Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service

Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;

Comment Request

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior.

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ACTION: Notice of a new information collection.

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SUMMARY: As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and

respondent burden, MMS invites the public and other Federal agencies to

comment on a proposal to request approval of the new collection of

information discussed below. The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA)

provides that 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 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number.

DATES: Submit written comments by November 4, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to the Rules Processing Team,

Minerals Management Service, Mail Stop 4020, 381 Elden Street, Herndon,

Virginia 20170-4817.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alexis London, Rules Processing Team,

telephone (703) 787-1600. You may also contact Alexis London to obtain

a copy of the proposed collection of information at no cost.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: NTL--Performance Measures for OCS Operators and MMS Form

XXX.

OMB Control Number: 1010-NEW.

Abstract: The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA), at 43

U.S.C. 1331 et seq., requires the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary)

to preserve, protect, and develop oil and gas resources on the Outer

Continental Shelf (OCS); make such resources available to meet the

Nation's energy needs as rapidly as possible; balance orderly energy

resource development with protection of the human, marine, and coastal

environment; ensure the public a fair and equitable return on the

resources offshore; and preserve and maintain free enterprise

competition.

In a collaborative effort with representatives of 17 oil and gas

companies, representatives of five trade associations (American

Petroleum Institute, Offshore Operators Committee, International

Petroleum Association of America, International Association of Drilling

Contractors, and National Ocean Industries Association), and the Coast

Guard, MMS developed a set of performance measures intended to (1)

determine if OCS safety and environmental performance is improving over

time through the implementation of the Safety and Environmental

Management Program (SEMP) on the OCS, (2) provide an industry average

and range for various quantitative measures against which companies can

compare themselves, (3) give MMS assurance that an operator's safety

and environmental performance is improving, and (4) provide comparison

data on which companies with good performance can base requests to MMS

for specific regulatory relief.

Like the implementation of SEMP, participation in the performance

measures effort is voluntary. However, the quality of the information

that can be garnered from analysis of the data depends on the

widespread support of this effort. The MMS currently collects a great

deal of information under regulation. It does not have, but intends to

collect on a voluntary basis, information that will be described in a

new Notice to Lessees on Performance Measures for OCS Operators. The

information proposed for collection will consist of:

(a) Separated by Production Operations, Drilling Operations, and

Construction Operations:

Number of company employee recordable accidents,

Number of contract employee recordable accidents,

Total number of recordable accidents,

Number of company employee lost time accidents,

Number of contract employee lost time accidents,

Total number of lost time accidents,

Company employee hours worked,

Contract employee hours worked,

Total hours worked,

Total recordable incidence rate (by formula provided),

Total lost time incidence rate (by formula provided).

(b) By totals

Number of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National

Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) reported exceedances,

EPA NPDES discharge incidence rate,

Oil spills <1 bbl by number and volume.

Data will be collected for calendar years 1996 and 1997 in the

first quarter of calendar 1997. Requests for information for subsequent

years will be made at the end of each year. It is expected that some

companies will not have complete information for the first submission.

They will be requested to provide as complete information as possible

and to make adjustments as necessary to improve reporting in subsequent

collections.

The MMS will use the information collected to work with industry

representatives to identify ``pacesetter'' companies and request them

to make presentations at periodic workshops. Knowing how the offshore

operators as a group are doing and where their own company ranks will

provide company management with information to focus their continuous

improvement efforts. This should lead to more cost-effective prevention

actions. This information will also provide offshore operators and

organizations with a credible data source to demonstrate how well the

industry and individual companies are doing to those outside the

industry. The MMS can better focus its regulatory and research programs

on areas where the performance measures indicate that operators are

having difficulty meeting MMS expectations. The MMS should be more

effective in leveraging its resources by redirecting research efforts,

promoting appropriate regulatory initiatives, and shifting inspection

program emphasis. The performance measures will also give MMS a

verifiable gauge against which to judge the reasonableness of company

requests for specific regulatory relief. They will provide a starting

point for the dialog.

If respondents submit confidential or proprietary information, MMS

will protect such information in accordance with the Freedom of

Information Act; 30 CFR 250.18, Data and information to be made

available to the public; and 30 CFR Part 252, OCS Oil and Gas

Information Program. No items of a sensitive nature are collected. The

requirement to respond is voluntary.

Frequency: Annual.

Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: 130 Federal OCS

oil and gas or sulphur lessees.

Estimated Average Hour Burden: 16-32 burden hours per response.

This number is expected to decrease as respondents become more familiar

with the performance measures.

Estimated Average Cost Burden: The MMS has identified no cost

burdens on respondents for providing this information.

Comments: The MMS will summarize written responses to this notice

and address them in its submission for OMB approval. All comments will

become a matter of public record. We will also consult with a

representative sample of respondents. As a result of these efforts, we

will make any necessary adjustments for our submission to OMB. In

calculating the burden, MMS may have assumed that respondents maintain

much of the information collected in the normal course of their

activities, and we considered that to be usual and customary business

practice.

(1) The MMS specifically solicits comments on the following

questions:

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(a) Is the proposed collection of information necessary for the

proper performance of MMS's functions, and will it be useful?

(b) Are the estimates of the burden hours of the proposed

collection reasonable?

(c) Do you have any suggestions that would enhance the quality,

clarity, or usefulness of the information to be collected?

(d) Is there a way to minimize the information collection burden on

those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate

automated electronic, mechanical, or other forms of information

technology?

(2) In addition, the PRA requires agencies to estimate the total

annual cost burden to respondents as a direct result of this collection

of information. The MMS needs your comments on this item. Your response

should split the cost estimate into two components:

(a) Total capital and startup cost component; and

(b) Annual operation, maintenance, and purchase of services

component. Your estimates should consider the costs to generate,

maintain, and disclose or provide the information. You should describe

the methods you use to estimate major cost factors, including system

and technology acquisition, expected useful life of capital equipment,

discount rate(s), and the period over which you incur costs. Capital

and startup costs include, among other items, computers and software

you purchase to prepare for collecting information; monitoring,

sampling, drilling, and testing equipment; and record storage

facilities. Do not include in your estimates equipment or services

purchased: (i) before October 1, 1995; (ii) to comply with requirements

not associated with the information collection; (iii) for reasons other

than to provide information or keep records for the Government; or (iv)

as part of customary and usual business or private practices.

MMS Information Collection Clearance Officer: Jo Ann Lauterbach,

(202) 208-7744.

Dated: August 27, 1997.

E.P. Danenberger,

Chief, Engineering and Operations Division.

[FR Doc. 97-23634 Filed 9-4-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P