[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 172 (Tuesday, September 7, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54370-54372]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-22212]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement

[Docket No. MMS-2010-OMM-0029]


BOEMRE Information Collection Activity: 1010-0183, Information 
Requirements for Exploration Plans, Development and Production Plans, 
and Development Operations Coordination Documents on the OCS NTL, 
Extension of a Collection; Comment Request

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

ACTION: Notice of an extension of an information collection (1010-
0183).

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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 in a Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) for 
the regulations under 30 CFR 250, subpart B, ``Plans and Information.'' 
The collection was originally approved by OMB under an emergency 
request. This request extends the collection for 3 years.

DATES: Submit written comments by November 8, 2010.

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 and NTL that requires 
the subject collection of information.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods 
listed below.
    <bullet> Electronically: go to http://www.regulations.gov. In the 
entry titled ``Enter Keyword or ID,'' enter docket ID MMS-2010-OMM-0029 
then click search. Follow the instructions to submit public comments 
and view supporting and related materials available for this 
collection. The BOEMRE will post all comments.
    <bullet> E-mail: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#1e7d767b6c6772307c726b707a71705e73736d30797168"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e88b808d9a9184c68a849d868c8786a885859bc68f879e">[email protected]</span></a>. 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 1010-0183 in your comment and include your name and return address.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Information Requirements for Exploration Plans, Development 
and Production Plans, and Development Operations Coordination Documents 
on the OCS NTL.
    OMB Control Number: 1010-0183.
    Abstract: The Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act, as amended 
(43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq. and 43 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), authorizes the 
Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) to prescribe rules and 
regulations to administer leasing of the OCS. Such rules and 
regulations will apply to all operations conducted under a lease. 
Operations on the OCS must preserve, protect, and develop oil and 
natural gas resources in a manner that is consistent with the need to 
make such resources available to meet the Nation's energy needs as 
rapidly as possible; to balance orderly energy resource development 
with protection of human, marine, and coastal environments; to ensure 
the public a fair and equitable return on the resources of the OCS; 
preserve and maintain free enterprise competition; and ensure that the 
extent of oil and natural gas resources of the OCS is assessed at the 
earliest practicable time. Section 43 U.S.C. 1332(6) states that 
``operations in the outer Continental Shelf should be conducted in a 
safe manner by well-trained personnel using technology, precautions, 
and techniques sufficient to prevent or minimize the likelihood of 
blowouts, loss of well control, fires, spillages, physical obstruction 
to other users of the waters or subsoil and seabed, or other 
occurrences which may cause damage to the environment or to property, 
or endanger life or health.''
    To carry out these responsibilities, the Bureau of Ocean Energy 
Management,

[[Page 54371]]

Regulation, and Enforcement (BOEM) (formerly the Minerals Management 
Service) issues regulations to ensure that operations in the OCS will 
meet statutory requirements; provide for safety and protect the 
environment; and result in diligent exploration, development, and 
production of OCS leases. In addition, we also issue Notices to Lessees 
and Operators (NTLs) that provide clarification, explanation, and 
interpretation of our regulations. These NTLs are also used to convey 
purely informational material and to cover situations that might not be 
adequately addressed in our regulations. The latter is the case for the 
information collection required in the subject NTL. Because of the 
unusual nature of this information collection, issuing an NTL would be 
the appropriate means to collect the information at the time of the 
event.
    The subject of this information collection request (ICR) is an NTL 
based on the recommendations in the May 27, 2010, Report from the 
Secretary of the Interior to the President of the United States, 
Increased Safety Measures for Energy Development on the Outer 
Continental Shelf (Report). The BOEMRE issued this NTL for operators to 
comply with the requirements and recommendations of the report as a 
result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The 
primary information collection for this regulation is 30 CFR 250, 
Subpart B approved under the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
Control Number 1010-0151. However, in connection with this subpart, 
BOEMRE thinks that the burden hour requirements in the NTL are in 
addition to the currently approved paperwork burden under those 
requirements. We are renewing the collection for 3 years because 
information needs to be collected for a longer period than allowed by 
the emergency OMB request. Due to the duration of the spill, companies 
have diligently been working to stop and/or contain the flow of oil 
into the Gulf of Mexico and not all facilities are back to normal 
operations.
    As stated in the NTL, on April 20, 2010, an event of national 
significance that included the deaths of 11 people continues to harm 
the marine ecosystem, wildlife, and property along the Gulf Coast. 
Although the causes are still under investigation, these events 
highlight the importance of ensuring safe operations on the Outer 
Continental Shelf (OCS). The BOEMRE will use this information, as well 
as other information and analyses, to comprehensively assess what 
changes may be needed to BOEMRE program-wide requirements and to review 
the data submitted to analyze future activities under Exploration Plans 
(EPs), Development and Production Plans (DPPs), and Development 
Operations Coordination Documents (DOCDs).
    They will be proposing rulemaking that will increase the burden 
hours and require more specific information that lessees need to submit 
about their plans (Exploration Plans, Development and Production Plans, 
and Development Operations Coordination Documents) due to such a 
catastrophic event. This increase in burden hours, once approved, will 
allow BOEMRE to react to disasters more quickly and provide the public 
with needed information about the offshore energy infrastructure.
    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), 30 CFR 250.197, Data and 
information to be made available to the public or for limited 
inspection, and 30 CFR 252, OCS Oil and Gas Information Program. No 
items of a sensitive nature are collected. Responses are mandatory.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Description of Respondents: Potential respondents comprise Federal 
oil, gas, or sulphur lessees and/or operators.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden: The currently 
approved annual reporting burden for this collection is 7,755 hours. 
There are approximately 517 responses from the lessees and operators 
that will need to submit revised/updated Exploration Plans, Development 
and Production Plans, and Development Operations Coordination 
Documents. 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.
    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 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 paperwork 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 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.


[[Page 54372]]


    Dated: August 30, 2010.
Doug Slitor,
Acting Chief, Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs.
[FR Doc. 2010-22212 Filed 9-3-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P


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