[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 222 (Monday, November 18, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69121-69123]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-27532]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement
[Docket ID BSEE-2013-0010; OMB Control Number 1014-0012; 134E1700D2
EEEE500000 ET1SF0000.DAQ000]
Information Collection Activities: Open and Nondiscriminatory
Access to Oil and Gas Pipelines Under the OCS Lands Act; Proposed
Collection; Comment Request
ACTION: 60-day Notice.
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SUMMARY: To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA),
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) is inviting
comments on a collection of information that we will submit to the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The
information collection request (ICR) concerns a renewal to the
paperwork requirements in the regulations under 30 Part 291, Open and
Nondiscriminatory Access to Oil and Gas Pipelines Under the OCS Lands
Act.
DATES: You must submit comments by January 17, 2014.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods
listed below.
Electronically: go to http://www.regulations.gov. In the
Search box, enter BSEE-2013-0010 then click search. Follow the
instructions to submit public comments and view all related materials.
We will post all comments.
Email [email protected]. Mail or hand-carry comments
to the Department of the Interior; BSEE; Regulations and Standards
Branch; Attention: Nicole Mason; 381 Elden Street, HE3313; Herndon,
Virginia 20170-4817. Please reference ICR 1014-0012 in your comment and
include your name and return address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nicole Mason, Regulations and
Standards Branch at (703) 787-1605 to request additional information
about this ICR.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: 30 CFR Part 291, Open and Nondiscriminatory Access to Oil
and Gas Pipelines Under the OCS Lands Act.
OMB Control Number: 1014-0012.
Abstract: The Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act, as amended
(43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq. and 43 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), authorizes the
Secretary of the Interior to prescribe rules and regulations necessary
for the administration of the leasing provisions of that Act related to
mineral resources on the OCS. Such rules and regulations will apply to
all operations conducted under a lease, right-of-way, or a right-of-use
and easement. Operations on the OCS must preserve, protect, and develop
oil and natural gas resources in a manner that is consistent with the
need to make such resources available to meet the Nation's energy needs
as rapidly as possible; to balance orderly energy resource development
with protection of human, marine, and coastal environments; to ensure
the public a fair and equitable return on the resources of the OCS; and
to preserve and maintain free enterprise competition.
Section 1334(f)(1) states ``Except as provided in paragraph (2),
every permit, license, easement, right-of-way, or other grant of
authority for the transportation by pipeline on or across the Outer
Continental Shelf of oil or gas shall require that the pipeline be
operated in accordance with the following competitive principles: (A)
The pipeline
[[Page 69122]]
must provide open and nondiscriminatory access to both owner and non-
owner shippers.''
The Independent Offices Appropriations Act (31 U.S.C. 9701), the
Omnibus Appropriations Bill (Pub. L. 104-133, 110 Stat. 1321, April 26,
1996), and OMB Circular A-25, authorize Federal agencies to recover the
full cost of services that confer special benefits. Regulations at
Sec. Sec. 291.106(b) and 108 require a nonrefundable processing fee of
$7,500 that a shipper must pay when filing a complaint to BSEE. Federal
policy and statute require us to recover the cost of services that
confer special benefits to identifiable non-Federal recipients.
These authorities and responsibilities are among those delegated to
BSEE; and 30 CFR Part 291 implements these statutory requirements.
These regulations concern open and nondiscriminatory access to
pipelines, and are the subject of this collection.
The BSEE will use the submitted information to initiate a more
detailed investigation into the specific circumstances associated with
a complainant's allegation of denial of access or discriminatory access
to pipelines on the OCS. The complaint information will be provided to
the alleged offending party. Informal resolution of the complaint is an
option via a hotline or alternative dispute resolution. The BSEE may
request additional information upon completion of the initial
investigation.
Commercial or financial information submitted to the Department of
the Interior relative to minerals removed from the Federal OCS may be
proprietary. The BSEE will protect information considered proprietary
and will not disclose documents exempt from disclosure under the
Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) and its implementing
regulations (43 CFR part 2). The BSEE will protect personally
identifiable information about individuals according to the Privacy Act
(5 U.S.C. 552a) and DOI's implementing regulations (43 CFR part 2). No
items of a sensitive nature are collected. Responses to this ICR are
required to obtain and retain a benefit, or are voluntary.
Frequency: On occasion.
Description of Respondents: Shippers who do business on the OCS and
companies that pay royalties on the OCS.
Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden: The currently
approved annual reporting burden for this collection is 51 hours. The
following chart details the individual components and respective hour
burden estimates of this ICR. In calculating the burdens, we assumed
that respondents perform certain requirements in the normal course of
their activities. We consider these to be usual and customary and took
that into account in estimating the burden.
Burden Breakdown
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Hour burden
Reporting & -----------------
Citation 30 CFR 291 recordkeeping Non-hour cost
requirement burden
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105, 106, 108, 109, 111....... Submit complaint (with 50
fee) to BSEE and
affected parties.
Request confidential
treatment and respond
to BSEE decision.
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$7,500
processing fee
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106(b), 109................... Request waiver or 1
reduction of fee.
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104(b), 107, 111.............. Submit response to a Information that
complaint. Request is required
confidential after an
treatment and respond investigation
to BSEE decision. is opened
against a
specific entity
is exempt under
the PRA (5 CFR
1320.4).
110........................... Submit required
information for BSEE
to make a decision.
114, 115(a)................... Submit appeal on BSEE
final decision.
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Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Non-Hour Cost Burden: The
currently OMB approved non-hour cost burdens total $7,500. We have
identified one non-hour cost burden for this collection. The BSEE
requires that shippers pay a nonrefundable fee of $7,500 for a
complaint submitted to BSEE. We have not identified any other non-hour
cost burdens.
Public Disclosure Statement: The PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.)
provides that an agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of
information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
Until OMB approves a collection of information, you are not obligated
to respond.
Comments: Before submitting an ICR to OMB, PRA section
3506(c)(2)(A) requires each agency ``. . . to provide notice . . . and
otherwise consult with members of the public and affected agencies
concerning each proposed collection of information . . .''. Agencies
must specifically solicit comments to: (a) Evaluate whether the
collection is necessary or useful; (b) evaluate the accuracy of the
burden of the proposed collection of information; (c) enhance the
quality, usefulness, and clarity of the information to be collected;
and (d) minimize the burden on the respondents, including the use of
technology.
Agencies must also estimate the non-hour paperwork cost burdens to
respondents or recordkeepers resulting from the collection of
information. Therefore, if you have other than hour burden costs to
generate, maintain, and disclose this information, you should comment
and provide your total capital and startup cost components or annual
operation, maintenance, and purchase of service components. For further
information on this burden, refer to 5 CFR 1320.3(b)(1) and (2), or
contact the Bureau representative listed previously in this notice.
We will summarize written responses to this notice and address them
in our submission for OMB approval. As a result of your comments, we
will make any necessary adjustments to the burden in our submission to
OMB.
Public Comment Procedures: 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
[[Page 69123]]
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.
BSEE Information Collection Clearance Officer: Cheryl Blundon (703)
787-1607.
Dated: November 7, 2013.
Robert W. Middleton,
Deputy Chief, Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs.
[FR Doc. 2013-27532 Filed 11-15-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-VH-P