Notice2023-14038
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; 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
July 3, 2023
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentGeological Survey
Abstract
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) will seek Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval of an extension of a previously approved information collection.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 126 (Monday, July 3, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 126 (Monday, July 3, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42738-42739]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-14038]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Geological Survey
[GX23GB00UM20200; OMB Control Number 1028-0133]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Earth Mapping
Resources Initiative (Earth MRI) Competitive Cooperative Agreement
Program With State Geological Surveys
AGENCY: U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior.
ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA),
the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) will seek Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) approval of an extension of a previously approved
information collection.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before
August 2, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Send your comments on this information collection request
(ICR) by mail to USGS, Information Collections Clearance Officer, 12201
Sunrise Valley Drive, MS 159, Reston, VA 20192; or by email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#1a7d693773747c7545797576767f796e737574695a6f697d69347d756c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d6b1a5fbbfb8b0b989b5b9babab3b5a2bfb9b8a596a3a5b1a5f8b1b9a0">[email protected]</span></a>. Please reference OMB Control Number ``1028-
0133 Earth MRI'' in the subject line of your comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information
about this ICR, contact James Mosely by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#23494e4c504f465a63565044500d444c55"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="751f181a0619100c35000612065b121a03">[email protected]</span></a>, or
by telephone at (703) 648-6312. 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. You may also view the ICR at
<a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501
et seq. and 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1)), 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
April 25, 2023 (88 FR 25010). No comments were received.
As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent
burdens, we are again soliciting comments from the public and other
federal agencies on the proposed ICR that is described below. 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. 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 U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
Mineral Resources Program and is a national effort to carry out the
fundamental resources- and mapping mission of the USGS. The goal of
Earth MRI is to modernize the surface and subsurface geologic mapping
of the United States, with a focus on identifying areas that may have
the potential to contain mineral resources.
The BIL directed 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 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 agreement process. Individual state projects 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. 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 to continue to collect this information to manage and
monitor cooperative agreement awards to comply with the BIL.
Title of Collection: Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI)
Competitive Cooperative Agreement Program with State Geological
Surveys.
OMB Control Number: 1028-0133.
Form Number: None.
Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Respondents/Affected Public: 20.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 20.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 84 (20 applications, 48
total six-month progress reports, and 16 final technical reports).
Estimated Completion Time per Response: We expect to receive 20
applications, each taking approximately 60 hours to complete (totaling
1,200 burden hours). We anticipate awarding
[[Page 42739]]
an average of 16 agreements per year. The 16 award recipients are
required to submit 6-month progress reports throughout the duration of
the project, and a final technical report. We estimate an additional
eight hours for each six-month progress report (24 hours per award
recipient, totaling 384 burden hours) and 20 hours for each cooperative
agreement recipient to complete and submit a final technical report due
within 90 days of the project ending date (totaling 320 burden hours).
Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 1,904.
Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
Total Estimated Annual Non-hour Burden Cost: None.
An agency may not conduct or sponsor, nor is a person required to
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. 2023-14038 Filed 6-30-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4338-11-P
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