[Federal Register: July 28, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 144)]
[Notices]               
[Page 40308-40309]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28jy98-94]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service

 
Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for Office 
of Management and Budget Review; Comment Request

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of a new information collection.

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SUMMARY: As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Act), the 
Department of the Interior has submitted the new collection of 
information discussed below to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) for approval. The Act provides that 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.

DATES: Submit written comments by August 27, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments and suggestions directly to the Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for 
the Department of the Interior (1010-NEW), 725 17th Street, NW, 
Washington, DC 20503. Send a copy of your comments to the Minerals 
Management Service, Attention: Rules Processing Team, Mail Stop 4024, 
381 Elden Street, Herndon, Virginia 20170-4817.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alexis London, Engineering and 
Operations Division, Minerals Management Service, telephone (703) 787-
1600. You may obtain copies of the supporting statement and collection 
of information by contacting MMS's Information Collection Clearance 
Officer at (202) 208-7744.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Survey--Testing and Calibrating the Measurement of Nonmarket 
Values for Natural Resources via the Contingent Valuation Methods.
    Abstract: The Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act, as amended, 
directs the Secretary of the Interior to prepare a ``5-Year Program'' 
that specifies the schedule of offshore natural gas and oil lease sales 
for the 5-year period covered by the document. The MMS prepares the 5-
Year Program for the Secretary. The key analytical support for the 
Secretary's decision is a cost-benefit analysis of all size, timing, 
and location alternatives for all lease sales being considered. The 
MMS's 5-year cost-benefit analysis is an almost complete accounting of 
all the costs and benefits attributable to the offshore natural gas and 
oil leasing and development process. However, the cost-benefit analysis 
has one major exclusion. MMS does not account fully for the existence 
values (also called passive enjoyment values) of resources that might 
be damaged or lost through offshore activities. Existence values 
include the values people might place on a resource just by knowing it 
exists, or by having the option of using it at some future date, or by 
being able to bequeath it to future generations.
    The only way currently available to measure existence values is 
through the use of the contingent valuation method (CVA). CVA consists 
of carefully constructed questionnaires which are used in interviews 
that elicit from people their estimate of what they would be willing to 
pay to avoid the loss or damage. The MMS has two major reasons why it 
has not funded CVA studies to provide estimates of existence values to 
complete its cost-benefit analysis: First, the methodology for CVA 
studies is stillsomewhat controversial in the economics profession. 
Second, CVA studies for a program covering as vast an array of 
environmental resources across the entire outer continental shelf would 
be prohibitively expensive.
    The proposed survey is part of a research plan designed to come to 
grips with both of these problems. This project focuses on improving 
the methodology of CVA and its acceptance by the economics profession. 
A follow-on project would build on the results of this project to test 
a less expensive way of gathering estimates of peoples'

[[Page 40309]]

willingness to pay for environmental resource protection. This new 
approach is expected to cut the cost of CVA studies to one-third the 
present cost. With these improvements, MMS should be able to complete 
its 5-year cost-benefit analysis using methodology acceptable to a 
majority of the economics profession.
    Frequency: This is a one-time voluntary survey.
    Estimated number and description of respondents and reporting and 
recordkeeping ``hour'' burden: Approximately 1,200 American adults will 
be asked four questions, averaging about 5 minutes per respondent. 
There is no recordkeeping burden.
    Estimated reporting and recordkeeping ``cost'' burden: This is a 
one time survey with no cost burden on the respondents to provide this 
collection of information.
    Comments: Section 3506 (c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act 
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.
    Send your comments directly to the offices listed under the 
addresses section of this notice. The OMB has up to 60 days to approve 
or disapprove the information collection but may respond after 30 days. 
Therefore, to ensure maximum consideration, OMB should receive public 
comments by August 27, 1998.
    MMS Information Collection Clearance Officer: Jo Ann Lauterbach, 
(202) 208-7744.

    Dated: June 17, 1998.
E. P. Danenberger,
Chief, Engineering and Operations Division.
[FR Doc. 98-20047 Filed 7-27-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P