Agency Information Collection Activities; Plans and Information, 44832-44834 [2023-14822]
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ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 133 / Thursday, July 13, 2023 / Notices
at bret_meldrum@nps.gov (email) or at
970–267–7295 (telephone). Individuals
in the United States who are deaf,
deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a
speech disability may dial 711 (TTY,
TDD, or TeleBraille) to access
telecommunications relay services.
Individuals outside the United States
should use the relay services offered
within their country to make
international calls to the point of
contact in the United States. 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 (PRA, 44 U.S.C.
3501et seq.) and 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), all
information collections require approval
under the PRA. As part of our
continuing effort to reduce paperwork
and respondent burdens, we invite the
public and other Federal agencies to
comment on new, proposed, revised,
and continuing collections of
information. This helps us assess the
impact of our information collection
requirements and minimize the public’s
reporting burden. It also helps the
public understand our information
collection requirements and provide the
requested data in the desired format.
A Federal Register notice with a 60day public comment period soliciting
comments on this collection of
information was published on August
27, 2021 (86 FR 48244). A comment
requesting a copy of the survey
instruments was received. Copies of the
surveys were sent to the commenter. No
additional comments were received.
As part of our continuing effort to
reduce paperwork and respondent
burdens, we are again soliciting
comments from the public and other
Federal agencies on the proposed ICR
that is described below. We are
especially interested in public comment
addressing the following:
(1) Whether or not the collection of
information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the
agency, including whether or not the
information will have practical utility;
(2) The accuracy of our estimate of the
burden for this collection of
information, including the validity of
the methodology and assumptions used;
(3) Ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and
(4) How might the agency minimize
the burden of the collection of
information on those who are to
respond, including through the use of
appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other technological
collection techniques or other forms of
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information technology, e.g., permitting
electronic submission of response.
Comments that you submit in
response to this notice are a matter of
public record. We will include or
summarize each comment in our request
to OMB to approve this ICR. Before
including your address, phone number,
email address, or other personal
identifying information in your
comment, you should be aware that
your entire comment—including your
personal identifying information—may
be made publicly available at any time.
While you can ask us in your comment
to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
Abstract: The National Park Service
(NPS) Social Science Program (SSP) is
authorized by 54 U.S.C. 100701 to
collect information that will improve
the ability of the NPS to provide stateof the-art management, protection, and
interpretation of, and research on, the
resources of the System. However, the
data currently available from survey
research is insufficient for generalizing
findings across all national park units in
the System with regards to visitor
experiences, attitudes, and spending
behaviors. Past and present
socioeconomic research in NPS units do
not allow for comparison across units or
against a regional and nationwide
benchmark of information. Without this
data, local, regional, and national-level
NPS managers lack a comprehensive
understanding of visitor demographics,
economic contribution, and visitation
related experiences in park units needed
to monitor how well the System is
serving the public. In 2016, the NPS SSP
conducted a pilot study in 14 NPS units
to identify and better understand the
need for more advanced socioeconomic
monitoring. The pilot study produced
and verified a study design that will
allow SSP to fully implement a
Socioeconomic Monitoring Study
(SEM). Building on the findings from
the pilot study, the SEM will collect
information from visitors at 30 National
Park units annually to provide
generalizable results for NPS managers
and planners across the System to
understand and monitor: visitor
demographics, economic contribution,
services, facilities, and infrastructure
investments. Park units will be able to
compare their unit data with regional
and national-level data to make
informed decisions in future planning
and management efforts.
Title of Collection: Socioeconomic
Monitoring Study of National Park
Service Visitors.
OMB Control Number: 1024–NEW.
PO 00000
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Form Number: None.
Type of Review: New.
Respondents/Affected Public: General
Public; any person visiting a national
park during the sampling period.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Respondents: 58,544. (36,936 intercept
survey respondents, 8,310 non-response
survey respondents, and 13,298 mailback survey respondents).
Estimated Completion Time per
Response: Intercept survey: 5 minutes;
Non-response survey: 2 minutes; and
Mail-back survey: 20 minutes.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Burden Hours: 7,788 hours.
Respondent’s Obligation: Voluntary.
Frequency of Collection: Annually.
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour
Burden Cost: None.
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.).
Phadrea Ponds,
Information Collections Clearance Officer,
National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 2023–14889 Filed 7–12–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312–52–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
[OMB Control Number 1010–0151; Docket
ID: BOEM–2023–0004]
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Plans and Information
Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of information collection;
request for comment.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
(BOEM) proposes this information
collection request (ICR) to renew with
revisions Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) Control Number 1010–
0151.
SUMMARY:
Interested persons are invited to
submit comments no later than August
11, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Submit your written
comments on this ICR to the OMB’s
desk officer for the Department of the
Interior (DOI) at www.reginfo.gov/
public/do/PRAMain. From the
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain
landing page, find this information
collection by selecting ‘‘Currently under
DATES:
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ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 133 / Thursday, July 13, 2023 / Notices
Review—Open for Public Comments’’ or
by using the search function. Please
provide a copy of your comments by
parcel delivery to the BOEM
Information Collection Clearance
Officer, Anna Atkinson, Bureau of
Ocean Energy Management, 45600
Woodland Road, Sterling, Virginia
20166; or by email to anna.atkinson@
boem.gov. Please reference OMB Control
Number 1010–0151 in the subject line of
your comments. You may also comment
by searching the docket number BOEM–
2023–0004 at www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Anna Atkinson by email at
anna.atkinson@boem.gov or by
telephone at 703–787–1025. Individuals
in the United States who are deaf,
deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a
speech disability may dial 711 (TTY,
TDD, or TeleBraille) to access
telecommunications relay services.
Individuals outside the United States
should use the relay services offered
within their country to make
international calls to the point-ofcontact in the United States.
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 its 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.
Title of Collection: ‘‘30 CFR part 550,
subpart B, Plans and Information.’’
Abstract: This ICR concerns the
paperwork requirements in the
regulations under 30 CFR part 550,
subpart B, ‘‘Plans and Information.’’
The Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)
Lands Act, as amended (43 U.S.C. 1331
et seq.), authorizes the Secretary of the
Interior to prescribe regulations to
administer leasing of mineral resources
on the OCS. The Secretary delegated
that regulatory authority to BOEM.
BOEM’s regulations apply to all
operations conducted under a lease. The
OCS Lands Act and BOEM’s
implementing regulations require
lessees to submit exploration plans
(EPs), development and production
plans (DPPs), and development
operations coordination documents
(DOCDs) to the Secretary for approval
prior to commencing certain activities.
See 43 U.S.C. 1340 and 1351. On the
Arctic OCS, lessees and operators are
required to develop an integrated
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operations plan (IOP) for each
exploratory program and to submit
additional planning information with
their EPs.
The BOEM regulations at 30 CFR part
550, subpart B, require lessees to submit
plans and information before
conducting OCS activities under a lease.
Those information collections are the
subject of this ICR.
BOEM geologists, geophysicists, and
environmental scientists and other
Federal agencies (e.g., the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (USFWS), National
Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS))
analyze and evaluate the information
collected under subpart B. Their
analyses ensure that planned operations
are safe, conserve OCS resources, and
avoid undue effects on the marine,
coastal, or human environment. BOEM
uses the information to make an
informed decision on whether to
approve the proposed EP, DPP, or DOCD
as submitted, or require modifications.
BOEM also uses the information
submitted by the lessees and operators
(e.g., BOEM–0137, OCS Plan
Information Form) to determine which
mitigation measures are necessary to
minimize adverse impacts. Also, the
affected States may review the
information collected to ensure
consistency with their coastal zone
management plans.
BOEM also provides reports (typically
annually) to NMFS and USFWS to
document compliance with the
Endangered Species Act (ESA) and any
relevant biological opinions. These
reports may include information on the
effectiveness of implemented terms and
conditions and reasonable and prudent
measures, adverse impacts of activities,
and any incidental takes, in accordance
with 50 CFR 402.14(i)(3).
NMFS’ recent biological opinion
titled ‘‘Biological Opinion on the
Federally Regulated Oil and Gas
Program Activities in the Gulf of
Mexico,’’ (Consultation Number FPR–
2017–9234) dated March 13, 2020, and
amended in 2021 (GOM BiOp), covers
all activities associated with the OCS oil
and gas program in the Gulf of Mexico
through approximately March 2029. The
GOM BiOp addresses the impacts to and
incidental take of ESA-listed species as
a result of BOEM-authorized activities.
Compliance with the GOM BiOp’s
relevant terms, conditions, mitigation
measures, and protocols necessitates
updates to the information that lessees
and operators must submit in the
appendices to their plans. Certain postlease approvals (e.g., for activities
involving new and unusual
technologies, equipment involving
entanglement risks, and certain
PO 00000
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44833
geological and geophysical surveys)
require step-down review with NMFS
and may require additional information
to fully assess the potential for impacts
to protected species. A step-down
review allows for a more expedient and
detailed assessment of effects on species
within the context of geographic area.
The GOM BiOp modified reporting
requirements from the prior BiOp issued
by NMFS; therefore, BOEM is revising
the estimated burdens identified in this
ICR.
OMB Control Number: 1010–0151.
Form Number:
• BOEM–0137—OCS Plan Information
Form
• BOEM–0138—EP Air Quality
• BOEM–0139—DOCD/DPP—Air
Quality
• BOEM–0141—ROV Survey Report
• BOEM–0142—Environmental Impact
Analysis Worksheet
Type of Review: Revision of a
currently approved information
collection.
Respondents/Affected Public:
Potential respondents comprise Federal
OCS oil, gas, and sulfur lessees and
operators.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Responses: 1,291 responses.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Burden Hours: 286,144 hours.
Respondent’s Obligation: Mandatory.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion,
semi-monthly, and varies by section.
Total Estimated Annual Non-Hour
Burden Cost: $3,688,524.
BOEM identified three non-hour costs
associated with this information
collection. Those costs are fees that
BOEM charges lessees to review their
planning documents, such as EPs
($4,348 fee for 95 EPs; total $413,060
annually), DPPs or DOCDs ($5,017 fee
for 180 DPPs and DOCDs; total $903,060
annually), and conservation information
documents (CIDs) ($32,372 fee for 17
CIDs; total $550,324 annually).
Also, lessees incur a non-hour cost
associated with the Protected Species
Observer Program. This cost totals
$1,822,080 and covers observation
activities that are usually subcontracted
to companies with expertise in these
areas.
Estimated Reporting and
Recordkeeping Hour Burden: The
current OMB Control Number 1010–
0151 accounts for 436,438 annual
burden hours, 4,266 responses, and
$3,939,435 non-hour cost burdens.
Based on several revisions, BOEM
estimates the burden for the renewal
will be 286,144 annual burden hours
with 1,291 responses, and $3,688,524
non-hour cost burdens.
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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 133 / Thursday, July 13, 2023 / Notices
In calculating the information
collection burdens, BOEM accounted for
decreases in the number of plans
submitted annually and for the changes
resulting from the GOM BiOp. BOEM
currently requires monthly marine
mammal observation and monitoring
reports and a final report within 90 days
of the completion of a lessee’s OCS
survey, consistent with GOM BiOp
Appendix A, ‘‘Seismic Survey
Mitigation and Protected Species
Observer Protocols.’’ The GOM BiOp
requirements supersede BOEM’s Notice
to Lessees and Operators 2016–G02,
which had required two reports each
month. Therefore, BOEM estimates an
overall decrease in the burden related to
these monitoring reports.
The GOM BiOp requires additional
reporting if one or more individuals
from a protected species are observed
within an enclosed moon pool, which is
an opening in the bottom of a marine
platform, drill ship, or vessel through
which drilling is done. The operator
must report the observation within 24
hours and daily thereafter as long as any
individual from a protected species
remains within the moon pool. With
this new requirement, BOEM estimates
a slight increase in annual reporting.
While the GOM BiOp increased
certain reporting burdens for lessees and
operators in the Gulf of Mexico, the
overall burdens are estimated to
decrease slightly due to the anticipated
reduction in the number of plans
submitted to BOEM.
A Federal Register notice with a 60day public comment period on this
proposed ICR was published on March
3, 2023 (88 FR 13459). BOEM received
one comment during the 60-day
comment period, which was supportive
of the Federal Government’s reporting
and burden updates. No burdens were
changed in connection with the public
comment.
BOEM is again soliciting comments
on the proposed ICR. BOEM is
especially interested in public
comments addressing the following
issues: (1) is the collection necessary to
the proper functions of BOEM; (2) what
can BOEM do to ensure that this
information is processed and used in a
timely manner; (3) is the burden
estimate 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 submitted in response to
this notice are a matter of public record
and will be available for public review
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Jkt 259001
on www.reginfo.gov. BOEM will include
or summarize each comment in its ICR
to OMB for approval of this information
collection. You should be aware that
your entire comment—including your
address, phone number, email address,
or other personally identifiable
information included in your
comment—may be made publicly
available at any time. Even if BOEM
withholds your information in the
context of this ICR, your comment is
subject to the Freedom of Information
Act (FOIA). If your submission is
requested under FOIA, your information
will only be withheld if a determination
is made that one of the FOIA
exemptions to disclosure applies. Such
a determination will be made in
accordance with the Department’s FOIA
regulations (43 CFR part 2) and
applicable law.
In order for BOEM to consider
withholding from disclosure your
personal identifying information, you
must identify, in a cover letter, any
information contained in your comment
that, if released, would constitute a
clearly unwarranted invasion of your
personal privacy. You must also briefly
describe any possible harmful
consequences of the disclosure of
information, such as embarrassment,
injury, or other harm. Note that BOEM
will make available for public
inspection all comments in their
entirety (except for proprietary
information submitted by organizations
and businesses, or by individuals
identifying themselves as
representatives of organizations or
businesses).
BOEM protects proprietary
information in accordance with FOIA (5
U.S.C. 552), the DOI’s implementing
regulations (43 CFR part 2), and 30 CFR
part 550.
An agency may not conduct or
sponsor, and a person is not required to
respond to, a collection of information
unless it displays a valid OMB control
number.
The authority for this action is the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).
Karen Thundiyil,
Chief, Office of Regulations, Bureau of Ocean
Energy Management.
[FR Doc. 2023–14822 Filed 7–12–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4340–98–P
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Safety and Environmental
Enforcement
[Docket ID BSEE–2023–0013; EEEE500000
234E1700D2 ET1SF0000.EAQ000; OMB
Control Number 1014–0034]
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Renewable Energy and
Alternate Uses of Existing Facilities on
the Outer Continental Shelf
Bureau of Safety and
Environmental Enforcement, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of information collection;
request for comment.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of
1995, the Bureau of Safety and
Environmental Enforcement (BSEE)
proposes to renew an information
collection with revisions.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to
submit comments on or before
September 11, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Send your comments on
this information collection request (ICR)
by either of the following methods listed
below:
• Electronically go to https://
www.regulations.gov. In the Search box,
enter BSEE–2023–0013 then click
search. Follow the instructions to
submit public comments and view all
related materials. We will post all
comments.
• Email nikki.mason@bsee.gov, fax
(703) 787–1546, or mail or hand-carry
comments to the Department of the
Interior; Bureau of Safety and
Environmental Enforcement;
Regulations and Standards Branch;
ATTN: Nikki Mason; 45600 Woodland
Road, Sterling, VA 20166. Please
reference OMB Control Number 1014–
0034 in the subject line of your
comments.
SUMMARY:
To
request additional information about
this ICR, contact Nikki Mason by email
at nikki.mason@bsee.gov or by
telephone at (703) 787–1607.
Individuals in the United States who are
deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have
a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY,
TDD, or TeleBraille) to access
telecommunications relay services.
Individuals outside the United States
should use the relay services offered
within their country to make
international calls to the point-ofcontact in the United States. You may
also view the ICR at https://
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In
accordance with the PRA and 5 CFR
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 133 (Thursday, July 13, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44832-44834]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-14822]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
[OMB Control Number 1010-0151; Docket ID: BOEM-2023-0004]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Plans and Information
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 this information
collection request (ICR) to renew with revisions Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) Control Number 1010-0151.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments no later than
August 11, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Submit your written comments on this ICR to the OMB's desk
officer for the Department of the Interior (DOI) at www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. From the www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain landing
page, find this information collection by selecting ``Currently under
[[Page 44833]]
Review--Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.
Please provide a copy of your comments by parcel delivery to the BOEM
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Anna Atkinson, Bureau of
Ocean Energy Management, 45600 Woodland Road, Sterling, Virginia 20166;
or by email to [email protected]. Please reference OMB Control
Number 1010-0151 in the subject line of your comments. You may also
comment by searching the docket number BOEM-2023-0004 at
www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anna Atkinson by email at
[email protected] or by telephone at 703-787-1025. Individuals in
the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a
speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access
telecommunications relay services. Individuals outside the United
States should use the relay services offered within their country to
make international calls to the point-of-contact in the United States.
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 its 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.
Title of Collection: ``30 CFR part 550, subpart B, Plans and
Information.''
Abstract: This ICR concerns the paperwork requirements in the
regulations under 30 CFR part 550, subpart B, ``Plans and
Information.''
The Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act, as amended (43 U.S.C.
1331 et seq.), authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to prescribe
regulations to administer leasing of mineral resources on the OCS. The
Secretary delegated that regulatory authority to BOEM. BOEM's
regulations apply to all operations conducted under a lease. The OCS
Lands Act and BOEM's implementing regulations require lessees to submit
exploration plans (EPs), development and production plans (DPPs), and
development operations coordination documents (DOCDs) to the Secretary
for approval prior to commencing certain activities. See 43 U.S.C. 1340
and 1351. On the Arctic OCS, lessees and operators are required to
develop an integrated operations plan (IOP) for each exploratory
program and to submit additional planning information with their EPs.
The BOEM regulations at 30 CFR part 550, subpart B, require lessees
to submit plans and information before conducting OCS activities under
a lease. Those information collections are the subject of this ICR.
BOEM geologists, geophysicists, and environmental scientists and
other Federal agencies (e.g., the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(USFWS), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)) analyze and evaluate
the information collected under subpart B. Their analyses ensure that
planned operations are safe, conserve OCS resources, and avoid undue
effects on the marine, coastal, or human environment. BOEM uses the
information to make an informed decision on whether to approve the
proposed EP, DPP, or DOCD as submitted, or require modifications. BOEM
also uses the information submitted by the lessees and operators (e.g.,
BOEM-0137, OCS Plan Information Form) to determine which mitigation
measures are necessary to minimize adverse impacts. Also, the affected
States may review the information collected to ensure consistency with
their coastal zone management plans.
BOEM also provides reports (typically annually) to NMFS and USFWS
to document compliance with the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and any
relevant biological opinions. These reports may include information on
the effectiveness of implemented terms and conditions and reasonable
and prudent measures, adverse impacts of activities, and any incidental
takes, in accordance with 50 CFR 402.14(i)(3).
NMFS' recent biological opinion titled ``Biological Opinion on the
Federally Regulated Oil and Gas Program Activities in the Gulf of
Mexico,'' (Consultation Number FPR-2017-9234) dated March 13, 2020, and
amended in 2021 (GOM BiOp), covers all activities associated with the
OCS oil and gas program in the Gulf of Mexico through approximately
March 2029. The GOM BiOp addresses the impacts to and incidental take
of ESA-listed species as a result of BOEM-authorized activities.
Compliance with the GOM BiOp's relevant terms, conditions, mitigation
measures, and protocols necessitates updates to the information that
lessees and operators must submit in the appendices to their plans.
Certain post-lease approvals (e.g., for activities involving new and
unusual technologies, equipment involving entanglement risks, and
certain geological and geophysical surveys) require step-down review
with NMFS and may require additional information to fully assess the
potential for impacts to protected species. A step-down review allows
for a more expedient and detailed assessment of effects on species
within the context of geographic area. The GOM BiOp modified reporting
requirements from the prior BiOp issued by NMFS; therefore, BOEM is
revising the estimated burdens identified in this ICR.
OMB Control Number: 1010-0151.
Form Number:
BOEM-0137--OCS Plan Information Form
BOEM-0138--EP Air Quality
BOEM-0139--DOCD/DPP--Air Quality
BOEM-0141--ROV Survey Report
BOEM-0142--Environmental Impact Analysis Worksheet
Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved information
collection.
Respondents/Affected Public: Potential respondents comprise Federal
OCS oil, gas, and sulfur lessees and operators.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 1,291 responses.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 286,144 hours.
Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion, semi-monthly, and varies by
section.
Total Estimated Annual Non-Hour Burden Cost: $3,688,524.
BOEM identified three non-hour costs associated with this
information collection. Those costs are fees that BOEM charges lessees
to review their planning documents, such as EPs ($4,348 fee for 95 EPs;
total $413,060 annually), DPPs or DOCDs ($5,017 fee for 180 DPPs and
DOCDs; total $903,060 annually), and conservation information documents
(CIDs) ($32,372 fee for 17 CIDs; total $550,324 annually).
Also, lessees incur a non-hour cost associated with the Protected
Species Observer Program. This cost totals $1,822,080 and covers
observation activities that are usually subcontracted to companies with
expertise in these areas.
Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden: The current OMB
Control Number 1010-0151 accounts for 436,438 annual burden hours,
4,266 responses, and $3,939,435 non-hour cost burdens. Based on several
revisions, BOEM estimates the burden for the renewal will be 286,144
annual burden hours with 1,291 responses, and $3,688,524 non-hour cost
burdens.
[[Page 44834]]
In calculating the information collection burdens, BOEM accounted
for decreases in the number of plans submitted annually and for the
changes resulting from the GOM BiOp. BOEM currently requires monthly
marine mammal observation and monitoring reports and a final report
within 90 days of the completion of a lessee's OCS survey, consistent
with GOM BiOp Appendix A, ``Seismic Survey Mitigation and Protected
Species Observer Protocols.'' The GOM BiOp requirements supersede
BOEM's Notice to Lessees and Operators 2016-G02, which had required two
reports each month. Therefore, BOEM estimates an overall decrease in
the burden related to these monitoring reports.
The GOM BiOp requires additional reporting if one or more
individuals from a protected species are observed within an enclosed
moon pool, which is an opening in the bottom of a marine platform,
drill ship, or vessel through which drilling is done. The operator must
report the observation within 24 hours and daily thereafter as long as
any individual from a protected species remains within the moon pool.
With this new requirement, BOEM estimates a slight increase in annual
reporting.
While the GOM BiOp increased certain reporting burdens for lessees
and operators in the Gulf of Mexico, the overall burdens are estimated
to decrease slightly due to the anticipated reduction in the number of
plans submitted to BOEM.
A Federal Register notice with a 60-day public comment period on
this proposed ICR was published on March 3, 2023 (88 FR 13459). BOEM
received one comment during the 60-day comment period, which was
supportive of the Federal Government's reporting and burden updates. No
burdens were changed in connection with the public comment.
BOEM is again soliciting comments on the proposed ICR. BOEM is
especially interested in public comments addressing the following
issues: (1) is the collection necessary to the proper functions of
BOEM; (2) what can BOEM do to ensure that this information is processed
and used in a timely manner; (3) is the burden estimate 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 submitted in response to this notice are a matter of
public record and will be available for public review on
www.reginfo.gov. BOEM will include or summarize each comment in its ICR
to OMB for approval of this information collection. You should be aware
that your entire comment--including your address, phone number, email
address, or other personally identifiable information included in your
comment--may be made publicly available at any time. Even if BOEM
withholds your information in the context of this ICR, your comment is
subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). If your submission is
requested under FOIA, your information will only be withheld if a
determination is made that one of the FOIA exemptions to disclosure
applies. Such a determination will be made in accordance with the
Department's FOIA regulations (43 CFR part 2) and applicable law.
In order for BOEM to consider withholding from disclosure your
personal identifying information, you must identify, in a cover letter,
any information contained in your comment that, if released, would
constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of your personal privacy. You
must also briefly describe any possible harmful consequences of the
disclosure of information, such as embarrassment, injury, or other
harm. Note that BOEM will make available for public inspection all
comments in their entirety (except for proprietary information
submitted by organizations and businesses, or by individuals
identifying themselves as representatives of organizations or
businesses).
BOEM protects proprietary information in accordance with FOIA (5
U.S.C. 552), the DOI's implementing regulations (43 CFR part 2), and 30
CFR part 550.
An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required
to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid
OMB control number.
The authority for this action is the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).
Karen Thundiyil,
Chief, Office of Regulations, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
[FR Doc. 2023-14822 Filed 7-12-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4340-98-P
