[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 201 (Tuesday, October 19, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64348-64349]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-26296]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement

[Docket No. BOEM-2010-0052]


BOEMRE Information Collection Activity: 1010-0182, Increased 
Safety Measures for Energy Development 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-
0182).

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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 Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) ``No. 
2010-N05, Increased Safety Measures for Energy Development on the 
OCS.''

DATES: Submit written comments by December 20, 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 NTL No. 2010-N05 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 BOEM-2010-0052 
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.
    <bullet> E-mail <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#9bf8f3fee9e2f7b5f9f7eef5fff4f5dbf9f4fef6e9feb5fcf4ed"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="02616a67707b6e2c606e776c666d6c42606d676f70672c656d74">[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 1010-0182 in your comment and include your name and return address.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Increased Safety Measures for Energy Development on the OCS, 
NTL No. 2010-N05.
    OMB Control Number: 1010-0182.
    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 manage the mineral resources of the OCS. Such rules and 
regulations will apply to all operations conducted under a lease, 
right-of-use and easement, and pipeline right-of-way. 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. 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, BOEMRE 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 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 NTL. Because of the unusual 
nature of this information collection, issuing an NTL is the 
appropriate means to collect the information at the time of the event.
    The subject of this 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). BOEMRE issued NTLs 
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. This collection pertains to one NTL, covered under the 
regulations at 30 CFR part 250, subparts, A, D, E, and F. The primary 
information collections for these regulations are approved under the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Control Numbers 1010-0114, 1010-
0141, 1010- 0067, and 1010-0043, respectively. However, BOEMRE believes 
that the paperwork burdens in the NTL are in addition to those 
currently approved. Only one of the requirements in the NTL has not yet 
been fully met; therefore, we are renewing that requirement in this 
collection to allow operators and/or lessees more response time than 
allowed by the original emergency OMB request.
    BOEMRE issued this NTL for lessees and operators to comply with the 
requirements and recommendations of

[[Page 64349]]

the report as a result of the Deepwater Horizon accident and subsequent 
oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. These events highlight the importance 
of ensuring safe operations on the OCS.
    The information to be collected is necessary for BOEMRE to assess 
safety equipment; ensure the OCS is managed in a safe manner that 
includes considering available environmental information and 
implementing best available and safest technology. BOEMRE will use the 
information collected to evaluate each operator to ensure compliance to 
BOEMRE regulations, review documentation for corrective action, and 
assess each risk analysis of deepwater drilling.
    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), under regulations at 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 9,028 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.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
  NTL No. 2010-N05--Reporting requirement            Hour burden
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BOP Certification Requirements for Floating  $112,500 per third-party
 Drilling Operations.--Submit independent     physical inspection and
 third party (ITP) physical inspection and    design reviews--30 mins.
 design review of BOP in accordance with
 OEM specs and standards [will cost
 approximately $25,000 to $250,000
 depending on size etc., average cost =
 $112,500]. Include description of the
 ITP's qualifications.
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    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Non-Hour Cost Burden: We have 
identified one non-hour paperwork cost burdens for this collection. The 
non-hour cost burden is $112,500 for each third party physical 
inspection and design review.
    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.

    Dated: October 14, 2010.
William S. Hauser,
Acting Chief, Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs.
[FR Doc. 2010-26296 Filed 10-18-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P


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