Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 144 /Tuesday, July 28, 1998 / Notices 40309

willingness to pay for environmental

resource protection. This new approach

is expected to cut the cost of CVA

studies to one-third the present cost.

With these improvements, MMS should

be able to complete its 5-year costbenefit analysis using methodology

acceptable to a majority of the

economics profession.

Frequency: This is a one-time

voluntary survey.

Estimated number and description of

respondents and reporting and

recordkeeping ‘‘hour’’ burden:

Approximately 1,200 American adults

will be asked four questions, averaging

about 5 minutes per respondent. There

is no recordkeeping burden.

Estimated reporting and

recordkeeping ‘‘cost’’ burden: This is a

one time survey with no cost burden on

the respondents to provide this

collection of information.

Comments: Section 3506 (c)(2)(A) of

the Paperwork Reduction Act 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.

Send your comments directly to the

offices listed under the addresses

section of this notice. The OMB has up

to 60 days to approve or disapprove the

information collection but may respond

after 30 days. Therefore, to ensure

maximum consideration, OMB should

receive public comments by August 27,

1998.

MMS Information Collection

Clearance Officer: Jo Ann Lauterbach,

(202) 208–7744.

Dated: June 17, 1998.

E. P. Danenberger,

Chief, Engineering and Operations Division.

[FR Doc. 98–20047 Filed 7–27–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service

Agency Information Collection

Activities: Submission for Office of

Management and Budget Review;

Comment Request

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service

(MMS), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of a new information

collection.

SUMMARY: As required by the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995 (Act), the

Department of the Interior has

submitted the new collection of

information discussed below to the

Office of Management and Budget

(OMB) for approval. The Act provides

that 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.

DATES: Submit written comments by

August 27, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments and

suggestions directly to the Office of

Information and Regulatory Affairs,

OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for the

Department of the Interior (1010-NEW),

725 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC

20503. Send a copy of your comments

to the Minerals Management Service,

Attention: Rules Processing Team, Mail

Stop 4024, 381 Elden Street, Herndon,

Virginia 20170–4817.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Alexis London, Engineering and

Operations Division, Minerals

Management Service, telephone (703)

787–1600. You may obtain copies of the

supporting statement and collection of

information by contacting MMS’s

Information Collection Clearance Officer

at (202) 208–7744.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Survey—Recreational Usage of

Oil and Gas Rigs by Fishermen and

Divers.

Abstract: The Outer Continental Shelf

(OCS) Lands Act (at U.S.C. 1346,

Environmental Studies), instructs the

Secretary of the Interior, subsequent to

the leasing and developing of any area

or region, to conduct additional studies

to establish environmental information

as he deems necessary and to monitor

the human, marine, and coastal

environments of such area or region in

a manner designed to provide timeseries and data trend information which

can be used for comparison with

previously collected data for the

purpose of identifying any significant

changes in the quality and productivity

of such environments, for establishing

trends in the areas studied and

monitored, and for designing

experiments to identify the causes of

such changes.

Biological studies have shown that

there are between 20 and 50 times more

fish found under and near oil platforms

than in nearby soft bottom areas of the

Gulf of Mexico. Therefore, in order to

make decisions regarding the

conversion of existing rigs to artificial

reefs, MMS needs statistically accurate

information on the extent to which oil

and gas structures are used by

recreational fishers and divers and the

economic impact of the continued

availability of these structures on local

communities.

A data collection survey is being

proposed to obtain statistically reliable

estimates of the level of fishing and

diving activity at oil and gas structures

in the Gulf of Mexico from Alabama

through Texas and to determine the

levels of economic activity associated

with this fishing and diving.

Frequency: This is a one time survey.

Data collection will occur over a one

year period (January 1, 1999—December

31, 1999).

Estimated number and description of

respondents and reporting and

recordkeeping ‘‘hour’’ burden: The

estimated reporting hour burden is

shown in parenthesis for each type of

respondent in the following list. There

is no recordkeeping burden.

Dockside field interviews with 6,513

private boat fishermen (individuals who

are fishing either from a boat that they

own or rent) from Alabama through

Texas (10 mins.).

Dockside field interviews with 1,331

charter boat fishermen from Alabama

through Texas, including fishermen

who ‘‘lease’’ an entire boat for usually

a 1⁄2-day or a full-day fishing trip. The

charter boat is normally licensed to

carry 6 or less people (10 minutes).

Dockside field interviews with 400

party boat fishermen from Alabama

through Texas. Party boats usually take

out more than six people for a fee and

the group consists of individual

fishermen buying a single spot, not

leasing the entire boat (10 minutes).

Dockside field interviews with 200

divers from Alabama through Texas,

including snorkelers as well as

individuals wearing self contained

breathing apparatus who may be spear

fishing or swimming (10 minutes).

Telephone follow-up interviews with

3,255 private boat anglers (20.6

minutes), 920 charter boat anglers and

280 party boat anglers (12.3 minutes),

and 200 divers (20.2 minutes).

Telephone survey of 200 charter boat

operators from Alabama through Texas.
40310 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 144 /Tuesday, July 28, 1998 / Notices

Boat operators are the individuals

captaining the vessel (6.2 minutes).

Telephone interviews with 50 party

boat operators from Alabama through

Texas (6.2 minutes).

Telephone interviews with 50 dive

shop or diving guide service providers

from Alabama through Texas (2

minutes).

Estimated reporting and

recordkeeping ‘‘cost’’ burden: This is a

one time survey with no cost burden on

the respondents to provide this

collection of information.

Comments: Section 3506 (c)(2)(A) of

the Paperwork Reduction Act 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.

Send your comments directly to the

offices listed under the addresses

section of this notice. The OMB has up

to 60 days to approve or disapprove the

information collection but may respond

after 30 days. Therefore, to ensure

maximum consideration, OMB should

receive public comments by August 27,

1998.

MMS Information Collection

Clearance Officer: Jo Ann Lauterbach,

(202) 208–7744.

Dated: June 17, 1998.

E. P. Danenberger,

Chief, Engineering and Operations Division.

[FR Doc. 98–20048 Filed 7–27–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service

Agency Information Collection

Activities: Submission for Office of

Management and Budget Review;

Comment Request

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service

(MMS), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of extension of a

currently approved information

collection (OMB Control Number 1010–

0018).

SUMMARY: As required by the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the

Department of the Interior has

submitted the collection of information

discussed below to the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) for

approval. The Act provides that 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.

DATES: Submit written comments by

August 27, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments and

suggestions directly to the Office of

Information and Regulatory Affairs,

OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for the

Department of the Interior (1010–0018),

725 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC

20503. Send a copy of your comments

to the Minerals Management Service,

Attention: Rules Processing Team, Mail

Stop 4024, 381 Elden Street, Herndon,

Virginia 20170–4817.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Alexis London, Engineering and

Operations Division, Minerals

Management Service, telephone (703)

787–1600. You may obtain copies of the

supporting statement and collection of

information by contacting MMS’s

Information Collection Clearance Officer

at (202) 208–7744.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title and Form Number: Form MMS–

127, Request for Maximum Efficient

Rate (MER).

Abstract: The Outer Continental Shelf

(OCS) Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1331 et

seq.), as amended, requires the Secretary

of the Interior to preserve, protect, and

develop oil and gas resources in the

OCS; make such resources available to

meet the Nation’s energy needs as

rapidly as possible; balance orderly

energy resource development with

protection of the human, marine, and

coastal environment; ensure the public

a fair and equitable return on the

resources offshore; and preserve and

maintain free enterprise competition. To

carry out these responsibilities, MMS

has issued regulations at 30 CFR part

250. Subpart K, Oil and Gas Production

Rates, requires respondents to complete

Form MMS–127 to submit reservoir data

on production.

The MMS uses the information

collected by Form MMS–127 to analyze

and evaluate reservoir characteristics

and parameters and to classify the

reservoir as sensitive. The MMS also

uses the information for reservoir

development studies, well production

reviews, production allocation checks,

and reserves calculations for bonding

and leasing activities. The MMS will

protect proprietary information

submitted on Form MMS–127 under 30

CFR 250.118, Data and information to be

made available to the public. No items

of a sensitive nature are collected. The

requirement to respond is mandatory.

Estimated Number and Description of

Respondents: There are approximately

130 Federal OCS oil and gas or sulphur

lessees.

Frequency: Annual or on occasion.

Estimated Annual Reporting and

Recordkeeping ‘‘Hour’’ Burden: There

are 900 burden hours currently

approved for this collection. The

reporting burden is estimated to average

1 hour per response, including the time

for reviewing the instructions, gathering

and maintaining the data, and

completing and reviewing the form.

There are no recordkeeping

requirements.

Estimated Annual Reporting and

Recordkeeping ‘‘Cost’’ Burden: None.

Comments: Section 3506 (c)(2)(A) of

the Paperwork Reduction Act 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.

Send your comments directly to the

offices listed under the addresses

section of this notice. The OMB has up

to 60 days to approve or disapprove the

information collection but may respond

after 30 days. Therefore, to ensure

maximum consideration, OMB should

receive public comments by August 27,

1998.

MMS Information Collection

Clearance Officer: Jo Ann Lauterbach,

(202) 208–7744.

Dated: July 1, 1998.

Williams S. Cook,

Acting Chief, Engineering and Operations

Division.

[FR Doc. 98–20140 Filed 7–27–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P