Notice2025-18643
Agency Information Collection Activities; Decommissioning Activities
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
September 25, 2025
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentSafety and Environmental Enforcement Bureau
Abstract
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE, we) proposes to renew an information collection.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 184 (Thursday, September 25, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 184 (Thursday, September 25, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46251-46252]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-18643]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement
[Docket ID BSEE-2025-0233; EEEE500000--256E1700D2--ET1SF0000.EAQ000;
OMB Control Number 1014-0010]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Decommissioning
Activities
AGENCY: Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995,
the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE, we) proposes
to renew an information collection.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before
November 24, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Send your comments on this information collection request
(ICR) by either of the following methods listed below:
<bullet> Electronically go to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>. In the
Search box, enter BSEE-2025-0233 then click search. Follow the
instructions to submit public comments and view all related materials.
We will post all comments.
<bullet> Email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e3a8868f8f9acdac878c8ea381908686cd848c95"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a2e9c7cecedb8cedc6cdcfe2c0d1c7c78cc5cdd4">[email protected]</span></a> or mail or hand-carry comments
to the Department of the Interior; Bureau of Safety and Environmental
Enforcement; Regulations and Standards Branch; ATTN: Kelly Odom; 45600
Woodland Road, Sterling, VA 20166. Please reference Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) Control Number 1014-0010 in the subject
line of your comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kelly Odom by email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#9fd4faf3f3e6b1d0fbf0f2dffdecfafab1f8f0e9"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a1eac4cdcdd88feec5cecce1c3d2c4c48fc6ced7">[email protected]</span></a> or by telephone at (703) 787-1775. 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 and 5 CFR
1320.8(d)(1), all information collections require OMB 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 might the agency 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
[[Page 46252]]
summarize each comment in our request to OMB to approve this ICR.
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 regulations at 30 CFR part 250, subpart Q, pertain to
decommissioning activities. BSEE uses the information collected under
subpart Q primarily for the following reasons:
<bullet> To determine the necessity for allowing a well to be
temporarily abandoned, the lessee/operator must demonstrate that there
is a reason for not permanently plugging the well and that the
temporary abandonment will not interfere with fishing, navigation, or
other uses of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). We use the information
and documentation to verify that the lessee/operator is diligently
pursuing the final disposition of the well and has performed the
temporary plugging of the wellbore.
<bullet> To ensure the information submitted in initial
decommissioning plans in the Alaska and Pacific OCS Regions will permit
BSEE to become involved on the ground floor planning of platform
removals anticipated to occur in these OCS regions.
<bullet> To ensure that all objects (wellheads, platforms, etc.)
installed on the OCS are properly removed using procedures that will
protect marine life and the environment during removal operations, and
the site cleared so as not to conflict with or harm other uses of the
OCS in coordination with other Federal, State, and local government
agencies.
<bullet> To ensure that decommissioning a pipeline in place will
not constitute a hazard to navigation and commercial fishing
operations, unduly interfere with other uses of the OCS, such as sand
resource areas for coastal restoration projects, or have adverse
environmental effects.
<bullet> To verify that decommissioning activities comply with
approved applications and procedures and are satisfactorily completed.
<bullet> To evaluate and approve the adequacy of the equipment,
materials, and/or procedures that the lessee or operator plans to use
during well modifications and changes in equipment, etc.
<bullet> To help BSEE better estimate future decommissioning costs
for OCS leases, rights-of-way, and rights of use and easements. BSEE's
future decommissioning cost estimates may then be used by the Bureau of
Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to set necessary financial assurance
levels to minimize or eliminate the possibility that the government
will incur abandonment liability. The information will assist BSEE and
BOEM in meeting their stewardship responsibilities and in their roles
as regulators.
Title of Collection: 30 CFR part 250, subpart Q, ``Decommissioning
Activities.''
OMB Control Number: 1014-0010.
Form Number: None.
Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Respondents/Affected Public: Potential respondents include Federal
OCS oil, gas, and sulfur lessees and/or operators and holders of
pipeline rights-of-way.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: Currently there are
approximately 555 Federal OCS oil, gas, and sulfur lessees and holders
of pipeline rights-of-way. Not all the potential respondents will
submit information in any given year, and some may submit multiple
times.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 3,248.
Estimated Completion Time per Response: Varies from 15 minutes to
28 hours, depending on activity.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 15,997.
Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
Frequency of Collection: Submissions are generally on occasion,
varies by section, and annual.
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: $1,143,556.
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.).
Kirk Malstrom,
Chief, Regulations and Standards Branch.
[FR Doc. 2025-18643 Filed 9-24-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-VH-P
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