Agency Information Collection Activities; Leasing of Minerals Other Than Oil, Gas, and Sulphur in the Outer Continental Shelf

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Published

March 5, 2024

Issuing agencies

Interior DepartmentOcean Energy Management Bureau

Abstract

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) proposes this information collection request (ICR) to renew Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number 1010-0082.

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 44 (Tuesday, March 5, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 44 (Tuesday, March 5, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15890-15892]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-04554]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

[OMB Control Number 1010-0082; Docket ID: BOEM-2024-0007]

Agency Information Collection Activities; Leasing of Minerals
Other Than Oil, Gas, and Sulphur in the Outer Continental Shelf

AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) proposes this information
collection request (ICR) to renew Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
control number 1010-0082.

DATES: Comments must be received by BOEM no later than May 6, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments on this ICR by mail to the BOEM
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Anna Atkinson, Bureau of
Ocean Energy Management, 45600 Woodland Road, Sterling, Virginia 20166;
or by email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0e6f60606f206f7a6567607d61604e6c616b6320696178"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b7d6d9d9d699d6c3dcded9c4d8d9f7d5d8d2da99d0d8c1">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>. Please reference OMB control
number 1010-0082 in the subject line of your comments. You may comment
on the ICR and view related documents by searching the docket number
``BOEM-2024-0007'' at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anna Atkinson by email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e0818e8e81ce81948b898e938f8ea0828f858dce878f96"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="17767979763976637c7e79647879577578727a39707861">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>, or by telephone at 703-787-1025. 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 of 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 Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995, BOEM provides the general public and other Federal
agencies with an opportunity to comment on new, proposed, revised, and
continuing collections of information. This helps BOEM assess the
impact of its information collection requirements and minimize the
public's reporting burden. It also helps the public understand BOEM's
information collection requirements and provide the requested data in
the desired format.
BOEM is soliciting comments on the proposed ICR described below.
BOEM is especially interested in public comments addressing the
following issues: (1) is the collection necessary to the proper
functions of BOEM; (2) what can BOEM do to ensure that this information
is processed and used in a timely manner; (3) is the burden estimate
accurate; (4) how might BOEM enhance the quality, utility, and clarity
of the information to be collected; and (5) how might BOEM minimize the
burden of this collection on the respondents, including minimizing the
burden through the use of information technology?
Comments submitted in response to this notice are a matter of
public record. BOEM will include or summarize each comment on its ICR
to OMB for approval of this information collection. You should be aware
that your entire comment--including your address, phone number, email
address, or other personally identifiable information included in your
comment--may be made publicly available at any time. Even if BOEM
withholds your

[[Page 15891]]

personally identifiable information in the context of this ICR, your
comment is subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C.
552). Your information will only be withheld if a determination is made
that one of the FOIA exemptions to disclosure applies. Such a
determination will be made in accordance with the DOI's FOIA
implementing regulations (43 CFR part 2) and applicable law.
In order for BOEM to consider withholding from disclosure your
personal identifying information, you must identify, in a cover letter,
any information contained in the submittal of your comments that, if
released, would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of your
personal privacy. You must also briefly describe any possible harmful
consequences of the disclosure of information, such as embarrassment,
injury, or other harm. Note that BOEM will make available for public
inspection, in their entirety, all comments submitted by organizations
and businesses, or by individuals identifying themselves as
representatives of organizations or businesses.
BOEM protects proprietary information in accordance with the
Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552), Outer Continental Shelf
(OCS) Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1352(c)), and the Department of the
Interior's (DOI) implementing regulations (43 CFR part 2 and 30 CFR
part 581).
Title of Collection: 30 CFR part 581, ``Leasing of Minerals Other
Than Oil, Gas, and Sulphur in the Outer Continental Shelf.''
Abstract: The OCS Lands Act (Act), as amended (43 U.S.C. 1334 and
43 U.S.C. 1337(k)), authorizes the Secretary of the Interior
(Secretary) to administer OCS leasing and to prescribe the necessary
regulations to do so. The Act authorizes the Secretary to lease any
mineral other than oil, gas, and sulphur, subject to royalty, rental,
and other terms and conditions that the Secretary may prescribe at the
time of the lease offer.
Regulations at 30 CFR part 581 implement these statutory
requirements. BOEM has not conducted any OCS leasing activity for
minerals other than oil, gas, or sulphur in many years. Consequently,
BOEM has not generally collected information under this part of its
regulations. However, BOEM recognizes that the potential for such
information collection exists under part 581. Therefore, BOEM seeks OMB
renewal of the part 581 information collection.
BOEM will use the information required by 30 CFR part 581 to
determine if statutory requirements are met prior to the issuance of a
lease. Specifically, BOEM will use the information to:
<bullet> Evaluate the area and minerals requested by the applicant
to assess the viability of offering leases for sale;
<bullet> Request States to establish a joint task force to assess
the proposed action;
<bullet> Ensure excessive overriding royalty interests are not
created that would put economic constraints on all parties involved;
<bullet> Document that a leasehold or geographical subdivision has
been surrendered by the record title holder; and
<bullet> Determine if activities on the proposed lease area(s) will
have a significant impact on the environment.
OMB Control Number: 1010-0082.
Form Number: None.
Type of Review: Renewal of a currently approved collection.
Respondents and Affected Public: As there are no active
respondents, BOEM estimates the potential annual number of respondents
to be one. Potential respondents are OCS lease requestors, State
governments, and OCS mineral lessees.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 11 responses.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 1,004 hours.
Respondent's Obligation: Required to retain or obtain a benefit.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
Total Estimated Annual Non-hour Burden Cost: $50 non-hour cost
burden.
The following table details the individual information collection
components and respective hour burden estimates of this ICR. The
current approved annual burden hours are equal to 984 hours and the
annual responses are equal to 10. This information collection request
increases burdens to 1,004 and annual responses to 11 due to the
potential of tie bids. Tie bids requirements would involve more than
one respondent, so BOEM plans to increase this by one response and 20
annual burden hours. BOEM assumed that respondents perform certain
requirements in the normal course of their activities. BOEM considers
such requirements to be usual and customary and took that into account
in estimating the burden.

Burden Table
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Reporting and/or Annual
Citation 30 CFR 581 recordkeeping Hour Average number of annual burden
requirements * burden reponses hours
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Non-hour cost burden(s) *
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Subpart A--General
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6.................................... Appeal decisions..... Exempt under 5 CFR 1320.4(a)(2), (c). 0
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9.................................... Governor of affected 16 1 request................. 16
State initiates
negotiations on
jurisdictional
controversy, etc.,
and enters agreement
with BOEM.
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Subtotal........................................................... 1 response................ 16
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Subpart B--Leasing Procedures
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11(a), (c)........................... Submit request for 60 1 request................. 60
approval for mineral
lease with required
information.
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12................................... Submit response to Not considered IC as defined in 5 CFR 0
Call for Information 1320.3(h)(4).
and Interest on
areas for leasing of
minerals (other than
oil, gas, or
sulphur) in
accordance with
approved lease
program, including
information from
States/local
governments,
industry, Federal
agencies.
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13; 16............................... States or local 200 1 comment................. 200
governments
establish task
force; submit
comments/
recommendations on
planning,
coordination,
consultation, and
other issues that
may contribute to
the leasing process.
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[[Page 15892]]

16................................... Submit suggestions Not considered IC as defined in 5 CFR 0
and relevant 1320.3(h)(4).
information in
response to request
for comments on the
proposed leasing
notice, including
information from
States/local
governments.
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18; 20(e), (f); 26(a), (b)........... Submit bids (oral or 250 1 response................ 250
sealed) and required
information.
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18(b)(3), (c); 20 (e), (f)........... Tie bids--submit oral 20 2 responses............... 40
bids for highest
bidder.
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20(a), (b), (c); 41(a)............... Establish a company 58 1 response................ 58
file for
qualification,
submit updated
information, submit
qualifications for
lessee/bidder and
required information.
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21(a); 47(c)......................... Request for Not considered IC per 5 CFR 0
reconsideration of 1320.3(h)(9).
bid rejection/
cancellation.
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21(b), (e); 23; 26(e), (i); 40(b); 41 Execute lease 100 1 lease................... 100
(includes submission
of evidence of
authorized agent and
request for dating
of leases); maintain
auditable records re
30 CFR Chapter II,
Subchapter A--
[burden under ONRR
requirements].
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Subtotal........................................................... 7 responses............... 708
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Subpart C--Financial Considerations
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
31(b); 41............................ File application and 160 1 application............. 160
required information
for assignment or
transfer for
approval.
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$50 required or non-required filing document fee x 1 = $50.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
32(b), (c)........................... File application for 80 1 application............. 80
waiver, suspension,
or reduction and
required
documentation.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
33; 41(c)............................ Submit surety or Burden covered under 1010-0081. 0
personal bond.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal........................................................... 2 responses............... 240
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$50 non-Hour Cost Burden.
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Subpart E--Termination of Leases
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
46................................... File written request 40 1 response................ 40
for relinquishment.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Burden....................................................... 11 responses.............. 1,004
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$50 Non-Hour Cost Burden.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.).

Karen Thundiyil,
Chief, Office of Regulations, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
[FR Doc. 2024-04554 Filed 3-4-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4340-98-P

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