Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior.
Notice of extension of an information collection (1010–0151).
To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), MMS 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 the regulations under 30 CFR 250, Subpart B, Plans and Information.
Submit written comments by January 14, 2008.
You may submit comments by any either of the following methods listed below.
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• Mail or hand-carry comments to the Department of the Interior; Minerals Management Service; Attention: Cheryl Blundon; 381 Elden Street, MS–4024; Herndon, Virginia 20170–4817. Please reference “Information Collection 1010–0151” in your comments.
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 regulations and the forms that require the subject collection of information.
To provide supplementary guidance and procedures, MMS issues Notices to Lessees and Operators (NTLs) on a regional or national basis. Regulation 30 CFR 250.103 allows MMS to issue NTLs to clarify, supplement, or provide more detail about certain requirements.
Regulations at 30 CFR part 250 Subpart B, implement these statutory requirements. The MMS engineers, geologists, geophysicists, environmental scientists, and other Federal agencies analyze and evaluate the information and data collected under subpart B to ensure that planned operations are safe; will not adversely affect the marine, coastal, or human environment; and will conserve the resources of the OCS. We use the information to: (a) Report annually to NOAA Fisheries the effectiveness of mitigation, any adverse effects of the proposed action, and any incidental take, in accordance with 50 CFR 402.14(i)(3), and (b) allow the Regional Supervisor to make an informed decision on whether to approve the proposed exploration or development and production plans as submitted, or whether modifications are necessary without the analysis and evaluation of the required information. The affected States also review the information collected for consistency with approved Coastal Zone Management (CZM) plans.
Specifically, MMS uses the information to evaluate, analyze, determine, or ensure that:
• Ancillary activities comply with appropriate laws or regulations and are conducted safely, protect the environment, and do not interfere or conflict with the other uses of the OCS (i.e., military use, subsistence activity).
• Points of contact and responsible parties are designated for proposed activities.
• Surveying, monitoring, or other activities do not interfere or conflict with preexisting and other uses of the area.
• Plans or actions meet or implement lease stipulation requirements.
• Proposed exploration, drilling, production, and pipeline activities are conducted in a safe and acceptable manner for the location and water depth proposed and conserve reservoir energy to allow enhanced recovery operations in later stages of lease development.
• Unnecessary or incompatible facilities are not installed on the OCS.
• Shallow drilling hazards (such as shallow gas accumulations or mudslide areas) are avoided.
• Areas are properly classified for H
• Appropriate oil spill planning measures and procedures are implemented.
• Expected meteorological conditions at the activity site are accommodated.
• Environmentally sensitive areas are identified, and the direct and cumulative effects of the activities are minimized.
• Offshore and onshore air quality is not significantly affected by the proposed activities.
• Waste disposal methods and pollution mitigation techniques are appropriate for local conditions.
• State CZM requirements have been met.
• Archaeological or cultural resources are identified and protected from unreasonable disturbances.
• Socioeconomic effects of the proposed project on the local community and associated services have been determined.
• Support infrastructures and associated traffic are adequately covered in plans.
The following forms used in the Gulf of Mexico Region (GOMR) are also submitted to MMS. The OMB approved these forms as part of the information collection for the current subpart B regulations.
• Form MMS–137 (Plan Information Form) is submitted to summarize plan information.
• Forms MMS–138 (GOM Air Emission Calculations for Exploration Plans) and MMS–139 (GOM Air Emission Calculations for Development Operations Coordination Documents (DOCDs)) are submitted to standardize the way potential air emissions are estimated and approved as part of the OCS plan.
• MMS–141 (ROV Survey Report) is submitted to report the observations and information recorded from 2 sets of ROV monitoring surveys to identify high-density biological communities that may occur on the seafloor in deep water.
• MMS–142 (Environmental Impact Analysis Worksheet) is a fill in the blank form that is submitted to identify the environmental impact-producing factors (IPFs) for the listed environmental resources.
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) and under regulations at 30 CFR 250.197, “Data and information to be made available to the public or for limited inspection.” No items of a sensitive nature are collected. Responses are mandatory.
We estimate that the annual non-hour cost burden is $8,906,784. We have not identified any other “non-hour cost” burdens associated with this collection of information.
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 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.