Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments

AGENCY:

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Interior.

ACTION:

Notice of revision of a currently approved information collection, (1028-0094).

SUMMARY:

We (the U.S. Geological Survey) are notifying the public that we have submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) the information collection request (ICR) described below. To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and as part of our continuing efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, we invite the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on this ICR. This collection is scheduled to expire on 3/31/2016.

DATES:

To ensure that your comments on this ICR are considered, OMB must receive them on or before April 25, 2016.

ADDRESSES:

Please submit written comments on this information collection directly to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attention: Desk Officer for the Department of the Interior, via email: (OIRA_SUBMISSION@omb.eop.gov); or by fax (202) 395-5806; and identify your submission with `OMB Control Number 1028-0094 Energy Cooperatives to Support the National Coal Resources Data System (NCRDS). Please also forward a copy of your comments and suggestions on this information collection to the Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Geological Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive MS 807, Reston, VA 20192 (mail); (703) 648-7195 (fax); or gs-info_collections@usgs.gov (email). Please reference `OMB Information Collection 1028-0094: Energy Cooperatives to Support the National Coal Resources Data System (NCRDS) in all correspondence.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Joseph East, Eastern Energy Resources Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Mail Stop 956, Reston, VA 20192 (mail); 703-648-6450 (phone); or jeast@usgs.gov (email). You may also find information about this ICR at www.reginfo.gov .

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

The primary objective of the National Coal Resources Data System (NCRDS) is to advance the understanding of the energy endowment of the United States (U.S.) by gathering and organizing digital geologic information related to coal, coal bed gas, shale gas, conventional and unconventional oil and gas, geothermal, and other energy resources and related information regarding these resources, along with environmental impacts from using these resources. These data are needed to support regional or national assessments concerning energy resources. Requesting external cooperation is a way for NCRDS to collect energy data and perform research and analyses on the characterization of geologic material, and obtain other information (including geophysical or seismic data, sample collection for generation of thermal maturity data) that can be used in energy resource assessments and related studies.

The USGS will issue a call for proposals to support researchers from State Geological Surveys and associated accredited state universities that can provide geologic data to support NCRDS and other energy assessment projects being conducted by the USGS.

Data submitted to NCRDS by external cooperators constitute more than two-thirds of the USGS point-source stratigraphic database (USTRAT) on coal occurrence. In 2015, NCRDS supported 21 projects in 19 States. This program is conducted under various authorities, including 30 U.S.C. 208-1, 42 U.S.C. 15801, and 43 U.S.C. 31 et seq. This collection will consist of applications, proposals and reports (annual and final).

II. Data

OMB Control Number: 1028-0094.

Form Number: None.

Title: Energy Cooperatives to Support the National Coal Resources Data System (NCRDS).

Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved information collection.

Respondent Obligation: Required to obtain or retain benefits.

Frequency of Collection: One time every 5 years for applications and final reports; annually for progress reports.

Description of Respondents: State, local and tribal governments; State Geological Surveys, State universities.

Estimated Total Number of Annual Responses: 21.

Estimated Time per Response: We estimate that it will take 20 hours to complete an application and 4.6 hours to prepare annual reports.

Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 181.

Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping “Non-Hour Cost” Burden: There are no “non-hour cost” burdens associated with this collection of information.

Public Disclosure Statement: The PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.) provides that an agency 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. Until the OMB approves a collection of information, you are not obliged to respond.

Comments: On 11/23/2015, we published a Federal Register notice (80 FR 72985) announcing that we would submit this ICR to OMB for approval and soliciting comments. The comment period closed on 1/22/2016. We received No comments.

III. Request for Comments

We again invite comments concerning this ICR as to: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the agency to perform its duties, including whether the information is useful; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information; (c) how to enhance the quality, usefulness, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) how to minimize the burden on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Please note that comments submitted in response to this notice are a matter of public record. Before including your personal mailing address, phone number, email address, or other personally identifiable information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment, including your personally identifiable information, may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us and the OMB in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that it will be done.