Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Nautical Discrepancy Reporting System, 2410-2411 [2020-00507]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 10 (Wednesday, January 15, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2410-2411]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-00507]


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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Nautical 
Discrepancy Reporting System

AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed and/or continuing 
information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995.

DATES: To ensure consideration, written or on-line comments must be 
submitted on or before March 16, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Adrienne Thomas, PRA Officer, 
NOAA, 151 Patton Avenue, Room 159, Asheville, NC 28801 (or via the 
internet at [email protected]). All comments received are part of the 
public record. Comments will generally be posted without change. All 
Personally Identifiable Information (for example, name and address) 
voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do 
not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise sensitive or 
protected information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to Kristen Crossett, (240) 533-0113, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    This request is for a revision and extension of a currently 
approved information collection.
    NOAA's Office of Coast Survey is the nation's nautical chartmaker, 
maintaining and updating over a thousand charts covering the 3.5 
million square nautical miles of coastal waters in the U.S. Exclusive 
Economic Zone and the Great Lakes. The marine transportation system 
relies on charting accuracy and precision to keep navigation safe and 
coastal communities protected from environmental disasters at sea.
    Coast Survey also writes and publishes the United States Coast 
Pilot[supreg], a series of nine nautical books that supplement nautical 
charts with essential marine information that cannot be shown 
graphically on the charts and are not readily available elsewhere. 
Subjects include, but are not limited to, channel descriptions, 
anchorages, bridge and cable clearances, tides and tidal currents, 
prominent features, pilotage, towage, weather, ice conditions, wharf 
descriptions, dangers, routes, traffic separation schemes, small craft 
facilities and Federal Regulations applicable to navigation.
    The marine environment and shorelines are constantly changing. NOAA 
makes every effort to update information portrayed in charts and 
described in the Coast Pilot. Sources of information include, but are 
not limited to: Pilot associations, shipping companies, towboat 
operators, state marine authorities, city marine authorities, local 
port authorities, marine operators, hydrographic research vessels, 
naval vessels, Coast Guard cutters, merchant vessels, fishing vessels, 
pleasure boats, U.S. Power Squadron Units, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary 
Units, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
    The purpose of NOAA's Nautical Discrepancy Reporting System is to 
offer a formal, standardized instrument for recommending changes, 
corrections, and updates to nautical charts and the Coast Pilot, and to 
monitor and document the accepted changes. Coast Survey solicits 
information through the stakeholder engagement and feedback tool ASSIST 
(https://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/customer-service/assist/).
    Coast Survey is proposing to add a Citizen Science component to the 
collection, which would allow boating groups or individuals to submit 
reports to update the charts. Adding the Citizen Science component to 
the collection method will benefit Coast Survey by allowing the public 
to ``adopt'' a product or part of a product and provide annual data 
updates that directly affect that product or products. Data obtained 
through these systems is used to update U.S. nautical charts and the 
United States Coast Pilot.

[[Page 2411]]

II. Method of Collection

    Respondents can submit discrepancy reports electronically or by 
telephone (888-990-6622).

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0007.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (Revision of a currently 
approved collection).
    Affected Public: Business or other for profit; individuals or 
households; not for-profit institutions; federal government; state, 
local or tribal government.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 900.
    Estimated Time per Response: 10 min.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 150.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0 in record keeping/
reporting costs.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; 
(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 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    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.

Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2020-00507 Filed 1-14-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-JE-P