Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: Pollution Prevention and Control

Agency Information Collection Activities; Pollution Prevention and Control

DATES:

Comments must be received by BOEM no later than September 22, 2026.

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 that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of public record. BOEM will include or summarize each comment in 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 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 Department of the Interior's (DOI) FOIA implementing regulations (43 CFR part 2) and applicable law.

In order for BOEM to consider withholding from disclosure your personally identifiable 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 FOIA, DOI's implementing regulations (43 CFR part 2), and 30 CFR 580.70, promulgated pursuant to the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCS Lands Act) (43 U.S.C. 1352(c)).

Title of Collection: 30 CFR part 550, subpart C, "Pollution Prevention and Control."

Abstract: This ICR concerns the paperwork requirements in the regulations at 30 CFR part 550, subpart C, "Pollution Prevention and Control."

Section 5(a) of the OCS Lands Act, as amended (43 U.S.C. 1334(a)), authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to prescribe rules and regulations to manage the energy and mineral resources of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). With regard to this ICR renewal, such rules and regulations apply to all OCS oil and gas operations conducted under a lease, right-of-use and easement, and pipeline right-of-way.

Section 5(a)(8) of OCS Lands Act requires that regulations prescribed by the Secretary include provisions "for compliance with the national ambient air quality standards pursuant to the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq. ), to the extent that activities authorized under this subchapter significantly affect the air quality of any State." This information collection renewal concerns information that is submitted to BOEM under 30 CFR part 550, subpart C, "Pollution Prevention and Control," which implements section 5(a)(8), and under related notices to lessees and operators (NTLs), which clarify and provide additional, nonbinding guidance on aspects of the regulations. BOEM uses this information to inform its decisions on plan approval, to ensure operations are conducted according to all applicable regulations and plan conditions of approval, and to inform State and regional planning organizations' modeling efforts.

Since 2005, under the regulatory authority of 30 CFR 550.303(k) and 550.304(g), BOEM has required emissions information from operators in order to prepare an emission inventory every three years to help ensure that its regulations comply with section 5(a)(8) of OCS Lands Act. These emission inventories provide the essential input that BOEM needs to assess the impacts of OCS oil and gas activity on the States as mandated by OCS Lands Act. Also, these inventories provide the States with essential information needed to perform their implementation plan demonstrations to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

BOEM provides updated guidance to lessees and operators on submitting information about their facility operations, as required by OCS Lands Act and the Department's implementing regulations. The requested information is collected through BOEM's web-based emissions reporting tool, the OCS Air Quality System (OCS AQS). The OCS AQS allows operators to submit their facility activity data electronically into the system, instantaneously calculates monthly and annual emissions, assures and controls data quality, generates reports such as emission inventory reports, and creates data graphics including geographic information system maps for operators and BOEM. The OCS AQS makes it easy for users to enter activity data, calculate emissions data in real-time, and leverage built-in validation features to quality check calculations prior to submission.

OMB Control Number: 1010-0057.

Form Number: None.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved information collection.

Respondents/Affected Public: Potential respondents comprise Federal OCS oil, gas, and sulfur permittees or notice filers.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 838 responses.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 53,064 hours.

Respondent's Obligation: Required to retain or obtain a benefit.

Frequency of Collection: Every 3 years.

Total Estimated Annual Non-hour Burden Cost: None.

The following table details the individual BOEM information collections under OMB Control Number 1010-0057 and respective hour burden estimates for this ICR.

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. ).