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Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
[Federal Register: July 14, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 134)]
[Notices]
[Page 41658-41661]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr14jy03-83]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Minerals Management Service
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request
AGENCY: Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior.
ACTION: Notice of New Information Collection Survey.
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SUMMARY: To comply with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act
of 1995 (PRA), we are inviting comments on an information collection
request (ICR) to conduct a new survey on Potential Impacts of OCS
Activities on Bowhead Whale Hunting Activities in the Beaufort Sea. We
are preparing an ICR that we will submit to the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) for review and approval.
DATE: Submit written comments by September 12, 2003.
ADDRESSES: Mail or hand carry comments to the Department of the
Interior; Minerals Management Service; Attention: Rules Processing
Team; Mail Stop 4024; 381 Elden Street; Herndon, Virginia 20170-4817.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Arlene Bajusz, Rules
Processing Team, telephone (703) 787-1600, to obtain a copy of the
survey instruments. For more information on the survey itself, contact
Dr. Dee Williams in the MMS Alaska Regional Office, telephone (907)
271-6680.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Survey Instruments--Quantitative Description of Potential
Impacts of OCS Activities on Bowhead Whale Hunting Activities in the
Beaufort Sea.
OMB Control Number: 1010-NEW.
Abstract: The Minerals Management Service (MMS) of the U.S.
Department of the Interior (USDOI) is responsible for oil and gas
leasing on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) under the OCS Lands Act of
1953, the OCS Lands Act Amendments of 1978 (OCSLA), and the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. OCSLA and NEPA require
assessment of the effects of OCS oil and gas activities on adjacent
human and physical environments. Therefore, USDOI/MMS acquires and
analyzes and/or oversees collection and analysis of environmental,
socio-economic, and socio-cultural information relevant to OCS
decisions and uses that information in Environmental Assessments (EA)
and Environmental Impact Statements (EIS).
This study is responsive to concerns among North Slope Borough
(NSB) residents that oil exploration and development activities in
general, and OCS activities in particular, are having an adverse effect
on whale hunting and I[ntilde]upiat life. There are three general areas
of concern. First are the worries over the physical effects of seismic
testing; the movement of barges, aircraft, and other transport vessels;
and the erection of platforms. Many think these disruptions alter the
feeding and migration patterns of bowhead whales
[[Page 41659]]
and other marine mammals. The result is that fall whaling crews must
move further out to sea, thereby increasing both the danger and the
costs of the hunt. There is also considerable anxiety over the
contamination of wild foods and the environment from drilling cuts,
mudflows, and production water wastes and petroleum discharges. Many of
the residents in the smaller villages question the long-term
consequences of altering freshwater habitats by draining lakes to build
ice roads; the interference of oil well structures, fences, and
pipeline on caribou crossings and the behavior of other land mammals;
or the ability of local residents to access marine and land mammals.
The social, cultural, and economic impact of energy development is
a second area of interest and apprehension. There are the direct
benefits of economic growth that many look forward to, such as more
employment opportunities, more discretionary income, and improved
public services. There are also negative trends associated with
industrialization, such as general anomie, excessive alcohol and drug
use, abusive and self-destructive behavior, higher accident rates, loss
of territory, restrictions on land use, loss of language and
subsistence skills, dissolution of family relations, decline in
community rituals and festivities, and the dilution of cultural values
such as sharing, reciprocity, respect for others, and consensual
decision making.
There is another, more intangible, worry about what some social
scientists call an ``opportunity-threat impact'' or fears about what
might happen to the health and well-being of one's family and
community. The implications of economic and social change in the Arctic
are not fully understood. Some welcome the transformation of the
community and the availability of freshwater, sewers, and better
housing. According to others, I[ntilde]upiat peoples have ``over
adapted'' to the new industrial economy, which can threaten the long-
term survival of cultural traditions and a distinctive way of life.
Whether the changes that accompany economic development are
positive or destructive depends heavily on the regulatory regimes and
mitigation measures that are in place, a final area of contention.
Here, complaints have been voiced about the pressure on the NSB to deal
with the accidents and the damages tied to development for which it is
not responsible. This puts added stress on the capacity of the NSB to
serve the needs of residents and is particularly troublesome in a time
of declining revenues and personnel layoffs.
The MMS proposes to collect the information in this study (1) to
describe participation in bowhead whale hunting and its importance to
and relationship with other traditional activities in three
I[ntilde]upiat communities on Alaska's North Slope and one control
community of similar size in the western part of the State; (2) to
describe and analyze community assessments of the effects of oil and
gas development and modernization on participation in traditional
activities, especially bowhead whale hunting; (3) to describe and
analyze community assessments of desired future conditions for whale
hunting and related traditional activities; and (4) to describe how oil
and gas development and other forces of modernization influence these
desired future conditions for whaling and other traditional activities.
The information collected will be used in regional EAs and EISs and
will be used to make decisions on future oil and gas lease sales in the
Beaufort Sea, currently scheduled for 2005 and 2007.
Survey Instruments: An integral aspect of the research effort is
the development and administration of three survey instruments that
will collect information about the North Slope communities of Barrow,
Kaktovik, and Nuiqsut and the ``control community'' of Savoonga on St.
Lawrence Island in the Bering Straits. The survey data are divided into
five broad categories: demographic and economic characteristics;
quantitative and qualitative summaries of participation in bowhead
whaling and other subsistence activities; an assessment of residents'
perceptions of the potential threats and benefits of OCS development to
subsistence and other traditional activities, especially bowhead
whaling; changes in the quality of life in each community, measured in
both economic and cultural terms; and the way residents view the likely
future of their communities.
The information under this proposed collection will be obtained
through personal interviews with three distinct groups: whaling
captains, adult-headed households and elders, and high school juniors
and seniors. A separate survey, based on previous studies, has been
developed for each of these groups.
The Whaling Captain Survey focuses on the patterns of participation
in whale hunting activities and the possible impact of OCS development
on these patterns. Demographic questions about age, length of time in
the community, education, gender, shareholder status in village and
regional corporations, and family relations will reveal, in part, a
captain's experience, understanding, and perspectives on social change
and resource development. The Household Survey focuses on the effects
of offshore oil industry activities on individual residents,
households, and groups in each community. Population characteristics
such as age, number, and relationships of people in the household and
level of education are related to changes in employment, income, and
economic opportunity. Gender, ethnic background, length of residency,
and corporate membership can also result in divergent views about
subsistence, development, language, and many other factors. The Student
Survey focuses on perceptions about the effects of OCS oil and gas
activities, documents student attitudes about I[ntilde]upiat
traditions, and tracks changes in student behaviors that help assess
inter-generational continuities. Responses may vary depending on age,
ethnicity, and gender.
It is assumed in all three surveys that Native ancestry is
predictably tied to participation in subsistence and other traditional
cultural activities. Since only coastal Alaskan Natives can legally
hunt bowhead whales and other marine mammals, the survey will include
only Native residents. Variation in participation in subsistence and
other traditional activities among groups, as well as over time, will
be a key analytical focus.
Interview Methods: The interviews for each survey will be done face
to face in a setting that is most comfortable for the respondent. This
personal method is more expensive and time consuming for the
researchers, but these drawbacks are outweighed by improvements in the
quality of information obtained and the rapport established between the
surveyor and the person interviewed. Telephone interviews have not been
successful on the North Slope.
Households in Barrow, Kaktovik, Nuiqsut, and Savoonga (control
village) will be randomly chosen for interviews. To achieve the desired
statistical confidence level, smaller communities are sampled at a
higher rate than are larger ones. Respondents will be paid for taking
part in the survey.
Frequency: One-time survey.
Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: Approximately 614
respondents from Alaska's North Slope communities and a control group
in western Alaska.
Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Hour'' Burden: All three
surveys together are estimated to involve about 474 total burden hours,
as described in the following chart.
[[Page 41660]]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated
Estimated hour Estimated annual burden
Respondent categories burden number of hours
(minutes) respondents (rounded)
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Whaling Captains:
Barrow......... 50 43 36
Kaktovik....... 50 10 8
Nuiqsut........ 50 10 8
Savoonga....... 50 28 23
-----------------
Subtotal... .............. 91 75
Households:
NSB............ 45 281 211
Control Village.. 45 70 53
-----------------
Subtotal..... .............. 351 264
Elders:
NSB............. 50 42 35
Control Village.. 50 20 17
-----------------
Subtotal..... .............. 62 52
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High School (total). 45 110 83
-----------------
Grand Total. ...... 614 474
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'' Burden: No
non-hour cost burden has been identified.
Protections of Respondent Confidentiality: Prior to every
interview, an introduction will be read to each respondent explaining
the voluntary nature of their participation, the right to refuse to
answer any question, and the measures that are implemented to protect
their confidentiality. With regard to participation in the Student
Survey, parents will sign consent forms with an X for minor children
who agree to be interviewed. Procedures designed to protect
confidentiality will include the use of coded identification numbers to
eliminate the use of personal names, reliance upon self-administration
for the most sensitive component of the surveys, and strict adherence
to the highest code of ethical conduct, including the framework adopted
by the U.S. Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee.
In the Household and Whaling Captain Surveys, there are three
possible sensitive questions on annual household income, unemployment,
and household finances. These questions have been used many times in
past studies with few complaints. During the interviews, respondents
will be warned that sensitive questions are coming up and that they may
refuse to answer. The self-administered portion of the Student Survey
contains sensitive questions about alcohol and drug use and sexual
activity. The questions come directly from the Centers for Disease
Control semiannual YRBSS questionnaire. This part of the survey will be
self-administered, and students may again choose not to answer any
question. Upon completion, each student will privately place their
questionnaire in a sealed envelope. The envelope will only be opened
later by a data processor, who will not be aware of how any particular
student answered the questions.
Public Disclosure Statement: The PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.)
provides that an agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of
information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
Until OMB approves a collection of information, you are not obligated
to respond.
Comments: Before submitting an ICR to OMB, PRA section
3506(c)(2)(A) requires each agency ``* * * to provide notice * * * and
otherwise consult with members of the public and affected agencies
concerning each proposed collection of information * * *''. Agencies
must specifically solicit comments to: (a) Evaluate whether the
proposed collection of information is necessary for the agency to
perform its duties, including whether the information is useful; (b)
evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the
proposed collection of information; (c) enhance the quality,
usefulness, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d)
minimize the burden on the respondents, including the use of automated
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
Agencies must also estimate the ``non-hour cost'' burdens to
respondents or recordkeepers resulting from the collection of
information. Therefore, if you, as the respondent, have costs to
generate, maintain, and disclose this information, you should comment
and provide your total capital and startup cost components or annual
operation, maintenance, and purchase of service components. 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, and record storage facilities. You should not include
estimates for 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.
The MMS will summarize written responses to this notice and address
them in the submission for OMB approval. As a result of your comments,
MMS will make any necessary adjustments to the burden in the submission
to OMB.
Public Comment Policy: The MMS's practice is to make comments,
including names and home addresses of respondents, available for public
review during regular business hours. Individual respondents may
request that their home address be withheld from the record, which will
be honored to the extent allowable by law. If you wish to withhold your
name and/or address, you must state this prominently at the
[[Page 41661]]
beginning of your comment. However, anonymous comments will not be
considered. All submissions from organizations or businesses, and from
individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of
organizations or businesses, will be made available for public
inspection in their entirety.
MMS Information Collection Clearance Officer: Jo Ann Lauterbach,
(202) 208-7744.
Dated: July 3, 2003.
E.P. Danenberger,
Chief, Engineering and Operations Division.
[FR Doc. 03-17663 Filed 7-11-03; 8:45 am]