2023-21183. Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Ferrous Metals Surveys

AGENCY:

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior.

ACTION:

Notice of information collection; request for comment.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is proposing to renew an Information Collection.

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before November 27, 2023.

ADDRESSES:

Send your comments on this Information Collection Request (ICR) by mail to U.S. Geological Survey, Information Collections Officer, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, MS 159, Reston, VA 20192; or by email to [e-mail]. Please reference OMB Control Number 1028–0068 Ferrous Minerals Survey in the subject line of your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To request additional information about this ICR, contact Elizabeth S. Sangine by email at [e-mail] or by telephone at 703–648–7720. Individuals in the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay services. Individuals outside the United States should use the relay services offered within their country to make international calls to the point-of-contact in the United States. You may also view the ICR at http://www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

In accordance with the PRA, (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) and 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), all information collections require approval. We may not conduct or sponsor, nor are you required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burdens, we invite the public and other federal agencies to comment on new, proposed, revised, and continuing collections of information. This helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. It also helps the public understand our information collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format.

We are especially interested in public comment addressing the following:

(1) Whether or not the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether or not the information will have practical utility;

(2) The accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;

(3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and

(4) How the agency might minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of response.

Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personally identifiable information (PII) in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment—including your PII—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your PII from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Abstract: Respondents to these forms supply the USGS with domestic production and consumption data for 13 ores, concentrates, metals, and ferroalloys, some of which are considered strategic and critical, to assist in determining National Defense Stockpile goals. These data and derived information will be published as chapters in Mineral Yearbooks, monthly Mineral Industry Surveys, annual Mineral Commodity Summaries, and special publications for use by government agencies, Congressional offices, educational institutions, research organizations, financial institutions, consulting firms, industry, academia, and the general public.

Title of Collection: Ferrous Metals Surveys.

OMB Control Number: 1028–0068.

Form Number: Various (15 USGS forms).

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents/Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit institutions: U.S. nonfuel mineral producers and consumers of ferrous and related metals.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 980.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 2,718.

Estimated Completion Time per Response: For each form, we will include an average burden time ranging from 10 minutes to 1 hour.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 1,364.

Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.

Frequency of Collection: Monthly or Annually.

Total Estimated Annual Non-hour Burden Cost: There are no “non-hour cost” burdens associated with this ICR.

An agency may not conduct or sponsor, nor is a person required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

The authorities for this action are the PRA, the National Materials and Minerals Policy, Research and Development Act of 1980 (30 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), the National Mining and Minerals Policy Act of 1970 (30 U.S.C. 21(a)), the Strategic and Critical Materials Stock Piling Act (50 U.S.C. 98 et seq.), and the Defense Production Act (50 U.S.C. 2061 et seq.).

Steven Fortier,

Director, National Minerals Information Center, U.S. Geological Survey.