Agency Information Collection Activities; Decommissioning Activities

<NOTICE> DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR <SUBAGY>Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement</SUBAGY> <DEPDOC>[Docket ID BSEE-2025-0233; EEEE500000—256E1700D2—ET1SF0000.EAQ000; OMB Control Number 1014-0010]</DEPDOC> <SUBJECT>Agency Information Collection Activities; Decommissioning Activities</SUBJECT> <HD SOURCE="HED">AGENCY:</HD> Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, Interior. <HD SOURCE="HED">ACTION:</HD> Notice of information collection; request for comment. <SUM> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUMMARY:</HD> 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. </SUM> <DATES> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before November 24, 2025. </DATES> <HD SOURCE="HED">ADDRESSES:</HD> Send your comments on this information collection request (ICR) by either of the following methods listed below: • Electronically go to <E T="03">http://www.regulations.gov.</E> 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. • Email <E T="03">Kelly.Odom@bsee.gov</E> 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. <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> Kelly Odom by email at <E T="03">Kelly.Odom@bsee.gov</E> 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. </FURINF> <SUPLINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:</HD> 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 T="03">e.g.,</E> permitting electronic submission of response. Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of public record. We will include or 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. <E T="03">Abstract:</E> 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: • 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. • 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. • 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. • 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. • To verify that decommissioning activities comply with approved applications and procedures and are satisfactorily completed. • 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. • 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. <E T="03">Title of Collection:</E> 30 CFR part 250, subpart Q, “Decommissioning Activities.” <E T="03">OMB Control Number:</E> 1014-0010. <E T="03">Form Number:</E> None. <E T="03">Type of Review:</E> Extension of a currently approved collection. <E T="03">Respondents/Affected Public:</E> Potential respondents include Federal OCS oil, gas, and sulfur lessees and/or operators and holders of pipeline rights-of-way. <E T="03">Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents:</E> 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. <E T="03">Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses:</E> 3,248. <E T="03">Estimated Completion Time per Response:</E> Varies from 15 minutes to 28 hours, depending on activity. <E T="03">Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours:</E> 15,997. <E T="03">Respondent's Obligation:</E> Mandatory. <E T="03">Frequency of Collection:</E> Submissions are generally on occasion, varies by section, and annual. <E T="03">Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost:</E> $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 <E T="03">et seq.</E> ). <SIG> <NAME>Kirk Malstrom,</NAME> Chief, Regulations and Standards Branch. </SIG> </SUPLINF> <FRDOC>[FR Doc. 2025-18643 Filed 9-24-25; 8:45 am]</FRDOC> </NOTICE>