
    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 control number.


[[Page 30310]]


    Dated: May 16, 2012.
Mary Josie Blanchard,
Deputy Director, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2012-12413 Filed 5-21-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-79-P
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