CRE Comments on BOEM’s Seismic ICR

The Center for Regulatory Effectiveness filed comments on the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (“BOEM”) Information Collection Request (“ICR”) for certain activities including seismic airguns. This ICR must be approved by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Information and Regulatory affairs before the ICR can be enforced. CRE’s comments made the following and other points.

• The U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service is cooperating with BOEM indeveloping these new monitoring requirements, which both Agencies refer to as the Long Term Monitoring Plan (“LTMP”). The requested ICR 1010-0048 does not cover and would not authorize any information collections in the LTMP.

• NMFS is developing new marine mammal Take regulations for oil and gas in the Gulf of Mexico. The requested ICR 1010-0O48 does not cover and would not authorize any information collections in these not-yet proposed Take regulations

• OMB/OIRA should impose Terms of Clearance on ICR 1010-0048. The terms of Clearance should state that this ICR does not cover and does not authorize any information collections in the LTMP. The Terms of Clearance should also state that this ICR does not cover and does not authorize any information collections in the Gulf of Mexico Mexico marine mammal Take regulations that NMFS is developing for oil and gas at BOEM’s request. OMB/OIRA imposed similar terms of clearance on a related BSEE ICR.

Click here to read CRE’s comments.