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[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 73 (Friday, April 15, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21393-21395]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-9197]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement

[Docket ID No. BOEM-2011-0017]

Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement 
(BOEMRE), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of an extension of an information collection (1010-
0082).

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SUMMARY: To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 
BOEMRE is inviting comments on a collection of information that we will 
submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and 
approval. The information collection request (ICR) concerns the 
paperwork requirements related to leasing for minerals other than oil, 
gas and sulphur in the Outer Continental Shelf.

DATES: Submit written comments by June 14, 2011.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cheryl Blundon, Regulations and 
Standards Branch at (703) 787-1607. You may also contact Cheryl Blundon 
to obtain a copy, at no cost, of the regulation that requires the 
subject collection of information.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods 
listed below.
     Electronically: go to http://www.regulations.gov. In the 
entry titled ``Enter Keyword or ID,'' enter BOEM-2011-0017 then click 
search. Follow the instructions to submit public comments and view 
supporting and related materials available for this collection. BOEMRE 
will post all comments.
     E-mail cheryl.blundon@boemre.gov. Mail or hand-carry 
comments to the Department of the Interior; Bureau of Ocean Energy 
Management, Regulation and Enforcement; Attention: Cheryl Blundon; 381 
Elden Street, MS-4024; Herndon, Virginia 20170-4817. Please reference 
ICR 1010-0082 in your comment and include your name and return address.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: 30 CFR 281, Leasing for Minerals Other than Oil, Gas, and 
Sulphur in the Outer Continental Shelf.
    OMB Control Number: 1010-0082.
    Abstract: Section 8(k) of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands 
Act, as amended (43 U.S.C. 1337), authorizes the Secretary of the 
Interior (Secretary) to grant to the qualified persons offering the 
highest cash bonuses on a basis of competitive bidding leases of any 
mineral other than oil, gas, and sulphur. This applies to any area of 
the Outer Continental Shelf not then under lease for such mineral upon 
such royalty, rental, and other terms and conditions as the Secretary 
may prescribe at the time of offering the area for lease. The Secretary 
is to administer the leasing provisions of the Act and prescribe the 
rule and regulations necessary to carry out those provisions.
    Regulations at 30 CFR 281 implement these statutory requirements. 
The regulations at 30 CFR 281 concern leasing activities of minerals 
other than oil, gas or sulphur and are the subject of this collection.
    BOEMRE uses the information required by 30 CFR 281 to determine if 
statutory requirements are met prior to the issuance of a lease. 
Specifically, BOEMRE uses the information to:
     Evaluate the area and minerals requested by the lessee to 
assess the viability of offering leases for sale.
     Allow the State(s) to initiate the establishment of a 
joint group.
     Ensure excessive overriding royalty interests are not 
created that would put economic constraints on all parties involved.
     Document that a leasehold or geographical subdivision has 
been surrendered by the record title holder.
    We protect proprietary information according to the Freedom of 
Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) and its implementing regulations (43 CFR 
2), and 30 CFR parts 280 and 282. No items of a sensitive nature are 
collected. Responses are mandatory.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Description of Respondents: As there are no active respondents, we 
estimate the potential annual number of respondents to be one. 
Potential respondents are OCS lease requestors, state governments, and 
OCS lessees.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden: The currently 
approved annual reporting burden for this collection is 1,248 hours. 
The following chart details the individual components and respective 
hour burden estimates of this ICR. In calculating the burdens, we 
assumed that respondents perform certain requirements in the normal 
course of their activities. We consider these to be usual and customary 
and took that into account in estimating the burden.

[[Page 21394]]

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                                                                                      Hour burden
         Citation 30 CFR 281                  Reporting and/or       -------------------------------------------
                                         recordkeeping requirement               Non-hour cost burden
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                                               Subpart A--General
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6....................................  Appeal decisions.............  Exempt under 5 CFR 1320.4(a)(2), (c).
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                                          Subpart B--Leasing Procedures
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11(a), (c)...........................  Request approval for mineral   60.
                                        lease with relevant
                                        information.
All sections.........................  Submit response to Call for    120.
                                        Information and Interest on
                                        areas for leasing of
                                        minerals (other than oil,
                                        gas, sulphur) in accordance
                                        with approved lease program,
                                        including information from
                                        States/local governments.
13...................................  States or local governments    200.
                                        submit comments/
                                        recommendations on planning,
                                        coordination, consultation,
                                        and other issues that may
                                        contribute to the leasing
                                        process.
All sections.........................  Submit suggestions and         160.
                                        relevant information in
                                        response to request for
                                        comments on proposed lease
                                        including information form
                                        States/local governments.
18(a), (b), (c); 20(e), (f); 26(a),    Submit bids (oral or sealed)   250.
 (b).                                   and required information.
18(c); 20(e), (f)....................  Tie bids--submit oral bids     20.
                                        for highest bidder.
20(a), (b), (c); 41(a)...............  Establish a Company File for   58.
                                        qualification; submit
                                        updated information, submit
                                        qualifications for lessee/
                                        bidder.
21(a); 47(c).........................  Request for reconsideration    0.
                                        of bid rejection/
                                        cancellation. Not considered
                                        information collection as
                                        defined under 5 CFR
                                        1320.3(h)(9).
21(b), (e); 23; 26; 40(b); 41(b).....  Execute lease (includes        100.
                                        submission of evidence of
                                        authorized agent and request
                                        for dating of leases);
                                        maintain auditable records
                                        re 30 CFR Chapter II,
                                        Subchapter A--[burden under
                                        ONRR requirements].
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                                       Subpart C--Financial Considerations
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
31(b); 41............................  File application and required  160.
                                        information for assignment    $50 required or non-required filing
                                        or transfer for approval..     document fee.
32(b), (c)...........................  File application for waiver,   80.
                                        suspension, or reduction and
                                        supporting documentation.
33; 41(c)............................  Submit surety or personal      Burden covered under 1010-0081.
                                        bond.
                                        Subpart E--Termination of Leases
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
46(a)................................  File written request for       40.
                                        relinquishment..
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'' Burden: We 
have identified one non-hour cost burden for this collection, a $50 
required or non-required filing document fee under Sec.  281.41. We 
have not identified any other non-hour paperwork cost burdens 
associated with this collection of information.
    Public Disclosure Statement: The PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.) 
provides that an agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of 
information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. 
Until OMB approves a collection of information, you are not obligated 
to respond.
    Comments: Before submitting an ICR to OMB, PRA section 
3506(c)(2)(A) requires each agency ``* * * to provide notice * * * and 
otherwise consult with members of the public and affected agencies 
concerning each proposed collection of information * * *''. Agencies 
must specifically solicit comments to: (a) Evaluate whether the 
proposed collection of information is necessary for the agency to 
perform its duties, including whether the information is useful; (b) 
evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information; (c) enhance the quality, 
usefulness, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) 
minimize the burden on the respondents, including the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Agencies must also estimate the non-hour cost burdens to 
respondents or recordkeepers resulting from the collection of 
information. Therefore, if you have costs to generate, maintain, and 
disclose this information, you should comment and provide your total 
capital and startup cost components or annual operation, maintenance, 
and purchase of service components. You should describe the methods you 
use to estimate major cost factors, including system and technology 
acquisition, expected useful life of capital equipment, discount 
rate(s), and the period over which you incur costs. Capital and startup 
costs include, among other items, computers and software you purchase 
to prepare for collecting information, monitoring, and record storage 
facilities. You should not include estimates for equipment or services 
purchased: (i) Before October 1, 1995; (ii) to comply with requirements 
not associated with the information collection; (iii) for reasons other 
than to provide information or keep records for the Government; or (iv) 
as part of customary and usual business or private practices.
    We will summarize written responses to this notice and address them 
in our submission for OMB approval. As a result of your comments, we 
will make any necessary adjustments to the burden in our submission to 
OMB.
    Public Comment Procedures: Before including your address, phone 
number, email address, or other personal identifying information in 
your comment, you should be aware that

[[Page 21395]]

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.
    BOEMRE Information Collection Clearance Officer: Arlene Bajusz 
(703) 787-1025.

    Dated: April 7, 2011.
Sharon Buffington,
Acting Chief, Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs.
[FR Doc. 2011-9197 Filed 4-14-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P
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