2011-28797. 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: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Title: Fishermen's Contingency Fund.

OMB Control Number: 0648-0082.

Form Number(s): NOAA Forms 88-164 and 88-166.

Type of Request: Regular submission (extension of a current information collection).

Number of Respondents: 100.

Average Hours per Response: application, 10 hours; 15-day report, 5 minutes.

Burden Hours: 1,008.

Needs and Uses: This request is for extension of a current information collection.

United States (U.S.) commercial fishermen may file claims for compensation for losses of or damages to fishing gear or vessels, plus 50 percent of resulting economic losses, attributable to oil and gas activities on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. To obtain compensation, applicants must comply with requirements set forth in 50 CFR part 296. The requirements include a report within 15 days of the date the vessel first returns to port after the incident, to gain a presumption of eligible causation, and an application form.

The report form (NOAA Form 88-166) requests identifying information such as the claimant's name, address, phone number, and social security number. It also requests information pertaining to the casualty, such as the location of the obstruction, the date and time of the casualty, identification of the vessel involved, and the date the vessel first returned to port after the casualty.

The application (NOAA Form 88-164) consists of a property loss section and a section for economic loss. The property loss section requests the same identifying information contained in the initial report. It also requests information such as the amount and type of damage claimed, description of the casualty and likely causes, efforts to recover gear, description of proofs of ownership, estimates of repair or replacement costs, and identification of witnesses. The economic loss section requests information pertaining to economic loss and consequential damages resulting from the casualty. This includes the length of trips and income from those trips prior to the casualty, number of gear units lost, date replacement gear was ordered and received or the date repairs were commenced and completed. This section also requests information regarding consequential damages such as extra fuel consumption or claim preparation fees. The application also includes inventory schedules which lists the amounts of gear involved in the casualty, its purchase date, purchase cost, and repair or replacement cost. The application also includes an affidavit by which the claimant attests to the truthfulness of the claim.

Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.

Frequency: On occasion.

Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain benefits.

OMB Desk Officer: [e-mail].

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 [e-mail].

Dated: November 2, 2011.

Gwellnar Banks,

Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.