Change in Discount Rate for Water Resources Planning, 80148-80149 [2020-27294]
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80148
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 239 / Friday, December 11, 2020 / Notices
Office of Natural Resources
Revenue (ONRR) regulations provide
two types of accounting and auditing
relief for Federal onshore or Outer
Continental Shelf lease production from
marginal properties. Each year, ONRR
provides a list of qualifying marginal
Federal oil and gas properties to States
that receive a portion of Federal
royalties from those properties. Each
State then decides whether to
participate in relief, and if so, whether
to allow one or both relief options. For
calendar year 2020, ONRR provides this
notice of the affected States’ decision
regarding whether relief should be
allowed and, if so, which type of relief
will be allowed.
DATES: Effective January 1, 2021.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Robert Sudar, Market and Spatial
Analytics, Coordination, Enforcement,
Valuations, and Appeals Division,
ONRR, at (303) 231–3511; or email to
Robert.Sudar@onrr.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
regulations, codified under 30 CFR part
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
1204, subpart C, implement certain
provisions of section 7 of the Federal
Oil and Gas Royalty Simplification and
Fairness Act of 1996 (30 U.S.C. 1726),
which allows States to relieve the
lessees of marginal properties from
certain reporting, accounting, and
auditing requirements. Each State makes
an annual determination as to whether
to allow relief, and if so, what types.
Two relief options are authorized: (1)
Notification-based royalty report and
payment relief which, if selected, allows
lessees or designees to forgo filing
monthly reports and making monthly
royalty payments and, instead, to file
one annual royalty report and make one
annual royalty payment, and (2) other
requested appropriate accounting and
auditing relief, as proposed by lessees or
designees and approved by ONRR, after
consultation with the affected State(s).
The regulations require ONRR to
publish, no later than 30 days before the
beginning of the calendar year, a list of
the States and their decisions regarding
marginal property relief.
State
Notification-based relief
(less than 1,000 BOE per year)
Alabama .............................................................
Arkansas .............................................................
California ............................................................
Colorado .............................................................
Kansas ................................................................
Louisiana ............................................................
Michigan .............................................................
Mississippi ..........................................................
Montana ..............................................................
Nebraska ............................................................
Nevada ...............................................................
New Mexico ........................................................
North Dakota ......................................................
Oklahoma ...........................................................
South Dakota ......................................................
Utah ....................................................................
Wyoming .............................................................
No .....................................................................
N/A ...................................................................
No .....................................................................
No .....................................................................
No .....................................................................
Yes ...................................................................
Yes ...................................................................
No .....................................................................
No .....................................................................
N/A ...................................................................
N/A ...................................................................
No .....................................................................
N/A ...................................................................
No .....................................................................
Yes ...................................................................
No .....................................................................
Yes ...................................................................
A Federal oil and gas property located
in a State where ONRR does not share
a portion of Federal royalties with the
State is eligible for relief if the property
qualifies as marginal under 30 U.S.C.
1726(c). For information on how to
obtain relief, please refer to 30 CFR
1204.205, viewable at https://
www.ecfr.gov/.
Unless the information ONRR
receives is proprietary data, all
correspondence, records, or information
that ONRR receives in response to this
notice may be subject to disclosure
under the Freedom of Information Act
(FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552 et seq.). If
applicable, please highlight any
proprietary portions, including any
supporting documentation, or mark the
page(s) containing proprietary data. We
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23:25 Dec 10, 2020
Jkt 253001
protect proprietary information under
the Trade Secrets Act (18 U.S.C. 1905),
FOIA Exemption 4 (5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4)),
and the Department of the Interior’s
FOIA regulations (43 CFR part 2).
Authority: Federal Oil and Gas Royalty
Management Act of 1982, 30 U.S.C. 1701 et
seq., as amended by Federal Oil and Gas
Royalty Simplification and Fairness Act of
1996 (RSFA, Pub. L. 104–185—Aug. 13,
1996, as corrected by Pub. L. 104–200—Sept.
22, 1996).
Kimbra G. Davis,
Director for the Office of Natural Resources
Revenue.
[States’ Decisions on Participating in
Accounting and Auditing Relief for
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To qualify for the first relief option
(notification-based relief) for calendar
year 2021, properties must produce less
than 1,000 barrels-of-oil-equivalent
(BOE) per year for the base period (July
1, 2019 through June 30, 2020). Annual
reporting relief will begin January 1,
2021, with the annual report and royalty
payment due February 28, 2022, or
March 31, 2022, if you have an
estimated payment on file. To qualify
for the second relief option (other
requested relief), the combined
equivalent production of the marginal
properties during the base period must
equal an average daily well production
of less than 15 BOE per well per day,
as calculated under 30 CFR 1204.4(c).
The following table lists the States
with qualifying marginal properties and
each State’s decision as to the relief
options it will allow in calendar year
2021. An ‘‘N/A’’ means that the State
did not provide ONRR its decision and,
accordingly, no relief will be allowed to
lessees in that State.
Request-based relief
(less than 15 BOE per well per day)
No.
Yes.
No.
No.
No.
Yes.
Yes.
No.
No.
No.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
No.
Yes.
No.
No
Federal Oil and Gas Marginal
Properties]
[FR Doc. 2020–27267 Filed 12–10–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4335–30–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation
[RR83550000, 212R5065C6,
RX.59389832.1009676]
Change in Discount Rate for Water
Resources Planning
Bureau of Reclamation,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of change in discount
rate.
AGENCY:
E:\FR\FM\11DEN1.SGM
11DEN1
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 239 / Friday, December 11, 2020 / Notices
The Bureau of Reclamation is
announcing the interest rate to be used
by Federal agencies in the formulation
and evaluation of plans for water and
related land resources is 2.50 percent for
fiscal year 2021. The prior year’s rate, as
announced in the Federal Register on
December 17, 2019, was 2.75 percent for
fiscal year 2020.
DATES: This discount rate is to be used
for the period October 1, 2020, through
and including September 30, 2021.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Fernando Castro-Alvarez, Bureau of
Reclamation, Reclamation Law
Administration Division, P.O. Box
25007, Denver, Colorado 80225;
telephone 303–445–2821.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Water
Resources Planning Act of 1965 and the
Water Resources Development Act of
1974 require an annual determination of
a discount rate for Federal water
resources planning. The discount rate
for Federal water resources planning for
fiscal year 2021 is 2.50 percent.
Discounting is to be used to convert
future monetary values to present
values.
This rate has been computed in
accordance with Section 80(a), Public
Law 93–251 (88 Stat. 34), and 18 CFR
704.39, which: (1) Specify that the rate
will be based upon the average yield
during The preceding fiscal year on
interest-bearing marketable securities of
the United States which, at the time the
computation is made, have terms of 15
years or more remaining to maturity
(average yield is rounded to nearest oneeighth percent); and (2) provide that the
rate will not be raised or lowered more
than one-quarter of 1 percent for any
year. The U.S. Department of the
Treasury calculated the specified
average to be 1.5730 percent. In
accordance with the Water Resource
Council Rules and Regulations, the
maximum adjustment allowed for the
current fiscal year rate is one-quarter of
one percentage point from the previous
fiscal year rate, which was 2.75 percent.
Therefore, the fiscal year 2021 rate is
2.50 percent.
The rate of 2.50 percent will be used
by all Federal agencies in the
formulation and evaluation of water and
related land resources plans for the
purpose of discounting future benefits
and computing costs or otherwise
converting benefits and costs to a
common-time basis.
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Safety and Environmental
Enforcement
[EEEE500000 21XE1700DX
EX1SF0000.EAQ000]
Leaders in Advancing Safety and
Environmental Stewardship
Bureau of Safety and
Environmental Enforcement, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
[FR Doc. 2020–27294 Filed 12–10–20; 8:45 am]
The Bureau of Safety and
Environmental Enforcement (BSEE)
developed objective, qualitative and
quantifiable criteria to create a ‘‘Leaders
in Advancing Safety and Environmental
Stewardship’’ Recognition Program to
recognize operators who demonstrate
exemplary operating performance or
sustained safety and environmental
stewardship improvements on their
Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and
gas facilities, including support vessels,
and leadership within the industry
regarding operational safety and
environmental performance. BSEE’s
process for identifying ‘‘Leaders in
Advancing Safety and Environmental
Stewardship’’ is consistent with BSEE’s
inspection programs, regulations, and
Notice to Operators and Lessees (NTL)
No. 2008–N02, Outer Continental Shelf
(OCS) Inspection Program. The
‘‘Leaders in Advancing Safety and
Environmental Stewardship’’
Recognition Program will recognize
OCS operators demonstrating high
levels of operational safety, sustained
safety improvement, or industry
leadership on operational safety issues.
The primary objective of the
Recognition Program is to drive OCS
operators to significantly improve safety
and environmental prioritization,
culture, and performance on OCS
facilities and to encourage them to
become leaders in industry regarding
operational safety and environmental
issues. Another objective is to create a
platform through which BSEE can
educate the public regarding the fact
that OCS operators can conduct
complex and high-risk operations on
OCS oil and gas facilities in a way that
is safe for personnel, the public, and the
environment.
DATES: This notice will become effective
on December 11, 2020.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jason Mathews, Bureau of Safety and
Environmental Enforcement, Chief,
Safety Improvement Branch, (504) 731–
1496, or by email: jason.mathews@
bsee.gov.
BILLING CODE 4332–90–P
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Signed:
Christopher J. Beardsley,
Director, Policy and Programs.
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SUMMARY:
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80149
Each year, BSEE Gulf of Mexico and
Pacific Regions conduct Annual
Performance Reviews (APRs) of OCS
operators. The APRs consist of a review
of the following:
• The operator’s compliance history,
as reflected in findings from the BSEE
Inspection Program;
• The operator’s safety record as it
relates to incidents;
• Any action that BSEE has
forwarded to the BSEE Safety
Enforcement Division (SED) for review
for potential assessment of a civil
penalty; and,
• The results of the most recent
internal and regulatory audits of the
operator’s Safety and Environmental
Management System (SEMS) program.
BSEE will use the information
gathered during the APRs to provide
factual bases for determining eligibility
for operator recognition.
For an OCS operator to qualify for
consideration as a Leader in Advancing
Safety and Environmental Stewardship,
the operator must have either:
1. An Injury/Illness Combined Rate
(total recordables) less than the OCS
average for the prior reporting year, or
2. Demonstrate two or more
consecutive years of improvement of its
Injury/Illness Combined Rate.
In addition, the OCS operator’s
operations for the reporting must not
have included any of the following:
• Fatality;
• Incident with ≥ 3 injuries;
• Major pollution incidents;
• Major Fire/Explosion;
• ≥ 3 Incidents of Noncompliance
(INCs) forwarded for civil penalty cases
or $1 million in cumulative proposed
fines;
• Loss of Well Control; (not to
include shallow water flow)
• ≥ 3 Facilities on Increased
Oversight List;
• Order to perform an additional
Directed SEMS Audit; or,
• A sustained environmental
compliance record <90 percent with
assigned environmental mitigation
measures and similar regulatory
requirements; or,
• Placement on a Performance
Improvement Plan.
If an OCS operator is disqualified by
any of the factors above, BSEE may
reconsider the operator for potential
recognition if the issue(s) is satisfied
prior to March 31st of the following
year.
For OCS operators that meet the
requirements above, BSEE will also look
at how those operators are providing
leadership within the industry regarding
operational safety. BSEE will consider
whether the OCS operator is offering
E:\FR\FM\11DEN1.SGM
11DEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 239 (Friday, December 11, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 80148-80149]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-27294]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation
[RR83550000, 212R5065C6, RX.59389832.1009676]
Change in Discount Rate for Water Resources Planning
AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of change in discount rate.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 80149]]
SUMMARY: The Bureau of Reclamation is announcing the interest rate to
be used by Federal agencies in the formulation and evaluation of plans
for water and related land resources is 2.50 percent for fiscal year
2021. The prior year's rate, as announced in the Federal Register on
December 17, 2019, was 2.75 percent for fiscal year 2020.
DATES: This discount rate is to be used for the period October 1, 2020,
through and including September 30, 2021.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Fernando Castro-Alvarez, Bureau of
Reclamation, Reclamation Law Administration Division, P.O. Box 25007,
Denver, Colorado 80225; telephone 303-445-2821.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Water Resources Planning Act of 1965 and
the Water Resources Development Act of 1974 require an annual
determination of a discount rate for Federal water resources planning.
The discount rate for Federal water resources planning for fiscal year
2021 is 2.50 percent. Discounting is to be used to convert future
monetary values to present values.
This rate has been computed in accordance with Section 80(a),
Public Law 93-251 (88 Stat. 34), and 18 CFR 704.39, which: (1) Specify
that the rate will be based upon the average yield during The preceding
fiscal year on interest-bearing marketable securities of the United
States which, at the time the computation is made, have terms of 15
years or more remaining to maturity (average yield is rounded to
nearest one-eighth percent); and (2) provide that the rate will not be
raised or lowered more than one-quarter of 1 percent for any year. The
U.S. Department of the Treasury calculated the specified average to be
1.5730 percent. In accordance with the Water Resource Council Rules and
Regulations, the maximum adjustment allowed for the current fiscal year
rate is one-quarter of one percentage point from the previous fiscal
year rate, which was 2.75 percent. Therefore, the fiscal year 2021 rate
is 2.50 percent.
The rate of 2.50 percent will be used by all Federal agencies in
the formulation and evaluation of water and related land resources
plans for the purpose of discounting future benefits and computing
costs or otherwise converting benefits and costs to a common-time
basis.
Signed:
Christopher J. Beardsley,
Director, Policy and Programs.
[FR Doc. 2020-27294 Filed 12-10-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4332-90-P
