2018-19443. Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Safety and Environmental Management Systems (SEMS)

AGENCY:

Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice of information collection; request for comment.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) proposes to renew an information collection.

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before October 9, 2018.

ADDRESSES:

Send written comments on this information collection request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget's Desk Officer for the Department of the Interior by email at [e-mail]; or via facsimile to [phone]. Please provide a copy of your comments to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement; Regulations and Standards Branch; ATTN: Nicole Mason; 45600 Woodland Road, Sterling, VA 20166; or by email to [e-mail]. Please reference OMB Control Number 1014-0017 in the subject line of your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To request additional information about this ICR, contact Nicole Mason by email at [e-mail], or by telephone at [phone]. You may also view the ICR at http://www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we provide the general public and other Federal agencies with an opportunity 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.

A Federal Register notice with a 60-day public comment period soliciting comments on this collection of information was published on March 6, 2018 (83 FR 9541). No comments were received.

We are again soliciting comments on the proposed ICR that is described below. We are especially interested in public comments addressing the following issues: (1) Is the collection necessary to the proper functions of BSEE; (2) Will this information be processed and used in a timely manner; (3) Is the estimate of burden accurate; (4) How might BSEE enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (5) How might BSEE minimize the burden of this collection on the respondents, including through the use of information technology.

Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of public record. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Abstract: The regulations at 30 CFR part 250, subpart S, concern the Safety and Environmental Management Systems (SEMS) (including the associated forms), and are the subject of this collection. This request also covers any related Notices to Lessees and Operators (NTLs) that BSEE issues to clarify, supplement, or provide additional guidance on some aspects of our regulations.

The Subpart S regulations hold the operator accountable for the overall safety of the offshore facility, including ensuring that all employees, contractors, and subcontractors have safety policies and procedures in place that support the implementation of the operator's SEMS program and align with the principles of managing safety. An operator's SEMS program must describe management's commitment to safety and the environment, as well as policies and procedures to assure safety and environmental protection while conducting OCS operations (including those operations conducted by all personnel on the facility). BSEE will use the information obtained by submittals and observed via SEMS audits to ensure that operations on the OCS are conducted safely, as they pertain to both human and environmental factors, and in accordance with BSEE regulations, including industry practices incorporated by reference within the regulations. Job Safety Analyses (JSA's) and other recordkeeping required by the SEMS regulation will be reviewed diligently by BSEE during inspections and other oversight activities and by SEMS auditors during regulatory required audits, to ensure that industry is using the documentation required by the SEMS regulation to manage their safety and environmental risks.

Information on Form BSEE-0131, which the SEMS regulation requires to be submitted to BSEE annually, includes company identification, number of company/contractor injuries and/or illnesses suffered, company/contractor hours worked, EPA National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit non-compliances, and oil spill volumes for spills less than 1 barrel. Such information is reported on a calendar year basis, with data broken out by calendar quarter. The information is used to develop industry average incident rates that help to describe how well the offshore oil and gas industry is performing. Operators use these incident rates to benchmark against their own performance, and to focus on areas that need improvement. Using the produced data allows BSEE to better focus our regulatory and research programs on areas where the performance measures indicate that operators are having difficulty meeting our expectations. BSEE will be more effective in leveraging resources by redirecting research efforts, promoting appropriate regulatory initiatives, and shifting inspection and Directed Audit program emphasis based on performance results.

Title of Collection: 30 CFR part 250, subpart S, Safety and Environmental Management Systems (SEMS).

OMB Control Number: 1014-0017.

Form Number: Form BSEE-0131, Performance Measures Data.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents/Affected Public: Potential respondents comprise Federal OCS oil, gas, and sulfur lessees, operators, and/or third-party personnel or organization.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: Not all of the potential respondents will submit information in any given year and some may submit multiple times.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 686.

Estimated Completion Time per Response: Varies from 39 hours to 11,926 hours, depending on activity.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 1,487,634.

Respondent's Obligation: Responses are mandatory.

Frequency of Collection: Primarily on occasion, and varies by section.

Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: $3,259,727.

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 OMB control number.

The authority for this action is the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

Dated: August 16, 2018.

Doug Morris,

Chief, Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs.