Agency Information Collection Activities; Pollution Prevention and Control, 2452-2455 [2021-00382]
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 7 / Tuesday, January 12, 2021 / Notices
represented in commodity, noncommodity, and local interests. The
RAC serves in an advisory capacity to
BLM and USDA Forest Service officials
concerning planning and management
of public land and national forest
resources located, in whole or part,
within the State of Idaho.
Agenda items for the April meeting
include management of wildland fire
and fuels and outdoor recreation; review
of and/or recommendations regarding
proposed actions by the BLM’s Boise,
Twin, Falls, Idaho Falls, and/or Coeur
d’Alene Districts and USDA Forest
Service units; and any other business
that may reasonably come before the
RAC. Agenda items for the August
meeting will be formalized at the
conclusion of the April meeting.
Final agendas will be posted online 2
weeks in advance of each meeting at
https://www.blm.gov/get-involved/
resource-advisory-council/near-you/
idaho. All meetings are open to the
public in their entirety. Public comment
periods will be held in the afternoon on
each meeting day. Depending on the
number of persons wishing to speak,
and the time available, the time for
individual comments may be limited.
Comments can be mailed to: BLM Idaho
State Office; Attn: MJ Byrne; 1387 South
Vinnell Way; Boise, ID 83709. All
comments received will be provided to
the Idaho RAC members.
Before including your address, phone
number, email address, or other
personal identifying information in your
comments, please 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 we will be able to do
so.
(Authority: 43 CFR 1784.4–2)
John F. Ruhs,
Idaho State Director.
[FR Doc. 2021–00437 Filed 1–11–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331–11–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
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Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
[OMB Control Number 1010–0057; Docket
ID: BOEM–2017–0016]
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Pollution Prevention and
Control
Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management, Interior.
AGENCY:
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Notice of information collection;
request for comment.
ACTION:
In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
(BOEM) proposes to renew its
information collection control number
1010–0057 through the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB).
DATES: Interested persons are invited to
submit comments on or before February
11, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and
recommendations for the proposed
information collection request (ICR)
should be sent to OMB’s Desk Officer
for the Department of the Interior at
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain
within 30 days of publication of this
notice. Find this ICR by selecting
‘‘Department of the Interior’’ in the
‘‘Select Agency’’ pulldown menu under
‘‘Currently under Review’’, clicking the
box marked ‘‘Only Show ICR For Public
Comment’’ near the top left-hand side of
the resulting web page, and scrolling
down to OMB Control Number 1010–
0057. Alternatively, the search function
may be used. Please provide a copy of
your comments to the BOEM
Information Collection Clearance
Officer, Anna Atkinson, by mail service
addressed to her at Bureau of Ocean
Energy Management, 45600 Woodland
Road, Sterling, Virginia, 20166; or by
email to anna.atkinson@boem.gov.
Please reference OMB Control Number
1010–0057 in the subject line of your
comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To
request additional information about
this ICR, contact Anna Atkinson by
email or by telephone at 703–787–1025.
You may also view the ICR at https://
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In
accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995, BOEM provides
the general public and other Federal
agencies with an opportunity to
comment on new, proposed, revised,
and continuing collections of
information. This helps BOEM assess
the impact of the information collection
requirements and minimize the public’s
reporting burden. It also helps the
public understand BOEM’s information
collection requirements and provide the
requested data in the desired format.
Abstract: Section 5(a) of the Outer
Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA),
as amended (43 U.S.C. 1334(a)),
authorizes the Secretary of the Interior
(Secretary) to prescribe rules and
regulations to manage the mineral
resources of the Outer Continental Shelf
(OCS). Such rules and regulations apply
SUMMARY:
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to all operations conducted under a
lease, right-of-use and easement, and
pipeline right-of-way.
Section 5(a)(8) of OCSLA requires that
regulations prescribed by the Secretary
include provisions ‘‘for compliance
with the national ambient air quality
standards pursuant to the Clean Air Act
(42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.), to the extent
that activities authorized under this
subchapter significantly affect the air
quality of any State.’’ This information
collection renewal concerns information
that is submitted to BOEM under 30
CFR part 550, subpart C, ‘‘Pollution
Prevention and Control,’’ which
implements section 5(a)(8), and related
notices to lessees and operators (NTLs),
which clarify and provide additional,
nonbinding guidance on aspects of the
regulations. BOEM uses this information
to inform its decisions on plan approval,
to ensure operations are conducted
according to all applicable regulations
and plan conditions of approval, and to
inform State and regional planning
organizations’ modeling efforts.
BOEM prepares an emissions
inventory every three years to help
ensure that its regulations comply with
section 5(a)(8) of OCSLA and to
implement the requirements at 30 CFR
550.303(k) and 550.304(g). These
emission inventories provide the
essential input that BOEM needs to
assess the impacts of OCS oil and gas
activity on the States as mandated by
the OCSLA. Also, these inventories
provide the States with essential
information needed to perform their
implementation plan demonstrations to
the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (USEPA) and the operators with
essential data for their mandatory
reporting of greenhouse gases to the
USEPA.
BOEM began planning for the next
emissions inventory, scheduled for
calendar year 2021, by issuing NTL No.
2020–N03, 2021 OCS Emissions
Inventory—Western Gulf of Mexico
(GOM) and Adjacent to the North Slope
Borough of the State of Alaska, on
October 1, 2020. The NTL instructed
lessees and operators on submitting
information about their facility
operations, as required by OCSLA and
BOEM’s regulations, through BOEM’s
new, web-based emissions reporting
tool, the OCS Air Quality System (OCS
AQS). OCS AQS allows operators to
submit their facility activity data
electronically into the system,
instantaneously calculates monthly and
annual emissions, assures and controls
data quality, generates reports, such as
emission inventory reports, and creates
data graphics including geographic
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information system (GIS) maps for
operators and BOEM.
During previous emission inventories,
BOEM used the Gulfwide Offshore
Activity Data System (GOADS) software
to collect the necessary emissions data
from lessees and operators. This
software is outdated and resides on a
platform that BOEM is no longer able to
utilize satisfactorily. Unlike GOADS,
OCS AQS makes it easy for users to
enter activity data, calculate emissions
data in real-time, and leverage built-in
validation features to quality check
calculations prior to submission.
Title of Collection: 30 CFR part 550,
subpart C, Pollution Prevention and
Control.
OMB Control Number: 1010–0057.
Form Number: None.
Type of Review: Extension of a
currently approved collection.
Respondents/Affected Public:
Potential respondents comprise Federal
OCS oil and gas or sulfur lessees and
operators and States.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Respondents: 807.
Respondent’s Obligation: Mandatory
or required to obtain or retain a benefit.
Frequency: Every three years.
Total Estimated Annual Non-hour
Burden Cost: None.
Estimated Reporting and
Recordkeeping Hour Burden: BOEM
estimates the annual burden for this
collection to be 51,080 hours. In view of
industry comment to the 60-day notice
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regarding this ICR, BOEM recalculated
its estimated information collection
burden hours per OCS facility and
concluded that an increase of 20 hours
per facility was warranted based, in
part, on industry feedback to account for
reporting responsibilities for certain
drilling rig and construction vessel
emissions. This recalculation resulted in
an increase of 15,880 burden hours over
OMB’s currently approved 35,200
burden hours for control number 1010–
0057. The following table details the
individual BOEM information
collections under control number 1010–
0057 and respective hour burden
estimates for this ICR. Any changes to
the annual burden hours compared with
the already-approved IC are bolded.
BURDEN TABLE
Citation
30 CFR 550
subpart C
and related
NTL(s)
Reporting and recordkeeping
requirement
Hour
burden
Average number of
annual responses
Annual
burden
hours
Facilities described in new or revised EP or DPP
303; 304(a), (f) ..........................................
Submit, modify, or revise Exploration
Plans and Development and Production Plans; submit information required
under 30 CFR Part 550, Subpart B.
Burden covered under 1010–0151 (30
CFR Part 550, Subpart B).
0
303(k); 304(a), (g); NTL ...........................
Collect and report (in manner specified)
air quality emissions related data
(such as facility, equipment, fuel
usage, and other activity information)
during each specified calendar year
for input into BOEM’s impacts assessments, and State and regional planning organizations’ modeling through
specified software. (NTL OCS Emissions Inventory).
64 hrs per facility ....
794 facilities ...........
50,816
303(l); 304(h) ............................................
Collect and submit (in manner specified)
meteorological data (not routinely collected); emission data for existing facilities to a State..
8 .............................
1 submission ..........
8
Subtotal .............................................
.................................................................
795 responses ........
50,824.
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Existing Facilities
304(a), (f) ..................................................
Affected State may submit request, with
supporting information to BOEM, for
basic emission data from existing facilities to update State’s emission inventory.
16 ...........................
5 requests ..............
80
304(e)(2) ...................................................
Submit compliance schedule for application of best available control technology (BACT).
40 ...........................
1 schedule ..............
40
304(e)(2) ...................................................
Apply for suspension of operations ........
304(f) ........................................................
Submit information to demonstrate that
exempt facility is not significantly affecting air quality of onshore area of a
State. Submit additional information to
determine if controls are required..
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Burden covered under BSEE 1014–0022
(30 CFR 250.174).
16 ...........................
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1 submission ..........
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BURDEN TABLE—Continued
Citation
30 CFR 550
subpart C
and related
NTL(s)
Reporting and recordkeeping
requirement
Hour
burden
Subtotal .....................................................
.................................................................
7 responses ............
136.
Average number of
annual responses
Annual
burden
hours
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General
303–304 ....................................................
Departure and alternative compliance
(as cited in 550.142) requests from
303 and 304 not specifically covered
elsewhere in subpart C regulations.
24 ...........................
5 requests ..............
Subtotal .............................................
.................................................................
5 responses ............
120.
Total Burden ...............................
.................................................................
.................................
807 responses ........
BOEM issued a Federal Register
notice with a 60-day public comment
period soliciting comments on this
proposed ICR, which was published on
August 10, 2020 (85 FR 48261). The
Offshore Operators Committee (OOC)
submitted the only comments. This
organization commented on the burden
estimates and OCS AQS functionality.
Based on OOC’s input, BOEM updated
OCS AQS to address the system’s
technical issues and modified the
burden estimates.
The OOC comments and BOEM’s
responses are summarized below. For
additional details, please review the
comment and responses by searching for
OMB Control Number 1010–0057 on
regsinfo.gov.
Comment: Regarding the reporting of
non-platform data, OOC stated,
‘‘Historically, collection of non-platform
air emission data was the responsibility
of BOEM. By shifting the responsibility
of collecting and reporting non-platform
source data to operators, BOEM is
increasing the burden of reporting. For
example, the Burden Table included in
the Notice of Information Collection
estimates 44 hours per facility to collect
and report emissions data. As described
in the attached comments, we estimate
that for drilling rigs alone (exclusive of
platforms and other support vessels) the
estimated reporting burden is 117 hours
per facility.’’
BOEM Response: BOEM requires
emissions reporting from ‘‘facilities,’’ as
defined in its regulations implementing
its OCSLA authority. The projected
emissions from these sources are
reported in the plans review process
and documented in the air quality
spreadsheets (BOEM–0138 and BOEM–
0139), which fall under OMB Control
Number 1010–0151.
BOEM would require the operator to
submit activity or emissions data for all
facilities corresponding to the definition
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of facility in BOEM’s regulation and the
recently updated plan review process,
which includes drilling rig emissions
when the rig is attached to the seabed
and construction vessel emissions when
the vessel is engaged in construction.
Upon further review, BOEM
acknowledges that there will be
additional burden hours for reporting
emissions from these drilling rigs and
construction vessels. BOEM will
simplify the reporting of drilling rig data
in OCS AQS by including a look up
table for horsepower ratings, so that the
operator needs to input only fuel
throughput and total hours of drilling.
Moreover, BOEM notes that reporting
information on construction vessels will
not be an altogether new burden
because, during the plan review process,
some construction vessels are subject to
a standard condition of approval that
requires submission of fuel throughput
compliance verification to BSEE. This
current burden is included in OMB
Control Number 1010–0151.
The current emissions collection and
reporting burden is 44 hours per facility
for platform sources. This burden will
remain the same for the first year for
these sources (with a chance of
decreasing in three years due to the
learning curve of a new reporting tool).
Assuming one drilling rig and one
construction vessel per facility, BOEM
believes that an additional 20 hours per
facility (10 hours per emission source)
should be added to the current 44
burden hours to reflect the new
reporting responsibilities. Therefore,
BOEM is increasing the burdens to 64
hours per facility.
Comment: It appeared to OOC that
BOEM is requiring the reporting of data
from drilling rigs and construction
vessels underway within 25 miles of a
facility. OOC indicated that drilling rigs
and vessels underway do not meet the
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120
51,080
definition of ‘‘facility’’ in 30 CFR
550.302 because, when underway, the
rig or vessel is not attached to the
seabed. Therefore, according to OOC,
the rig or vessel does not fall under
BOEM’s OCSLA authority.
BOEM Response: BOEM requires the
reporting of data from facilities as
defined in its regulations, which
includes drilling rigs attached to the
seabed and construction vessels engaged
in construction. BOEM will not require
the reporting of emissions when these
sources are otherwise underway within
25 miles of a facility.
Comment: Regarding potential
changes to reporting frequencies, OOC
stated, ‘‘It is unclear if the 3-year
reporting frequency will change with
the implementation of AQS. For
example, will operators be required to
submit monthly data on an ongoing
basis? If that is the case, then the
estimated burden will increase
substantially, at least by a factor of 3
because reporting will no longer be
required every 3 years. If this is the
intent of the agency, then a new burden
estimate must be completed prior to
implementation of the new system.’’
BOEM Response: BOEM intends to
collect emissions data roughly every
three years. However, because of the
delay in development of OCS AQS,
BOEM is off-cycle; its last emissions
inventory was in 2017. BOEM is
planning for the next inventory in 2021
followed by another one in 2023 in
order to align with USEPA’s emissions
reporting cycle.
Comment: Regarding complexities of
reporting flare information, OOC stated
that the complexity of how flare
emissions data is constructed in OCS
AQS raises concerns.
BOEM’s Response: Operators should
report one flare source per flare using
their flare design specifications from the
manufacturer for the smoke condition
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and total volume flared (including pilot
light). BOEM will clarify this in the
updated OCS AQS user’s manual. This
guidance is consistent with the 2017
emissions inventory collection and does
not affect the burden hours.
Comment: Regarding Oil and Gas
Operations Report reconciliation, OOC
stated that those reports should not be
utilized for emissions calculations or
emissions data quality assurance or
control because the accounting
standards and requirements applicable
to the reports do not yield technically
correct emissions estimates.
BOEM’s Response: Oil and Gas
Operations Reports were mentioned in
the OCS AQS training guide, while the
tool was under development, because
BOEM is uploading these reports into
OCS AQS to reconcile volumes vented
and flared. It was a reminder to
operators to ensure consistency in
reporting, not an indication that report
data was to be used in calculating or
reporting emissions in OCS AQS.
Comment: Regarding OCS AQS’s
quality assurance and control (QA/QC)
functionality, OOC indicated that the
functionality could be streamlined to
improve system effectiveness and
reduce burden.
BOEM’s Response: BOEM has
updated OCS AQS’s QA/QC
functionality to support the requested
performance improvements.
Specifically, when a user selects the
option to submit an emissions
inventory, a QA/QC check is
automatically executed against that
inventory. If any QA/QC issues are
detected, the user is notified and
provided with a spreadsheet detailing
the specific issues that were identified
by the check. This spreadsheet can be
downloaded from OCS AQS. The user’s
manual is being updated to reflect this
change.
Comment: Regarding confidentiality
of data and defined user roles, OOC
indicated that BOEM should clarify and
ensure controls are integrated into OCS
AQS so that data remains confidential
and available only to the organization
reporting the data.
BOEM’s Response: BOEM agrees that
only an operator’s designated
representatives or agent should be able
to access data for an assigned facility
during the inventory reporting year.
Operators and the public will be able to
access the results of the final, historical
inventory for all facilities as BOEM has
always made this data publicly available
and plans to continue doing so. The
publicly available results of the
inventory will not include any
confidential business information.
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Comment: Regarding file naming
conventions associated with OCS AQS’s
import and export functions, OOC
suggested enhancements to OCS AQS to
allow users to define file names during
data import and export to reduce burden
and improve system functionality.
BOEM’s Response: All supported
browsers (Firefox, Chrome, Edge)
provide this option for the user. By
default, this option is usually set to the
Downloads folder. However, there is an
option to have the application ask
where to save the file, which then
allows the user to rename the file during
the operation. The browser options are
beyond the control of the OCS AQS
software. The updated user’s manual
will provide additional guidance.
Comment: Regarding the 2021 initial
inventory using OCS AQS and the
transfer of GOADS data, OOC said it is
unclear what GOADS data from the
2017 inventory (the last reporting year
using GOADS) will be transferred for
the initial OCS AQS inventory in 2021.
Historical activity data does not need to
be included, but all historical
descriptive, static data should be
transferred to minimize company
burden to populate.
BOEM’s Response: As with GOADS,
operators will receive all static data for
platform sources from the past
inventory (in this case, 2017), including
complex and structure identification
and emission sources data. As
commented, activity data such as
throughput and hours of operation are
not carried forward as this information
is expected to change year to year.
Operators should review the static data
to ensure its accuracy before entering
any activity data.
Comment: Regarding clarification on
reporting storage tank emissions, OOC
stated, ‘‘Reporting of data to estimate
storage tank emissions is appropriate
and necessary. However, changes to the
types of storage data and the
calculations within AQS would reduce
burden.’’
BOEM’s Response: As with GOADS,
BOEM will continue to require the
reporting of crude oil storage tanks, but
not other types of storage tanks. This is
consistent with the reporting
requirements in the plan review process
on the air quality spreadsheets.
In addition to these comments, OOC
pointed out several technical errors with
OCS AQS and other issues needing
further clarification. BOEM appreciates
the technical comments and
observations, and is working with its
contractors to update OCS AQS and the
user’s manual, as necessary.
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Under OMB’s governing regulations,
BOEM seeks public comments on this
proposed ICR. BOEM is especially
interested in comment addressing the
following issues: (1) Is the collection
necessary to the proper functions of
BOEM; (2) what can BOEM do to ensure
this information will be processed and
used in a timely manner; (3) is the
estimate of burden accurate; (4) how
might BOEM enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and (5) how might BOEM
minimize the burden of this collection
on the respondents, including
minimizing the burden through the use
of information technology?
Comments that you submit in
response to this notice are a matter of
public record. BOEM will include or
summarize each comment in its request
to OMB for approval of this ICR. You
should be aware that your entire
comment—including your address,
phone number, email address, or other
personally identifying information—
may be made publicly available at any
time. In order for BOEM to withhold
your personally identifiable information
from disclosure, you must identify any
information contained in your comment
that, if released, would clearly
constitute an unwarranted invasion of
your personal privacy. You must also
briefly describe any possible harmful
consequences that disclosure of your
information would cause, such as
embarrassment, injury, or other harm.
While you can ask BOEM in your
comment to withhold your personally
identifiable information from public
review, BOEM cannot guarantee that it
will be able to do so.
BOEM protects proprietary
information in accordance with the
Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C.
552), the Department of the Interior’s
implementing regulations (43 CFR part
2), and BOEM’s regulations at 30 CFR
550.197.
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 OMB
control number.
The authority for this action is the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).
Deanna Meyer-Pietruszka,
Chief, Office of Policy, Regulation, and
Analysis.
[FR Doc. 2021–00382 Filed 1–11–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 7 (Tuesday, January 12, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2452-2455]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-00382]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
[OMB Control Number 1010-0057; Docket ID: BOEM-2017-0016]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Pollution Prevention
and Control
AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) proposes to renew its
information collection control number 1010-0057 through the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB).
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before
February 11, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed
information collection request (ICR) should be sent to OMB's Desk
Officer for the Department of the Interior at www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain within 30 days of publication of this notice. Find this ICR
by selecting ``Department of the Interior'' in the ``Select Agency''
pulldown menu under ``Currently under Review'', clicking the box marked
``Only Show ICR For Public Comment'' near the top left-hand side of the
resulting web page, and scrolling down to OMB Control Number 1010-0057.
Alternatively, the search function may be used. Please provide a copy
of your comments to the BOEM Information Collection Clearance Officer,
Anna Atkinson, by mail service addressed to her at Bureau of Ocean
Energy Management, 45600 Woodland Road, Sterling, Virginia, 20166; or
by email to [email protected]. Please reference OMB Control Number
1010-0057 in the subject line of your comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information
about this ICR, contact Anna Atkinson by email or by telephone at 703-
787-1025. You may also view the ICR at https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995, BOEM provides the general public and other Federal
agencies with an opportunity to comment on new, proposed, revised, and
continuing collections of information. This helps BOEM assess the
impact of the information collection requirements and minimize the
public's reporting burden. It also helps the public understand BOEM's
information collection requirements and provide the requested data in
the desired format.
Abstract: Section 5(a) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act
(OCSLA), as amended (43 U.S.C. 1334(a)), authorizes the Secretary of
the Interior (Secretary) to prescribe rules and regulations to manage
the mineral resources of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Such rules
and regulations apply to all operations conducted under a lease, right-
of-use and easement, and pipeline right-of-way.
Section 5(a)(8) of OCSLA requires that regulations prescribed by
the Secretary include provisions ``for compliance with the national
ambient air quality standards pursuant to the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C.
7401 et seq.), to the extent that activities authorized under this
subchapter significantly affect the air quality of any State.'' This
information collection renewal concerns information that is submitted
to BOEM under 30 CFR part 550, subpart C, ``Pollution Prevention and
Control,'' which implements section 5(a)(8), and related notices to
lessees and operators (NTLs), which clarify and provide additional,
nonbinding guidance on aspects of the regulations. BOEM uses this
information to inform its decisions on plan approval, to ensure
operations are conducted according to all applicable regulations and
plan conditions of approval, and to inform State and regional planning
organizations' modeling efforts.
BOEM prepares an emissions inventory every three years to help
ensure that its regulations comply with section 5(a)(8) of OCSLA and to
implement the requirements at 30 CFR 550.303(k) and 550.304(g). These
emission inventories provide the essential input that BOEM needs to
assess the impacts of OCS oil and gas activity on the States as
mandated by the OCSLA. Also, these inventories provide the States with
essential information needed to perform their implementation plan
demonstrations to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and
the operators with essential data for their mandatory reporting of
greenhouse gases to the USEPA.
BOEM began planning for the next emissions inventory, scheduled for
calendar year 2021, by issuing NTL No. 2020-N03, 2021 OCS Emissions
Inventory--Western Gulf of Mexico (GOM) and Adjacent to the North Slope
Borough of the State of Alaska, on October 1, 2020. The NTL instructed
lessees and operators on submitting information about their facility
operations, as required by OCSLA and BOEM's regulations, through BOEM's
new, web-based emissions reporting tool, the OCS Air Quality System
(OCS AQS). OCS AQS allows operators to submit their facility activity
data electronically into the system, instantaneously calculates monthly
and annual emissions, assures and controls data quality, generates
reports, such as emission inventory reports, and creates data graphics
including geographic
[[Page 2453]]
information system (GIS) maps for operators and BOEM.
During previous emission inventories, BOEM used the Gulfwide
Offshore Activity Data System (GOADS) software to collect the necessary
emissions data from lessees and operators. This software is outdated
and resides on a platform that BOEM is no longer able to utilize
satisfactorily. Unlike GOADS, OCS AQS makes it easy for users to enter
activity data, calculate emissions data in real-time, and leverage
built-in validation features to quality check calculations prior to
submission.
Title of Collection: 30 CFR part 550, subpart C, Pollution
Prevention and Control.
OMB Control Number: 1010-0057.
Form Number: None.
Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Respondents/Affected Public: Potential respondents comprise Federal
OCS oil and gas or sulfur lessees and operators and States.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 807.
Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory or required to obtain or retain
a benefit.
Frequency: Every three years.
Total Estimated Annual Non-hour Burden Cost: None.
Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden: BOEM estimates
the annual burden for this collection to be 51,080 hours. In view of
industry comment to the 60-day notice regarding this ICR, BOEM
recalculated its estimated information collection burden hours per OCS
facility and concluded that an increase of 20 hours per facility was
warranted based, in part, on industry feedback to account for reporting
responsibilities for certain drilling rig and construction vessel
emissions. This recalculation resulted in an increase of 15,880 burden
hours over OMB's currently approved 35,200 burden hours for control
number 1010-0057. The following table details the individual BOEM
information collections under control number 1010-0057 and respective
hour burden estimates for this ICR. Any changes to the annual burden
hours compared with the already-approved IC are bolded.
Burden Table
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reporting and Annual
Citation 30 CFR 550 subpart C recordkeeping Hour burden Average number of burden
and related NTL(s) requirement annual responses hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Facilities described in new or revised EP or DPP
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
303; 304(a), (f)................ Submit, modify, or Burden covered under 1010-0151 (30 CFR 0
revise Exploration Part 550, Subpart B).
Plans and Development
and Production Plans;
submit information
required under 30 CFR
Part 550, Subpart B.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
303(k); 304(a), (g); NTL........ Collect and report (in 64 hrs per facility 794 facilities.... 50,816
manner specified) air
quality emissions
related data (such as
facility, equipment,
fuel usage, and other
activity information)
during each specified
calendar year for input
into BOEM's impacts
assessments, and State
and regional planning
organizations' modeling
through specified
software. (NTL OCS
Emissions Inventory).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
303(l); 304(h).................. Collect and submit (in 8.................. 1 submission...... 8
manner specified)
meteorological data
(not routinely
collected); emission
data for existing
facilities to a State..
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal.................... ........................ 795 responses...... 50,824............
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Existing Facilities
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
304(a), (f)..................... Affected State may 16................. 5 requests........ 80
submit request, with
supporting information
to BOEM, for basic
emission data from
existing facilities to
update State's emission
inventory.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
304(e)(2)....................... Submit compliance 40................. 1 schedule........ 40
schedule for
application of best
available control
technology (BACT).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
304(e)(2)....................... Apply for suspension of Burden covered under BSEE 1014-0022 (30 0
operations. CFR 250.174).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
304(f).......................... Submit information to 16................. 1 submission...... 16
demonstrate that exempt
facility is not
significantly affecting
air quality of onshore
area of a State. Submit
additional information
to determine if
controls are required..
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 2454]]
Subtotal........................ ........................ 7 responses........ 136...............
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
General
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
303-304......................... Departure and 24................. 5 requests........ 120
alternative compliance
(as cited in 550.142)
requests from 303 and
304 not specifically
covered elsewhere in
subpart C regulations.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal.................... ........................ 5 responses........ 120...............
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Burden............ ........................ ................... 807 responses..... 51,080
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BOEM issued a Federal Register notice with a 60-day public comment
period soliciting comments on this proposed ICR, which was published on
August 10, 2020 (85 FR 48261). The Offshore Operators Committee (OOC)
submitted the only comments. This organization commented on the burden
estimates and OCS AQS functionality. Based on OOC's input, BOEM updated
OCS AQS to address the system's technical issues and modified the
burden estimates.
The OOC comments and BOEM's responses are summarized below. For
additional details, please review the comment and responses by
searching for OMB Control Number 1010-0057 on regsinfo.gov.
Comment: Regarding the reporting of non-platform data, OOC stated,
``Historically, collection of non-platform air emission data was the
responsibility of BOEM. By shifting the responsibility of collecting
and reporting non-platform source data to operators, BOEM is increasing
the burden of reporting. For example, the Burden Table included in the
Notice of Information Collection estimates 44 hours per facility to
collect and report emissions data. As described in the attached
comments, we estimate that for drilling rigs alone (exclusive of
platforms and other support vessels) the estimated reporting burden is
117 hours per facility.''
BOEM Response: BOEM requires emissions reporting from
``facilities,'' as defined in its regulations implementing its OCSLA
authority. The projected emissions from these sources are reported in
the plans review process and documented in the air quality spreadsheets
(BOEM-0138 and BOEM-0139), which fall under OMB Control Number 1010-
0151.
BOEM would require the operator to submit activity or emissions
data for all facilities corresponding to the definition of facility in
BOEM's regulation and the recently updated plan review process, which
includes drilling rig emissions when the rig is attached to the seabed
and construction vessel emissions when the vessel is engaged in
construction.
Upon further review, BOEM acknowledges that there will be
additional burden hours for reporting emissions from these drilling
rigs and construction vessels. BOEM will simplify the reporting of
drilling rig data in OCS AQS by including a look up table for
horsepower ratings, so that the operator needs to input only fuel
throughput and total hours of drilling. Moreover, BOEM notes that
reporting information on construction vessels will not be an altogether
new burden because, during the plan review process, some construction
vessels are subject to a standard condition of approval that requires
submission of fuel throughput compliance verification to BSEE. This
current burden is included in OMB Control Number 1010-0151.
The current emissions collection and reporting burden is 44 hours
per facility for platform sources. This burden will remain the same for
the first year for these sources (with a chance of decreasing in three
years due to the learning curve of a new reporting tool). Assuming one
drilling rig and one construction vessel per facility, BOEM believes
that an additional 20 hours per facility (10 hours per emission source)
should be added to the current 44 burden hours to reflect the new
reporting responsibilities. Therefore, BOEM is increasing the burdens
to 64 hours per facility.
Comment: It appeared to OOC that BOEM is requiring the reporting of
data from drilling rigs and construction vessels underway within 25
miles of a facility. OOC indicated that drilling rigs and vessels
underway do not meet the definition of ``facility'' in 30 CFR 550.302
because, when underway, the rig or vessel is not attached to the
seabed. Therefore, according to OOC, the rig or vessel does not fall
under BOEM's OCSLA authority.
BOEM Response: BOEM requires the reporting of data from facilities
as defined in its regulations, which includes drilling rigs attached to
the seabed and construction vessels engaged in construction. BOEM will
not require the reporting of emissions when these sources are otherwise
underway within 25 miles of a facility.
Comment: Regarding potential changes to reporting frequencies, OOC
stated, ``It is unclear if the 3-year reporting frequency will change
with the implementation of AQS. For example, will operators be required
to submit monthly data on an ongoing basis? If that is the case, then
the estimated burden will increase substantially, at least by a factor
of 3 because reporting will no longer be required every 3 years. If
this is the intent of the agency, then a new burden estimate must be
completed prior to implementation of the new system.''
BOEM Response: BOEM intends to collect emissions data roughly every
three years. However, because of the delay in development of OCS AQS,
BOEM is off-cycle; its last emissions inventory was in 2017. BOEM is
planning for the next inventory in 2021 followed by another one in 2023
in order to align with USEPA's emissions reporting cycle.
Comment: Regarding complexities of reporting flare information, OOC
stated that the complexity of how flare emissions data is constructed
in OCS AQS raises concerns.
BOEM's Response: Operators should report one flare source per flare
using their flare design specifications from the manufacturer for the
smoke condition
[[Page 2455]]
and total volume flared (including pilot light). BOEM will clarify this
in the updated OCS AQS user's manual. This guidance is consistent with
the 2017 emissions inventory collection and does not affect the burden
hours.
Comment: Regarding Oil and Gas Operations Report reconciliation,
OOC stated that those reports should not be utilized for emissions
calculations or emissions data quality assurance or control because the
accounting standards and requirements applicable to the reports do not
yield technically correct emissions estimates.
BOEM's Response: Oil and Gas Operations Reports were mentioned in
the OCS AQS training guide, while the tool was under development,
because BOEM is uploading these reports into OCS AQS to reconcile
volumes vented and flared. It was a reminder to operators to ensure
consistency in reporting, not an indication that report data was to be
used in calculating or reporting emissions in OCS AQS.
Comment: Regarding OCS AQS's quality assurance and control (QA/QC)
functionality, OOC indicated that the functionality could be
streamlined to improve system effectiveness and reduce burden.
BOEM's Response: BOEM has updated OCS AQS's QA/QC functionality to
support the requested performance improvements. Specifically, when a
user selects the option to submit an emissions inventory, a QA/QC check
is automatically executed against that inventory. If any QA/QC issues
are detected, the user is notified and provided with a spreadsheet
detailing the specific issues that were identified by the check. This
spreadsheet can be downloaded from OCS AQS. The user's manual is being
updated to reflect this change.
Comment: Regarding confidentiality of data and defined user roles,
OOC indicated that BOEM should clarify and ensure controls are
integrated into OCS AQS so that data remains confidential and available
only to the organization reporting the data.
BOEM's Response: BOEM agrees that only an operator's designated
representatives or agent should be able to access data for an assigned
facility during the inventory reporting year. Operators and the public
will be able to access the results of the final, historical inventory
for all facilities as BOEM has always made this data publicly available
and plans to continue doing so. The publicly available results of the
inventory will not include any confidential business information.
Comment: Regarding file naming conventions associated with OCS
AQS's import and export functions, OOC suggested enhancements to OCS
AQS to allow users to define file names during data import and export
to reduce burden and improve system functionality.
BOEM's Response: All supported browsers (Firefox, Chrome, Edge)
provide this option for the user. By default, this option is usually
set to the Downloads folder. However, there is an option to have the
application ask where to save the file, which then allows the user to
rename the file during the operation. The browser options are beyond
the control of the OCS AQS software. The updated user's manual will
provide additional guidance.
Comment: Regarding the 2021 initial inventory using OCS AQS and the
transfer of GOADS data, OOC said it is unclear what GOADS data from the
2017 inventory (the last reporting year using GOADS) will be
transferred for the initial OCS AQS inventory in 2021. Historical
activity data does not need to be included, but all historical
descriptive, static data should be transferred to minimize company
burden to populate.
BOEM's Response: As with GOADS, operators will receive all static
data for platform sources from the past inventory (in this case, 2017),
including complex and structure identification and emission sources
data. As commented, activity data such as throughput and hours of
operation are not carried forward as this information is expected to
change year to year. Operators should review the static data to ensure
its accuracy before entering any activity data.
Comment: Regarding clarification on reporting storage tank
emissions, OOC stated, ``Reporting of data to estimate storage tank
emissions is appropriate and necessary. However, changes to the types
of storage data and the calculations within AQS would reduce burden.''
BOEM's Response: As with GOADS, BOEM will continue to require the
reporting of crude oil storage tanks, but not other types of storage
tanks. This is consistent with the reporting requirements in the plan
review process on the air quality spreadsheets.
In addition to these comments, OOC pointed out several technical
errors with OCS AQS and other issues needing further clarification.
BOEM appreciates the technical comments and observations, and is
working with its contractors to update OCS AQS and the user's manual,
as necessary.
Under OMB's governing regulations, BOEM seeks public comments on
this proposed ICR. BOEM is especially interested in comment addressing
the following issues: (1) Is the collection necessary to the proper
functions of BOEM; (2) what can BOEM do to ensure this information will
be processed and used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden
accurate; (4) how might BOEM enhance the quality, utility, and clarity
of the information to be collected; and (5) how might BOEM minimize the
burden of this collection on the respondents, including minimizing the
burden through the use of information technology?
Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of
public record. BOEM will include or summarize each comment in its
request to OMB for approval of this ICR. You should be aware that your
entire comment--including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personally identifying information--may be made publicly
available at any time. In order for BOEM to withhold your personally
identifiable information from disclosure, you must identify any
information contained in your comment that, if released, would clearly
constitute an unwarranted invasion of your personal privacy. You must
also briefly describe any possible harmful consequences that disclosure
of your information would cause, such as embarrassment, injury, or
other harm. While you can ask BOEM in your comment to withhold your
personally identifiable information from public review, BOEM cannot
guarantee that it will be able to do so.
BOEM protects proprietary information in accordance with the
Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552), the Department of the
Interior's implementing regulations (43 CFR part 2), and BOEM's
regulations at 30 CFR 550.197.
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 OMB control number.
The authority for this action is the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).
Deanna Meyer-Pietruszka,
Chief, Office of Policy, Regulation, and Analysis.
[FR Doc. 2021-00382 Filed 1-11-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P
