[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 159 (Tuesday, August 18, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44271-44272]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-22163]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Minerals Management Service
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request
AGENCY: Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior.
ACTION: Notice of revision of a currently approved information
collection.
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SUMMARY: As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and
respondent burden, we invite the public and other Federal agencies to
comment on a proposal to revise the previously approved collection of
information discussed below. The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA)
provides that an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not
required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays
a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number.
DATES: Submit written comments by October 19, 1998.
ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to the Rules Processing Team,
Minerals Management Service, Mail Stop 4024, 381 Elden Street, Herndon,
Virginia 20170-4817.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alexis London, Rules Processing Team,
telephone (703) 787-1600. You may also contact Alexis London to obtain
a copy of the proposed collection of information at no cost.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Form MMS-131, Performance Measures for OCS Operators.
OMB Control Number: 1010-0112.
Abstract: The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA), at 43
U.S.C. 1331 et seq., requires the Secretary of the Interior to
preserve, protect, and develop oil and gas resources on the Outer
Continental Shelf (OCS); make such resources available to meet the
Nation's energy needs as rapidly as possible; balance orderly energy
resource development with protection of the human, marine, and coastal
environment; ensure the public a fair and equitable return on the
resources offshore; and preserve and maintain free enterprise
competition.
In a collaborative effort with representatives of 17 oil and gas
companies, representatives of five trade associations (American
Petroleum Institute, Offshore Operators Committee, International
Petroleum Association of America, International Association of Drilling
Contractors, and National Ocean Industries Association), and the Coast
Guard, we developed a set of performance measures intended to (1)
determine if OCS safety and environmental performance is improving over
time through the implementation of the Safety and Environmental
Management Program (SEMP) on the OCS, (2) provide an industry average
and range for various quantitative measures against which companies can
compare themselves, (3) give us assurance that an operator's safety and
environmental performance is improving, and (4) provide comparison data
on which companies with good performance can base their requests for
MMS approval of alternative approaches to compliance with its
regulatory objectives. Like the implementation of SEMP, participation
in the performance measures effort is voluntary.
However, the quality of the information that we garner from
analysis of the data depends on the widespread support of this effort.
Based upon our experience this first year, and the comments and
suggestions from respondents, we propose to revise Form MMS-131 to
remove certain data elements that require OCS operators to perform
calculations that we can easily do. The only proposed substantive
revision is to revise the form to clarify that respondents report all
permit violations under a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
System permit issued by the Environmental Protection Agency. This data
element was previously, and erroneously, restricted to permit
exceedences. Exceedences are a subcategory of non-compliances but
information for both categories is obtained from the same source--the
operator's monthly Discharge Monitoring Report.
The data elements on the revised form are:
[[Page 44272]]
(a) Separated by Production Operations; Drilling and Workover
Operations (including Allied Services); and Construction Operations:
Number of company employee recordable accidents,
Number of contract employee recordable accidents,
Number of company employee lost time accidents,
Number of contract employee lost time accidents,
Company employee hours worked,
Contract employee hours worked,
(b) By totals:
Number of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National
Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) reported non-
compliances,
Oil spills <1 bbl="" by="" number="" and="" volume.="" we="" use="" the="" information="" collected="" to="" work="" with="" industry="" representatives="" to="" identify="" ``pacesetter''="" companies="" and="" ask="" them="" to="" make="" presentations="" at="" periodic="" best="" practice="" sharing="" workshops.="" we="" can="" better="" focus="" regulatory="" and="" research="" programs="" on="" areas="" where="" the="" performance="" measures="" indicate="" that="" operators="" are="" having="" difficulty="" meeting="" our="" expectations.="" we="" are="" more="" effective="" in="" leveraging="" resources="" by="" redirecting="" research="" efforts,="" promoting="" appropriate="" regulatory="" initiatives,="" and="" shifting="" inspection="" program="" emphasis.="" the="" performance="" measures="" also="" give="" us="" a="" verifiable="" gauge="" against="" which="" to="" judge="" the="" reasonableness="" of="" company="" requests="" for="" our="" approval="" of="" alternative="" approaches="" to="" comply="" with="" our="" regulatory="" objectives.="" they="" also="" provide="" a="" starting="" point="" for="" the="" dialog="" in="" the="" annual="" performance="" review="" meetings="" between="" company="" management="" and="" us.="" company="" management="" use="" the="" information="" to="" understand="" how="" the="" offshore="" operators="" are="" doing="" as="" a="" group="" and="" where="" their="" own="" company="" ranks.="" it="" provides="" information="" for="" them="" to="" know="" on="" what="" areas="" to="" focus="" their="" continuous="" improvement="" efforts.="" this="" should="" lead="" to="" more="" cost-="" effective="" prevention="" actions.="" offshore="" operators="" and="" organizations="" use="" the="" information="" as="" a="" credible="" data="" source="" to="" demonstrate="" to="" those="" outside="" the="" industry="" how="" the="" industry="" and="" individual="" companies="" are="" performing.="" if="" respondents="" submit="" confidential="" or="" proprietary="" information,="" we="" will="" protect="" such="" information="" in="" accordance="" with="" the="" freedom="" of="" information="" act;="" 30="" cfr="" 250.118,="" data="" and="" information="" to="" be="" made="" available="" to="" the="" public;="" and="" 30="" cfr="" part="" 252,="" ocs="" oil="" and="" gas="" information="" program.="" no="" items="" of="" a="" sensitive="" nature="" are="" involved.="" the="" requirement="" to="" respond="" is="" voluntary.="" frequency:="" annual="" basis="" in="" the="" first="" quarter="" of="" the="" calendar="" year.="" estimated="" number="" and="" description="" of="" respondents:="" 100="" federal="" ocs="" oil="" and="" gas="" or="" sulphur="" lessees="" and="" operators.="" estimated="" reporting="" and="" recordkeeping="" ``hour''burden:="" 8-16="" burden="" hours="" per="" response.="" the="" previous="" estimate="" was="" 28="" hours="" per="" response;="" however,="" we="" expected="" this="" to="" decrease="" after="" respondents="" became="" more="" familiar="" with="" the="" performance="" measures.="" several="" companies="" informally="" indicated="" that="" the="" burden="" was="" not="" significant="" for="" the="" first="" report="" and="" would="" be="" even="" less="" now="" that="" they="" are="" set="" up="" to="" report="" the="" information.="" in="" parenthesis="" are="" the="" estimates="" reported="" to="" us="" by="" two="" major="" companies="" (4="" and="" 10="" hours),="" two="" small="" companies="" (1="" and="" 4="" hours),="" and="" 1="" very="" small="" operator="" (unsure="" but="" possibly="" several="" days)="" that="" we="" contacted.="" estimated="" reporting="" and="" recordkeeping="" ``cost''="" burden:="" we="" have="" identified="" no="" cost="" burdens="" on="" respondents="" for="" providing="" this="" information.="" comments:="" we="" will="" summarize="" written="" responses="" to="" this="" notice="" and="" address="" them="" in="" our="" submission="" for="" omb="" approval.="" all="" comments="" are="" public="" record.="" in="" calculating="" the="" burden,="" we="" may="" have="" assumed="" that="" respondents="" maintain="" much="" of="" the="" information="" collected="" in="" the="" normal="" course="" of="" their="" activities,="" and="" we="" considered="" that="" to="" be="" usual="" and="" customary="" business="" practice.="" (1)="" the="" mms="" specifically="" solicits="" comments="" on="" the="" following="" questions:="" (a)="" is="" the="" proposed="" collection="" of="" information="" necessary="" for="" the="" proper="" performance="" of="" mms's="" functions,="" and="" will="" it="" be="" useful?="" (b)="" are="" the="" estimates="" of="" the="" burden="" hours="" of="" the="" proposed="" collection="" reasonable?="" (c)="" do="" you="" have="" any="" suggestions="" that="" would="" enhance="" the="" quality,="" clarity,="" or="" usefulness="" of="" the="" information="" to="" be="" collected?="" (d)="" is="" there="" a="" way="" to="" minimize="" the="" information="" collection="" burden="" on="" those="" who="" are="" to="" respond,="" including="" through="" the="" use="" of="" appropriate="" automated="" electronic,="" mechanical,="" or="" other="" forms="" of="" information="" technology?="" (2)="" in="" addition,="" the="" pra="" requires="" agencies="" to="" estimate="" the="" total="" annual="" cost="" burden="" to="" respondents="" as="" a="" direct="" result="" of="" this="" collection="" of="" information.="" the="" mms="" needs="" your="" comments="" on="" this="" item.="" your="" response="" should="" split="" the="" cost="" estimate="" into="" two="" components:="" (a)="" total="" capital="" and="" startup="" cost="" component;="" and="" (b)="" annual="" operation,="" maintenance,="" and="" purchase="" of="" services="" component.="" your="" estimates="" should="" consider="" the="" costs="" to="" generate,="" maintain,="" and="" disclose="" or="" provide="" the="" information.="" 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,="" sampling,="" drilling,="" and="" testing="" equipment;="" and="" record="" storage="" facilities.="" do="" not="" include="" in="" your="" estimates="" 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.="" mms="" information="" collection="" clearance="" officer:="" jo="" ann="" lauterbach,="" (202)="" 208-7744.="" dated:="" august="" 10,="" 1998.="" william="" s.="" cook,="" acting="" chief,="" engineering="" and="" operations="" division.="" [fr="" doc.="" 98-22163="" filed="" 8-17-98;="" 8:45="" am]="" billing="" code="" 4310-mr-p="">