Notice2024-23481
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; the Alternatives Process in Hydropower Licensing
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
October 10, 2024
Issuing agencies
Interior Department
Abstract
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the Office of the Secretary, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance, Department of the Interior (we, OS-OEPC) are proposing to renew an information collection.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 197 (Thursday, October 10, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 197 (Thursday, October 10, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 82254-82255]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-23481]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Office of the Secretary
[245D0102DM DS61100000 DLSN00000.000000 DX61101; OMB Control Number
1094-0001]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; the
Alternatives Process in Hydropower Licensing
AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Office of Environmental Policy and
Compliance, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we,
the Office of the Secretary, Office of Environmental Policy and
Compliance, Department of the Interior (we, OS-OEPC) are proposing to
renew an information collection.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before
November 12, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments on this information collection request
(ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget's Desk Officer for the
Department of the Interior by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#1857514a59474b6d7a75716b6b7177765877757a367d7768367f776e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2966607b68767a5c4b44405a5a4046476946444b074c4659074e465f">[email protected]</span></a>; or
via facsimile to (202) 395-5806. Please provide a copy of your comments
to National Environmental Policy Act and Environmental Review
Coordination Division, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance,
U.S. Department of the Interior, MS 2629-MIB, 1849 C Street NW,
Washington, DC 20240; or by email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#ca8fa4bca3b8a5a4a7afa4beaba69598afbca3afbd8aa3a5b9e4aea5a3e4ada5bc"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e3a68d958a918c8d8e868d97828fbcb186958a8694a38a8c90cd878c8acd848c95">[email protected]</span></a>.
Please reference OMB Control Number 1094-0001 in the subject line of
your comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information
about this ICR, contact Shawn Alam, National Environmental Policy Act
and Environmental Review Coordination Division by email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#98ddf6eef1eaf7f6f5fdf6ecf9f4c7cafdeef1fdefd8f1f7ebb6fcf7f1b6fff7ee"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="8dc8e3fbe4ffe2e3e0e8e3f9ece1d2dfe8fbe4e8facde4e2fea3e9e2e4a3eae2fb">[email protected]</span></a>, or by telephone at (771) 216-5846.
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 Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995, 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.
On June 7, 2024, we published a Federal Register notice with a 60-
day public comment period soliciting comments on this collection of
information (89 FR 48673). We received no comments in response to that
notice.
We are again soliciting comments on the proposed ICR that is
described below. We are especially interested in public comment
addressing the following issues: (1) is the collection necessary to the
proper functions of the OS-OEPC; (2) will this information be processed
and used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate;
(4) how might the OS-OEPC enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of
the information to be collected; and (5) how might the OS-OEPC minimize
the burden of this collection on the respondents, including through the
use of information technology.
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 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 us in your comment to withhold your personal
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we
will be able to do so.
Abstract: The OMB regulations at 5 CFR part 1320, which implement
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq., require
that interested members of the public and affected agencies have an
opportunity to comment on information collection and recordkeeping
activities (see 5 CFR 1320.8 (d)).
On November 23, 2016, the Departments of Agriculture, the Interior,
and Commerce published a final rule on the March 31, 2015 revised
interim final rule to the interim rule originally published in November
2005 at 7 CFR
[[Page 82255]]
part 1, 43 CFR part 45, and 50 CFR part 221, to implement section 241
of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EP Act), Public Law 109-58, enacted
on August 8, 2005. Section 241 of the EP Act added a new section 33 to
the Federal Power Act (FPA), 16 U.S.C. 823d, that allowed the license
applicant or any other party to the license proceeding to propose an
alternative to a condition or prescription that one or more of the
Departments develop for inclusion in a hydropower license issued by the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) under the FPA. This
provision required that the Department of Agriculture, the Department
of the Interior, and the Department of Commerce collect the information
covered by 1094-0001.
Under FPA section 33, the Secretary of the Department involved must
accept the proposed alternative if the Secretary determines, based on
substantial evidence provided by a party to the license proceeding or
otherwise available to the Secretary, (a) that the alternative
condition provides for the adequate protection and utilization of the
reservation, or that the alternative prescription will be no less
protective than the fishway initially proposed by the Secretary, and
(b) that the alternative will either cost significantly less to
implement or result in improved operation of the project works for
electricity production.
In order to make this determination, the regulations require that
all of the following information be collected: (1) a description of the
alternative, in an equivalent level of detail to the Department's
preliminary condition or prescription; (2) an explanation of how the
alternative: (i) if a condition, will provide for the adequate
protection and utilization of the reservation; or (ii) if a
prescription, will be no less protective than the fishway prescribed by
the bureau; (3) an explanation of how the alternative, as compared to
the preliminary condition or prescription, will: (i) cost significantly
less to implement; or (ii) result in improved operation of the project
works for electricity production; (4) an explanation of how the
alternative or revised alternative will affect: (i) energy supply,
distribution, cost, and use; (ii) flood control; (iii) navigation; (iv)
water supply; (v) air quality; and (vi) other aspects of environmental
quality; and (5) specific citations to any scientific studies,
literature, and other documented information relied on to support the
proposal.
This notice of proposed renewal of an existing information
collection is being published by the Office of Environmental Policy and
Compliance, Department of the Interior, on behalf of all three
Departments, and the data provided below covers anticipated responses
(alternative conditions/prescriptions and associated information) for
all three Departments.
Title of Collection: 7 CFR part 1; 43 CFR part 45; 50 CFR part 221;
The Alternatives Process in Hydropower Licensing.
OMB Control Number: 1094-0001.
Form Number: None.
Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Respondents/Affected Public: Business or for-profit entities.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 5.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 5.
Estimated Completion Time per Response: 500 hours.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 2,500 hours.
Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
Frequency of Collection: Once per alternative proposed.
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: None.
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).
Stephen G. Tryon,
Director, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2024-23481 Filed 10-9-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4334-63-P
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