Notice2023-01020
Agency Information Collection Activities; Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI) Competitive Cooperative Agreement Program With State Geological Surveys
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
January 20, 2023
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentGeological Survey
Abstract
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Office of the Secretary will seek Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval of an emergency clearance for a new information collection.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 13 (Friday, January 20, 2023)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 13 (Friday, January 20, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3755-3757]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-01020]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Geological Survey
[GX23GB00UM20200; OMB Control Number 1028-New]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Earth Mapping Resources
Initiative (Earth MRI) Competitive Cooperative Agreement Program With
State Geological Surveys
AGENCY: U.S. Geological Survey, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA),
the Office of the Secretary will seek Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) approval of an emergency clearance for a new information
collection.
[[Page 3756]]
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before
March 21, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed
emergency clearance for a new information collection should be sent to
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Department
of the Interior, 1849 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20240; or by email to
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a6e2e9ef8bf6f4e7e6cfc9d588c2c9cf88c1c9d0"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2a6e6563077a786b6a434559044e4543044d455c">[email protected]</span></a>. Please reference OMB Control Number ``1028-New
EarthMRI'' in the subject line of your comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information
about this Information Collection Request (ICR), contact James Mosley
by telephone at (703) 648-6312, or by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a1cbccced2cdc4d8e1d4d2c6d28fc6ced7"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1a70777569767f635a6f697d69347d756c">[email protected]</span></a>.
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.
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, and you are not 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: Public Law 117-58, Section 40201, ``Earth Mapping
Resources Initiative'' contained in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
(BIL) (November 15, 2021) authorizes and accelerates the mapping
efforts of the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI).
Earth MRI is a component of the Mineral Resources Program (MRP) and
is a national effort to carry out the fundamental resources and mapping
mission of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The goal of Earth MRI is
to improve our knowledge of the geologic framework in the United States
and to identify areas that may have the potential to contain critical-
mineral resources. Enhancement of our domestic mineral supply will
decrease the Nation's reliance on foreign sources of minerals
fundamental to national security and the economy.
Earth MRI was established in FY2019 in response to Executive Order
13817 (``A Federal Strategy to Ensure Secure and Reliable Supplies of
Critical Minerals'') at a funding level of $9,600,000 (subsequently
increased to $10,600,000 in FY2020). In FY2022, Earth MRI was
authorized by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act [otherwise
known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL)] which directs the
USGS to accelerate efforts to carry out fundamental integrated
topographic, geologic, geochemical, and geophysical mapping and provide
interpretation of subsurface and above-ground (mine waste) critical-
mineral resources data at a funding level of $320,000,000 annually for
five years (FY2022-FY2026). The BIL authorizes cooperative agreements
with State geological surveys to support Earth MRI data-collection
efforts and expands Earth MRI's scope by providing funding to initiate
mine-waste research and assessment activities as a means to evaluate
the potential for extraction of critical minerals from mine-waste
materials. The data and expertise at State geological surveys is
crucial to this new mine-waste critical-mineral resource mapping effort
at a national scale.
The USGS developed a new competitive cooperative agreement program
with the State geological surveys to support mine-waste activities
authorized and funded by the BIL. State geological surveys apply for
funds through an annual competitive process. The Earth MRI Mine Waste
Cooperative Agreements support three goals of the USGS-Earth MRI
effort: (1) building a national mine-waste inventory, (2)
characterizing mine waste at sites across the nation, and (3)
partnering with State geological surveys to plan Earth MRI data
acquisition. Individual State projects can last for up to two years.
BIL Section 40201 stipulates that the USGS may enter into
cooperative agreements with State geological surveys to accelerate the
efforts of Earth MRI. Earth MRI has set the deadline to post a Notice
of Funding Opportunity on <a href="http://grants.gov">grants.gov</a> as January 9, 2023 and a deadline
for applications to submit proposals as 3 p.m. EDT March 6, 2023. The
BIL requires the USGS to collect information necessary to ensure that
cooperative-agreement funds authorized by this legislation are used in
accordance with the BIL and Federal assistance requirements under 2 CFR
200. Information collected by Earth MRI as part of the consolidated
workplan is described below. The USGS seeks OMB approval of an
emergency clearance to collect this information to manage and monitor
cooperative agreement awards and comply with the BIL.
Title of Collection: Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI)
Competitive Cooperative Agreement Program with State Geological Surveys
OMB Control Number: 1028-New.
Form Number: None.
Type of Review: Request for emergency approval of a new information
collection.
Respondents/Affected Public: 25.
Responses: 73 (25 applications, 32 total six-month progress
reports, and 16 final technical reports.)
Total Burden Hours: 2,076 hours.
Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: None.
An agency may not conduct or sponsor, nor is a person required to
[[Page 3757]]
respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently
valid OMB control number.
The authority for this action is the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).
Sarah J. Ryker,
Associate Director for Energy and Mineral Resources, U.S. Geological
Survey.
[FR Doc. 2023-01020 Filed 1-19-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4338-11-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on January 20, 2023.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.