2010-26296. 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).

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 [phone]. 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.

• 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.
• E-mail [e-mail]. 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 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
BOP Certification Requirements for Floating Drilling Operations.—Submit independent third party (ITP) physical inspection and 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	$112,500 per third-party physical inspection and design reviews—30 mins.

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 [phone].

Dated: October 14, 2010.

William S. Hauser,

Acting Chief, Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs.