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[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 192 (Thursday, October 3, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61381-61383]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-24248]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

[OMB Control Number 1010-0187]; [MMAA104000]

Information Collection; Proposed Collection for OMB Review; 
Comment Request: Project Planning for the Use of Outer Continental 
Shelf Sand, Gravel, and Shell Resources in Construction Projects That 
Qualify for a Negotiated Noncompetitive Agreement

ACTION: 60-day notice.

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SUMMARY: To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the 
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is inviting comments on a 
renewal of 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 that respondents will submit to BOEM to obtain Outer 
Continental Shelf (OCS) sand, gravel, and shell resources for use in 
shore protection, beach and coastal restoration and other authorized 
projects, which qualify for a noncompetitive negotiated agreement.

DATES: Submit written comments by December 2, 2013.

[[Page 61382]]

ADDRESSES: Please send your comments on this ICR to the BOEM 
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Arlene Bajusz, Bureau of 
Ocean Energy Management, 381 Elden Street, HM-3127, Herndon, Virginia 
20170 (mail); or arlene.bajusz@boem.gov (email); or 703-787-1209 (fax). 
Please reference ICR 1010-0187 in your comment and include your name 
and return address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To obtain information pertaining to 
this notice and/or the Marine Minerals Program, contact the Program at 
(703) 787-1215. For a copy of the ICR, contact Arlene Bajusz under 
ADDRESSES.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    OMB Control Number: 1010-0187.
    Title: Project Planning for the Use of Outer Continental Shelf 
Sand, Gravel, and Shell Resources in Construction Projects that Qualify 
for a Negotiated Noncompetitive Agreement.
    Abstract: Under the authority delegated by the Secretary of the 
Interior, BOEM is authorized, pursuant to section 8(k)(2) of the OCS 
Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1337(k)(2)), to convey rights to OCS sand, gravel, 
and shell resources by noncompetitive negotiated agreement (NNA) for 
use in shore protection and beach and coastal restoration, or for use 
in construction projects funded in whole or part by, or authorized by, 
the Federal Government.

Background

    Since 1994, 39 shore protection or beach and coastal restoration 
projects have been completed using OCS sand resources, conveying more 
than 75 million cubic yards of OCS material and restoring more than 225 
miles of shoreline. Recently, the program has seen an increase in 
demand for OCS resources due to the decreasing availability of sand 
sources located in State waters and an increase in coastal storm 
intensity, duration, and frequency. In order for BOEM to continue to 
meet the needs of local, State and regional entities, information 
regarding upcoming projects must be acquired to plan for future 
projects and anticipated workload. Therefore, BOEM will issue calls for 
information about needed resources and locations from interested 
parties to develop and maintain a project schedule. This ICR addresses 
the information needed from States, local governments, Federal 
agencies, environmental and other interest organizations, and all other 
interested parties to update and maintain the project schedule. It 
includes the potential for an annual call for information and the 
potential for a call in response to an emergency declaration, such as a 
tropical storm.
    BOEM's calls for information (e.g., letters or Federal Register 
notices) will request interested parties to submit, in writing or 
electronically, a description of their proposed projects for which OCS 
resources will be used. The description must include the offshore 
borrow sites if known; the estimated date of construction; a short 
description of current project funding; the name of a primary point of 
contact with that person's mailing address, telephone number, and email 
address; as well as any additional information concerning the status of 
the project that would be useful to BOEM. This information may include 
detailed maps; geospatial data and coordinates of desired sand 
resources and sites that would be nourished; a description of the 
environmental documents that have been completed to date concerning any 
portion of the project; a cited reference list; status of geological 
and geophysical permit (if required); information concerning known or 
suspected archaeological or historic artifacts; interpretations of 
geology and extent of sand areas; known volumes of sand resource site; 
historical data related to the proposed borrow or placement area; and a 
description of the status of Federal, State, and/or local permits 
required for the project.
    In order to meet the needs of the States under the current BOEM 
staff and funding resources, BOEM may request the relevant States to 
prioritize their own projects based on several criteria including 
likelihood of project funding and progress of environmental work.
    The information provided by States will help BOEM determine 
appropriate future resource allocation, identify potential conflicts of 
use, conduct environmental analyses, develop NNAs, and meet all 
necessary environmental and legal requirements. With this renewal, we 
are also including a provision for a call in response to emergency 
declarations, such as a tropical storm. Hurricane Sandy demonstrated 
BOEM's need for accurate and timely information following a natural 
disaster declaration. Therefore, we are increasing the estimated hour 
burden for this collection.
    We will protect information from respondents considered proprietary 
under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) and its 
implementing regulations (43 CFR part 2). No items of a sensitive 
nature are collected. Responses are required to obtain or retain 
benefits.
    Frequency: Annually and on occasion.
    Description of Respondents: Potential respondents comprise States, 
counties, localities and tribes.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden: We are 
estimating that the annual reporting burden for this collection is 
about 200 hours, assuming an emergency declaration is made each year.
    Individual Entity Compilation: 25 entities x 1 hour/entity x 2 
responses/year = 50 hours; Individual State Compilation: 15 States x 5 
hours/State x 2 responses/year = 150 hours (50 county hours + 150 State 
hours = 200 total burden hours).
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Non-Hour Cost Burden: We have 
identified no non-hour paperwork cost burdens for this collection.
    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 on: (a) Whether or not the 
collection of information is necessary, including whether or not the 
information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the burden 
estimates; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden on 
respondents.
    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 costs or annual operation, maintenance, and 
purchase of service costs. 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: (a) Before October 1, 1995; (b) to comply with requirements 
not associated with the information collection; (c) for reasons other 
than to provide information or keep records for

[[Page 61383]]

the Government; or (d) 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 Availability of Comments: 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.

    Dated: September 26, 2013.
Deanna Meyer-Pietruszka,
Chief, Office of Policy, Regulations, and Analysis.
[FR Doc. 2013-24248 Filed 10-2-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P
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