2011-28161. Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35).

Agency: U.S. Census Bureau.

Title: 2012 Economic Census Covering the Mining Sector.

OMB Control Number: 0607-0939.

Form Number(s): Various.

Type of Request: Reinstatement of a previously approved collection.

Burden Hours: 72,920.

Number of Respondents: 16,400.

Average Hours per Response: 4 hours and 27 minutes.

Needs and Uses: The 2012 Economic Census covering the Mining Sector will use a mail canvass, supplemented by data from federal administrative records, to measure the economic activity of approximately 26,000 mining establishments classified in the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).

The mining sector of the economic census distinguishes two basic activities: Mine operation and mining support activities. The economic census will produce basic statistics for number of establishments, shipments, payroll, employment, detailed supplies and fuels consumed, depreciable assets, inventories, and capital expenditures. It also will yield a variety of subject statistics, including shipments by product line, type of operation, size of establishments and other industry-specific measures.

The economic census is the primary source of facts about the structure and functioning of the Nation's economy and features unique industry and geographic detail. Economic census statistics serve as part of the framework for the national accounts and provides essential information for government, industry, business, and the general public. The federal government uses information from the economic census as an important part of the framework for the national accounts, input-output measures, key economic indexes, and other estimates that serve as the factual basis for economic policy-making, planning, and program administration. State and local governments rely on the economic census as a unique source of comprehensive economic statistics for small geographical areas for use in policy-making, planning, and program administration. Finally, industry, business, and the general public use data from the economic census for economic forecasts, market research, benchmarks for their own sample-based surveys, and business and financial decision making.

If the economic census was not conducted, the federal government would lose vital source data and benchmarks for the national accounts, input-output tables, and other composite measures of economic activity, causing substantial degradation in the quality of these important statistics. Further, the government would lose critical benchmarks for current, sample-based economic surveys and an essential source of detailed, comprehensive economic information for use in policy-making and program administration.

Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.

Frequency: One-time.

Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.

Legal Authority: This information collection is part of the 2012 Economic Census, which is required by law under Title 13, United States Code (U.S.C.). Section 131 of this statute directs the taking of a census at 5-year intervals. Section 224 makes reporting mandatory.

OMB Desk Officer: Brian Harris-Kojetin, [phone].

Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained by calling or writing Diana Hynek, Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, [phone], Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at [e-mail]).

Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to Brian Harris-Kojetin, OMB Desk Officer either by fax [phone]) or email ([e-mail]).

Dated: October 26, 2011.

Glenna Mickelson,

Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.