31548 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 120 / Thursday, June 20, 1996 / Notices

There are no other known cost

burdens to the respondents.

Type of Request: Extension of

currently approved collection.

OMB Number: 1010–0079.

Form Number: N/A.

Comments: The MMS will summarize

written responses to this notice and

address them in its submission for OMB

approval.

All comments will become a matter of

public record.

(1) The MMS specifically solicits

comments on the following questions:

(a) Is the proposed collection of

information necessary for the proper

performance of MMS’s functions, and

will it be useful?

(b) Are the estimates of the burden

hours of the proposed collection

reasonable?

(c) Do you have any suggestions that

would enhance the quality, clarity, or

usefulness of the information to be

collected?

(d) Is there a way to minimize the

information collection burden on those

who are to respond, including through

the use of appropriate automated

electronic, mechanical, or other forms of

information technology?

(2) In addition, the PRA requires

agencies to estimate the total annual

cost burden to respondents or

recordkeepers resulting from the

collection of information. The MMS

needs your comments on this item. Your

response should split the cost estimate

into two components:

(a) Total Capital and startup cost

component and

(b) Annual operation, maintenance, and

purchase of services component.

Your estimates should consider the

costs to generate, maintain, and disclose

or provide the information. 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

collection information; monitoring,

sampling, drilling, and testing

equipment; and record storage facilities.

Generally, your estimates should not

include equipment or services

purchased: (1) before October 1, 1995;

(2) to comply with requirements not

association with the information

collection; (3) for reasons other than to

provide information or keep records for

the Government; or (4) as part of

customary and usual business or private

practices.

Bureau Clearance Officer: Carole A.

deWitt, (703) 787–1242.

Dated: June 13, 1996.

Henry G. Bartholomew,

Deputy Associate Director for Operations and

Safety Management.

[FR Doc. 96–15746 Filed 6–19–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–MR–M

Using Third Parties to Certify Training

Programs for Lessee and Contractor

Employees Working in Outer

Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil, Gas, and

Sulfur Operations

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service

(MMS), Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The MMS requires certain

people who work on the OCS to

complete training programs certified by

MMS. The MMS is considering having

one or more third parties administer the

training program certification process

and has proposed a revision of MMS

regulations to provide for this. The

MMS, while not yet looking for third

parties, invites questions on or

comments about the role a third party

might play in training program

certification, should a decision be made

to use them.

DATES: The public is invited to comment

on this notice. The MMS will consider

all comments we receive by July 22,

1996.

ADDRESSES: You may mail or hand-carry

your written comments on this notice to

the Department of the Interior; Minerals

Management Service, Mail Stop 4810;

381 Elden Street; Herndon, Virginia

22070–4817; Attention: Chief,

Information and Training Branch.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Joseph Levine, Chief, Information and

Training Branch, telephone (703) 787–

1033 or fax (703) 787–1575.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The MMS

has two principal objectives for using

third parties—

• improving workplace safety, worker

training, and preventing pollution

through the innovation third parties

could bring by serving as ‘‘think tanks’’

for improved training; and

• reducing government costs by

shifting them to the regulated industry.

The MMS has included a provision

allowing the use of third parties in the

proposed revisions (Federal Register,

vol. 60, p. 55683, 11/2/95) to its OCS

worker training regulations (30 CFR 250,

Subpart O, Training). The MMS

decision to use third parties depends, in

part, on whether MMS can identify and

secure one or more suitable third

parties. When released, the final rule

will reflect whether MMS believes it

will be able to do this. If MMS decides

not to use third parties to do

certification work, it would continue its

role as certifier, and it might begin to

recover costs from organizations seeking

training program certification. This

would not provide all the benefits of

using a third party, but it would shift

certification costs away from MMS.

Current Program

Certain OCS oil and gas workers must

pass job-specific training as required by

the Subpart O regulations. The

organization that provides the training

gives each worker who passes it an

MMS training certificate. Workers must

be re-certified from time to time through

additional training. The training

organization provides MMS with

information on worker certification

within 30 days after a worker

successfully completes training. The

MMS monitors worker training and

certification in a database. Each year

MMS must update about 20 percent of

the database’s approximate 40,000

records.

A training organization that teaches

Subpart O training must have its

programs reviewed periodically by

MMS to determine whether they meet

all regulatory requirements. If they do,

MMS certifies the training programs

conditionally, pending a successful

onsite evaluation by MMS. Certification

to teach a Subpart O training program is

valid for 4 years. A training organization

may request a 4-year renewal of a

certified program at any time expect

during the last 90 days of the initial

certification period. The MMS treats a

renewal application the same as it does

an application for a new program.

There are about 60 training

organizations teaching MMS-approved

programs in drilling, well-completion,

well-workover, and well-servicing well

control operations. The MMS processes

an average of 15 requests for training

program certification or re-certification

each year.

The MMS conducts unannounced

training site evaluations on 10 percent

of all certified training programs each

year. These evaluations, which follow

standard procedures (i.e., appropriate

entrance and exit interviews with

students, instructors, and administrative

staff, and good record checking) ensure

that organization—

• adhere to their approved training

plans and technical manuals; and

• maintain a proper learning

atmosphere with regard to classroom

instruction, hands-on instruction, and

testing.
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 120 / Thursday, June 20, 1996 / Notices 31549

The MMS also conducts

unannounced audits on 25 percent of all

certified training programs each year.

These audits emphasize program record

maintenance, classroom layout and

function, and classroom or hands-on

instruction. Finally, MMS tests students

at the training site on a random basis to

verify that they understand the

curriculum.

Duties of a Third Party

If adopted, third parties would

continue much of what MMS does

under the current program. They would

also report periodically to MMS on their

activities. These reports would include

any significant certification or

monitoring issues, ideas for improving

training programs and techniques, and

recommendations for enhancing worker

safety and protecting the environment.

Some specifics may include—

• reporting to MMS on the certified

training programs and the associated

training organizations;

• evaluating and reporting to the

MMS the relationships between training

program requirements and incidents

that occur at offshore facilities (e.g.,

analyses of offshore operators’ ‘‘nearmiss’’ and well ‘‘kick’’ data and well

blowout prevention equipment); and

• recommending changes to the

certification process or MMS training

program requirements.

Qualifications of a Third Party

The MMS will consider several

factors in choosing a third party.

Certification fee structure. MMS

would not pay third parties to do

certification work. Instead, third parties

would charge training organizations a

service fee. The MMS would determine

whether a fee is reasonable and

equitable.

Certifier’s credentials. Third parties

should have knowledge of and practical

experience with oil and gas drilling,

well-completion, well-workover, wellsupervising, and/or production

activities. They also should be

experienced at assessing teaching

credentials and curricula. Training

programs may include traditional

instructor/classroom training as well as

other training techniques (e.g., teambased or computer-based).

Reliability and responsiveness. Third

parties would have to dedicate

sufficient staff and resources to handle

anticipated workloads; demonstrate that

they can process certification requests

competently and promptly; and install a

system to maintain complete, up-todate, and accessible records.

Objectively. To avoid conflicts of

interest, third parties could not consider

certification requests from training

organizations in which either the third

party or the organization held a

financial or business interest in the

other. Third parties would honor

certification requests from any other

training organization. The MMS would

expect third parties to develop a process

for objectively reviewing training

organization appeals.

Training program assessment

capabilities. Third parties would have

to demonstrate they can assess training

program performance. While MMS

would not insist that third parties use

the current monitoring techniques,

MMS would expect a comparable

program to be in place. Also, third

parties would have to emphasize ‘‘afterthe-school’’ workforce performance

appraisals. In particular, MMS is

interested in methods that assess

knowledge retention, and how the

training is applied in the workplace.

Third parties would provide MMS with

feedback on worker training

improvements.

MMS oversight. Third parties would

assist MMS in its oversight role by

helping investigate complaints about

certification determinations and

cooperating in MMS audits. The MMS

also would expect third parties to grant

MMS ex officio status on any of its

governing boards or executive/

management committees. Third parties

would consult with the MMS on

concerns over whether a proposed

program meets MMS requirements. This

might be important when third parties

have to certify programs that involve

new, unusual, or alternative techniques.

Dated: June 10, 1996.

Thomas A. Readinger,

Acting Associate Director for Offshore

Mineral Management.

[FR Doc. 96–15554 Filed 6–19–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–MR–M

National Park Service

Dayton Aviation Heritage Commission

Meeting

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: This notice sets the schedule

for the forthcoming meeting of the

Dayton Aviation Heritage Commission.

Notice of this meeting is required under

the Federal Advisory Committee Act

(Public Law 92–463).

MEETING DATE, TIME, AND

ADDRESS: Monday, July 22, 1996; 2 to 4

p.m., Innerwest Priority Board

conference room, 1024 West Third

Street, Dayton, Ohio 45407.

AGENDA: This business meeting will be

open to the public. Space and facilities

to accommodate members of the public

are limited and persons accommodated

on a first-come, first-served basis. The

Chairman will permit attendees to

address the Commission, but may

restrict the length of presentations. An

agenda will be available from the

Superintendent, Dayton Aviation, 1

week prior to the meeting.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

William Gibson, Superintendent,

Dayton Aviation, National Park Service,

P.O. Box 9280, Wright Brothers Station,

Dayton, Ohio 45409, or telephone 513–

225–7705.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Dayton Aviation Heritage Commission

was established by Public Law 102–419,

October 16, 1992.

Dated: June 5, 1996.

William W. Schenk,

Field Director, Midwest Field Area.

[FR Doc. 96–15716 Filed 6–19–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–70–P

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Office of Community Oriented Policing

Services; FY 1996 Community Policing

Discretionary Grants

AGENCY: Office of Community Oriented

Policing Services, Department of Justice.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

SUMMARY: The Department of Justice,

Office of Community Oriented Policing

Services (‘‘COPS’’) announces the

availability of grants to hire and/or

rehire additional sworn law

enforcement officers to engage in

community policing. The COPS

Universal Hiring Program permits

interested agencies to supplement their

current sworn forces or jurisdictions to

establish a policing agency. Eligible

applicants include State, local, and

Indian policing agencies, jurisdictions

seeking to establish a new policing

agency and other agencies serving

specialized jurisdictions, such as transit,

housing, college, school, or natural

resources.

DATES: COPS Universal Hiring Program

Application Kits will be available in

mid-June 1996. There will be three

application deadlines for the Universal

Hiring Program: July 15, 1996, for

Round 1; August 15, 1996, for Round 2;

and September 15, 1996, for Round 3.

Applications not funded in Rounds 1

and 2 will be carried over to subsequent

rounds.

ADDRESSES: COPS Universal Hiring

Program Application Kits will be mailed