[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 21 (Thursday, January 31, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6829-6830]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-02114]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Geological Survey
[GX13NM000HF1000]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Submitted for Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) Review; Comment Request
AGENCY: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
ACTION: Notice of an extension of a currently approved information
collection, 1028-0094.
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SUMMARY: To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), we
are notifying the public that we have submitted to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) an information collection request (ICR) for
approval of the paperwork requirements for the National Coal Resources
Data System (NCRDS) competitive cooperative agreement program. This
collection is scheduled to expire on January 31, 2013. This notice
provides the public an opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden
of this project.
DATES: You must submit comments on or before March 4, 2013.
ADDRESSES: Please submit written comments on this information
collection directly to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Office
of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attention: Desk Officer for the
Department of the Interior via email to OIRA_SUBMISSION@omb.eop.gov or
fax at 202-395-5806; and identify your submission with Information
Collection Number 1028-0094.
Please also submit a copy of your written comments to the USGS
Information Collection Clearance Officer, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive,
MS 807, Reston, VA 20192 (mail); (703) 648-7199 (fax); or
smbaloch@usgs.gov (email). Please reference information collection
1028-0094. NCRDS in the subject line.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Joseph East by mail at U.S.
Geological Survey, National Center, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston,
VA 20192 or by telephone at 703-648-6450.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Abstract
The primary objective of the National Coal Resources Data System
(NCRDS) is to advance the understanding of the energy endowment of the
United States (U.S.) by gathering and organizing digital geologic
information related to coal, coal bed gas, shale gas and other energy
resources and related information regarding these resources. These data
are needed to support regional or national assessments concerning coal,
coal bed gas, and other solid fuel occurrences. Requesting external
cooperation is the best way for NCRDS to collect energy data and
perform research and analyses on the characterization of coals and
organic-rich shale, and obtain other information (including geophysical
or seismic data, sample collection for generation of thermal maturity
data) that can be used in solid-fuel resource assessments and related
studies.
The USGS will issue a call for proposals to support researchers
from State Geological Surveys and associated
[[Page 6830]]
accredited Universities that can provide geologic data to support NCRDS
and other energy assessment projects being conducted by the Energy
Resources Program.
Data submitted to NCRDS by external cooperators constitute more
than two-thirds of the USGS point-source stratigraphic database
(USTRAT) on coal occurrence. In 2012, NCRDS supported 30 projects in 23
States. This program is conducted under various authorities, including
30 U.S.C. 208-1, 42 U.S.C. 15801, and 43 U.S.C. 31 et seq. This
collection will consist of applications, proposals and reports (annual
and final).
I. Data
OMB Control Number: 1028-0094.
Title: Energy Cooperatives to Support the National Coal Resources
Data System (NCRDS).
Respondent Obligation: Required to obtain or retain benefits.
Frequency of Collection: One time every 5 years for applications
and final reports; annually for progress reports.
Affected Public: Individuals; State, local and tribal governments;
State Geological Surveys, universities, and businesses.
Annual burden hours: 300.
Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 26.
Estimated Annual Number of Responses: 35 (9 applications 26
reports).
Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'':
None.
II. Request for Comments
Public Disclosure Statement: The PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.)
provides that an agency may not conduct or sponsor and you are not
required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a
currently valid OMB control number.
On October 12, 2012, we published a Federal Register notice (77 FR
62253) announcing that we would submit this information collection to
OMB for approval. The notice provided a 60-day comment period ending on
December 10, 2012. We did not receive any comments in response to that
notice.
We again invite comments concerning this information collection on:
(1) Whether or not the collection of information is necessary,
including whether or not the information will have practical utility;
(2) the accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this collection of
information; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of
the information to be collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of
the collection of information on respondents.
Please note that the comments submitted 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 OMB in your comment to withhold your
personal identifying information from public review, we cannot
guarantee that it will be done.
Dated: January 23, 2013.
Brenda Pierce,
Program Coordinator, USGS Energy Resources Program.
[FR Doc. 2013-02114 Filed 1-30-13; 8:45 am]
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