[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 172 (Friday, September 5, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47042-47044]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-23634]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Minerals Management Service
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request
AGENCY: Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior.
[[Page 47043]]
ACTION: Notice of a new information collection.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and
respondent burden, MMS invites the public and other Federal agencies to
comment on a proposal to request approval of the new 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 November 4, 1997.
ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to the Rules Processing Team,
Minerals Management Service, Mail Stop 4020, 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: NTL--Performance Measures for OCS Operators and MMS Form
XXX.
OMB Control Number: 1010-NEW.
Abstract: The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA), at 43
U.S.C. 1331 et seq., requires the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary)
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, MMS 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 MMS assurance that an operator's safety
and environmental performance is improving, and (4) provide comparison
data on which companies with good performance can base requests to MMS
for specific regulatory relief.
Like the implementation of SEMP, participation in the performance
measures effort is voluntary. However, the quality of the information
that can be garnered from analysis of the data depends on the
widespread support of this effort. The MMS currently collects a great
deal of information under regulation. It does not have, but intends to
collect on a voluntary basis, information that will be described in a
new Notice to Lessees on Performance Measures for OCS Operators. The
information proposed for collection will consist of:
(a) Separated by Production Operations, Drilling Operations, and
Construction Operations:
Number of company employee recordable accidents,
Number of contract employee recordable accidents,
Total number of recordable accidents,
Number of company employee lost time accidents,
Number of contract employee lost time accidents,
Total number of lost time accidents,
Company employee hours worked,
Contract employee hours worked,
Total hours worked,
Total recordable incidence rate (by formula provided),
Total lost time incidence rate (by formula provided).
(b) By totals
Number of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National
Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) reported exceedances,
EPA NPDES discharge incidence rate,
Oil spills <1 bbl="" by="" number="" and="" volume.="" data="" will="" be="" collected="" for="" calendar="" years="" 1996="" and="" 1997="" in="" the="" first="" quarter="" of="" calendar="" 1997.="" requests="" for="" information="" for="" subsequent="" years="" will="" be="" made="" at="" the="" end="" of="" each="" year.="" it="" is="" expected="" that="" some="" companies="" will="" not="" have="" complete="" information="" for="" the="" first="" submission.="" they="" will="" be="" requested="" to="" provide="" as="" complete="" information="" as="" possible="" and="" to="" make="" adjustments="" as="" necessary="" to="" improve="" reporting="" in="" subsequent="" collections.="" the="" mms="" will="" use="" the="" information="" collected="" to="" work="" with="" industry="" representatives="" to="" identify="" ``pacesetter''="" companies="" and="" request="" them="" to="" make="" presentations="" at="" periodic="" workshops.="" knowing="" how="" the="" offshore="" operators="" as="" a="" group="" are="" doing="" and="" where="" their="" own="" company="" ranks="" will="" provide="" company="" management="" with="" information="" to="" focus="" their="" continuous="" improvement="" efforts.="" this="" should="" lead="" to="" more="" cost-effective="" prevention="" actions.="" this="" information="" will="" also="" provide="" offshore="" operators="" and="" organizations="" with="" a="" credible="" data="" source="" to="" demonstrate="" how="" well="" the="" industry="" and="" individual="" companies="" are="" doing="" to="" those="" outside="" the="" industry.="" the="" mms="" can="" better="" focus="" its="" regulatory="" and="" research="" programs="" on="" areas="" where="" the="" performance="" measures="" indicate="" that="" operators="" are="" having="" difficulty="" meeting="" mms="" expectations.="" the="" mms="" should="" be="" more="" effective="" in="" leveraging="" its="" resources="" by="" redirecting="" research="" efforts,="" promoting="" appropriate="" regulatory="" initiatives,="" and="" shifting="" inspection="" program="" emphasis.="" the="" performance="" measures="" will="" also="" give="" mms="" a="" verifiable="" gauge="" against="" which="" to="" judge="" the="" reasonableness="" of="" company="" requests="" for="" specific="" regulatory="" relief.="" they="" will="" provide="" a="" starting="" point="" for="" the="" dialog.="" if="" respondents="" submit="" confidential="" or="" proprietary="" information,="" mms="" will="" protect="" such="" information="" in="" accordance="" with="" the="" freedom="" of="" information="" act;="" 30="" cfr="" 250.18,="" 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="" collected.="" the="" requirement="" to="" respond="" is="" voluntary.="" frequency:="" annual.="" estimated="" number="" and="" description="" of="" respondents:="" 130="" federal="" ocs="" oil="" and="" gas="" or="" sulphur="" lessees.="" estimated="" average="" hour="" burden:="" 16-32="" burden="" hours="" per="" response.="" this="" number="" is="" expected="" to="" decrease="" as="" respondents="" become="" more="" familiar="" with="" the="" performance="" measures.="" estimated="" average="" cost="" burden:="" the="" mms="" has="" identified="" no="" cost="" burdens="" on="" respondents="" for="" providing="" this="" information.="" comments:="" the="" mms="" will="" summarize="" written="" responses="" to="" this="" notice="" and="" address="" them="" in="" its="" submission="" for="" omb="" approval.="" all="" comments="" will="" become="" a="" matter="" of="" public="" record.="" we="" will="" also="" consult="" with="" a="" representative="" sample="" of="" respondents.="" as="" a="" result="" of="" these="" efforts,="" we="" will="" make="" any="" necessary="" adjustments="" for="" our="" submission="" to="" omb.="" in="" calculating="" the="" burden,="" mms="" 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:="" [[page="" 47044]]="" (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="" 27,="" 1997.="" e.p.="" danenberger,="" chief,="" engineering="" and="" operations="" division.="" [fr="" doc.="" 97-23634="" filed="" 9-4-97;="" 8:45="" am]="" billing="" code="" 4310-mr-p="">