1028-0062_part A

Supporting Statement A for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions

OMB Control Number 1028-0062

Industrial Minerals Surveys

Expiration Date: July 31, 2008 (38 forms see enclosure 1)

TERMS OF CLEARANCE: In accordance with CFR 1320, this collection is approved for one year. Upon its next request for OMB approval, the agency should provide the basis for its certification that the collection uses effective and efficient statistical methodology appropriate to the purpose for which the information is to be collected for each information collection (IC) included herein.

NOTE: These Terms of Clearance are addressed in the response for Part B Question 1.

Specific Instructions

A. Justification

1. Explain the circumstances that make the collection of information necessary. Identify any legal or administrative requirements that necessitate the collection. Attach a copy of the appropriate section of each statute and regulation mandating or authorizing the collection of information.

The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) has policy responsibility for the Nation’s mineral resources and their derived industries. The National Mining and Minerals Policy Act of 1970 (Public Law 91-631), the National Materials and Minerals Policy, Research and Development Act of 1980 (Public Law 96-479) and the Defense Production Act make it incumbent upon the Secretary of the Interior to be informed about and to inform the Congress of important developments, including crises, in the minerals industries. DOI responsibilities regarding mineral resources are discharged through a staff of scientists, including geologists, chemists, and physicists; engineers; economists; and mineral commodity specialists. Many of the responsibilities are assigned to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

Two fundamental activities—mining and agriculture—form the basis of the Nation’s wealth because they furnish all the raw materials and most of the energy that are used in all other industries. Additionally, the mining industry supplies the fertilizers, pesticides, and soil conditioners that significantly enhance the performance of the agricultural sector. For those raw materials not produced domestically, supplies must be imported. This adversely affects the trade balance and, for some materials, puts U.S. industries at risk of supply disruptions because of international political developments. Imports may also compete with domestic production, thus jeopardizing U.S. jobs. Accordingly, the Government requires accurate, timely data on raw materials production and related industries to formulate policies that ensure national security and economic well-being. The USGS canvass forms are the fundamental means by which data on minerals, mining, and related materials production are obtained.

2. Indicate how, by whom, and for what purpose the information is to be used. Except for a new collection, indicate the actual use the agency has made of the information received from the current collection. [Be specific. If this collection is a form or a questionnaire, every question needs to be justified.]

The data obtained from these canvasses are used by Government agencies, Congressional offices, educational institutions, research organizations, financial institutions, consulting firms, industry, and the public. They provide the Government with essential consumption data for use in legislative decisions, research programs, economic studies, analyses, land use, and environmental impact studies. These data also are used to respond to nationwide and international requests for minerals information. With these canvass forms, the USGS collects and analyzes data on production, consumption, stocks, and value of industrial minerals—a number of which have traditionally been considered as strategic and critical.

Each company reports commodity data consistent with industry standards and as mutually agreed upon by the company and the USGS commodity specialists. Based on these submissions, the USGS routinely supplies information, analyses, and data for decision-making purposes to the Congress and various Presidential councils and commissions. The National Security Council, in particular, has frequently used USGS data in relation to materials mobilization studies and specific Presidential projects, such as sustainability analyses.

Information gathered from these canvasses is used by the Secretary of the DOI in the annual report to the Congress on the state of domestic mining and mineral industries as required by the National Materials and Minerals Policy, Research and Development Act of 1980. Two of the basic provisions of the Act are “the availability of materials is essential for national security, economic well-being, and industrial production” and the “extraction, production, processing, use, recycling, and disposal of materials are closely linked with natural concerns for energy and the environment.” The data also provide ways of identifying industry trends; making supply and demand analyses on varying time cycles; assembling meaningful conclusions concerning such important indicators as industry vitality; and formulating appropriate recommendations for the Government on such matters as stockpiling, tariffs, research and development, and production incentives. The availability, production, supply, and value of some of the minerals are highly variable and must be analyzed more often than on an annual basis.

These canvasses cover production and consumption in all the nonfuel industrial minerals industries. The data collected are analyzed and used by the USGS to issue, as promptly as possible, various publications that provide essential information while protecting trade secrets and privileged or proprietary commercial or financial information. These data form a substantial part of the USGS Automated Minerals Information System (AMIS).

Furthermore, the Strategic and Critical Materials Stock Piling Act (50 U.S.C. 98 et seq.) requires the Secretary to collect data on strategic and critical materials to assist in determining stockpile goals. The Secretary assigned this responsibility for data collection to the U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) and transferred the responsibility to the USGS after the USBM was abolished.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) uses USGS data in studies of minerals mobilization, to recommend trade policy and to resolve disputes under the International Trade Administration, to assist in export development, to develop materials research, and to develop worldwide mineral production and trade data.

The U.S. Department of State (DOS) uses USGS data to support international commodity negotiations, to analyze relations with foreign mineral producers, and to recommend tariffs and quotas and as a worldwide mineral database.

The U.S. Agency for International Development uses USGS data to assist in determining which minerals are of interest to the United States for development in developing nations.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) use USGS data in studies of antitrust activities, unfair trade practices, and false advertising or misrepresentation of mineral goods or commodities.

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) uses USGS data to determine research on materials and minerals within research laboratories of the Army, Navy, and the Air Force; sea lanes that must be protected; Defense Production Act Title III projects; National Defense Stockpile goals and specifications; details of procurement, storage and disposal; and suppliers of mineral commodities.

The Federal Reserve Board (FRB) uses USGS data to develop periodic (monthly, quarterly, and annual) indicators of industrial production and capacity and capacity utilization.

The National Science Foundation, the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the National Research Council use USGS data to ensure maximum benefits from all mineral research.

The U.S. Department of Transportation, the Interstate Commerce Commission, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers use USGS data to determine national and State transportation requirements for the minerals industry.

In addition to the use of USGS data by the majority of Federal Government departments, reports and information are in demand by many types of organizations, including the following:

Participating Companies	Industrial marketing groups	Industrial and agricultural sectors
Electric utilities	Financial institutions	The general public, especially academic, consulting, and legal organizations
Export associations	International industry associations
State governments	Domestic trade associations

Certain commodities are canvassed semiannually, quarterly, and monthly to furnish information and data for reports and indexes that are prepared more frequently than on a yearly basis.

Type of information collected:		Use:
Use of various material mineral commodities:	Used by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) for input-output analysis Published in USGS publications
Sales of mineral commodities:	Used by BEA for input-output accounts and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by Industry estimates Published in USGS publications
Production of mineral commodities:	Used by BEA for input-output accounts, GDP by Industry estimates, and GDP by State
	Used by the FRB for industrial production indexes Published in USGS publications
Consumption of mineral commodities	Published in USGS publications
Stocks	Published in USGS publications
Plant capacity:	Used by FRB for indexes of industrial production, capacity, and capacity utilization
Transportation of materials:	Published in USGS publications
Recycled materials:	Published in USGS publications
Location of operations:	Used for publication of mine and mineral processing plant locations
Operation status:	Used to maintain mailing lists

3. Describe whether, and to what extent, the collection of information involves the use of automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses, and the basis for the decision for adopting this means of collection. Also describe any consideration of using information technology to reduce burden [and specifically how this collection meets GPEA requirements].

Thirty percent of the universe is expected to respond electronically. Paper forms will remain an option for submission of responses because not all industry respondents are able to or wish to transmit their data to the USGS by electronic means. For security purposes, users will not be allowed to access past submissions on-line unless they specifically request administrative privileges to retrieve such historical data.

In addition to producing electronic versions of paper forms, the conversion process encompassed mappings of thousands of fields to the mainframe AMIS database. Extensive cross-checks on data were automated, replacing manual processes. The electronic forms conversion effort fulfills the Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA) requirements by establishing intelligent links between the input on the electronic forms and the database rather than simply transforming the physical forms to electronic versions of the same.

4. Describe efforts to identify duplication. Show specifically why any similar information already available cannot be used or modified for use for the purposes described in Item 2 above.

If data are available from other Federal or State agencies, trade associations, or other public sources, then USGS canvasses are not conducted. The USGS continuously reviews data collection practices with other agencies, including the DOC and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), and the ITC, as well as with industry associations such as the Gypsum Association. For over 120 years, the Federal Government has consistently collected mineral information while trade associations have been created and abolished. Where data are available from other sources, these data are used. Alternate data sources are not available for the commodities that are canvassed.

5. If the collection of information impacts small businesses or other small entities, describe any methods used to minimize burden.

The canvass forms are designed to minimize the burden to all respondents. Only essential data are requested in a format common to the reporting industry. When applicable, small businesses often respond with fewer data entries than the larger organizations.

6. Describe the consequence to Federal program or policy activities if the collection is not conducted or is conducted less frequently, as well as any technical or legal obstacles to reducing burden.

The USGS provides information necessary for sound Federal, State, and industry decisionmaking. If data are not made available as soon as possible after collection or if canvasses are conducted less frequently, then monitoring of stockpile materials for national defense would be impeded by the gaps in statistics. The level of domestic and foreign productivity and economic fluctuation would be much less apparent or missed, and that data simply would not be timely enough to be reliable for decisions that affect minerals vulnerability, potential environmental impacts, current trends, and future needs. These decisions, in turn, have an effect on such things as taxes, royalty payments, tariffs, land use, environmental regulations, water use, and transportation.

Collection of monthly, quarterly, semiannual, and annual data allows economic analysis that can capture variations—a longer time interval could not. Collection of these data on a biennial basis would not be practical because the industry respondents do not normally have the data in convenient format except on a monthly, quarterly, semiannual, or annual basis. A 2-year canvass, for example, would require the respondents to alter their accounting procedures or manually add 2 years of data. This would increase their reporting burden. Also, multiyear data are less meaningful and less convenient for analysis by industry and Government agencies.

Sectors of the public that use the data collected by the USGS include, but are not limited to, the concrete, construction, metals, ceramics, refractories, electric utilities, electronic engineering, chemical, coal, paper, rubber, plastics and agricultural industries. The USGS customer base (recipients of these data) is well over 35,000 entities and increases considerably each year.

The DOC, the DOD, the DOS, the World Bank, the FRB, the ITC, the FTC, the Federal Highway Administration, and most of our sister agencies within the DOI are only some of the agencies that rely on these data. The data collected are used to determine the economic health of the Nation, factored into the gross domestic product, and used in forecasts and trend projections in the building and construction industries, which are closely linked to the issue of rebuilding the infrastructure of the country.

Our customers include banks, brokerage houses, other financial institutions, mineral management companies, independent consultants, and many others who need this information to be able to make informed business decisions. This information is not available from any other source.

7. Explain any special circumstances that would cause an information collection to be conducted in a manner:

* requiring respondents to report information to the agency more often than quarterly;

* requiring respondents to prepare a written response to a collection of information in fewer than 30 days after receipt of it;

* requiring respondents to submit more than an original and two copies of any document;

* requiring respondents to retain records, other than health, medical, government contract, grant-in-aid, or tax records, for more than three years;

* in connection with a statistical survey, that is not designed to produce valid and reliable results that can be generalized to the universe of study;

* requiring the use of a statistical data classification that has not been reviewed and approved by OMB;

* that includes a pledge of confidentiality that is not supported by authority established in statute or regulation, that is not supported by disclosure and data security policies that are consistent with the pledge, or which unnecessarily impedes sharing of data with other agencies for compatible confidential use; or

* requiring respondents to submit proprietary trade secret, or other confidential information unless the agency can demonstrate that it has instituted procedures to protect the information's confidentiality to the extent permitted by law.

Users of the published data based on these canvasses may track trends on a monthly basis because of the highly volatile market or seasonal production patterns for the materials covered by these canvasses. Trends may be detected earlier if the data are available monthly rather than at less frequent intervals, such as quarterly, semiannually, or annually. The data collected by the monthly canvasses are absolutely necessary if the USGS is to meet current, reliable information demands of industry and Government mineral analysts who prepare monthly and bimonthly indexes and commodity reports required to analyze the industry. Additionally, the data are necessary if the USGS is to meet the requirements of Public Law 91-631 for the minerals that have erratic supply, demand, value, availability, or seasonal production patterns.

Under the terms of the USGS standard for handling proprietary canvass data included in the supplementary documents, companies can and usually do specify that the data they supply be shared only in aggregated form. These terms ensure that the USGS will continue to receive proprietary data in confidence.

The canvass forms are designed to ensure that respondents are not required to maintain or provide data in a format other than that in which the data are customarily maintained. The respondents are routinely asked to comment on the design of the forms and to make recommendations that help maintain consistency with industry’s methods of accounting.

If a company receives a monthly canvass, then it does not receive an annual canvass of the same type for these commodities. Most canvasses that are conducted annually are done so for two reasons. Generally, an annual canvass is conducted because of the small size of the companies involved and the desire to limit their reporting burden. Although the number of small companies canvassed annually is large, the aggregate data collected from them is small, thus permitting monthly estimates based on the previous year’s data without significant impact on the overall accuracy of monthly production or consumption. Another reason for instituting an annual reporting basis relates to the willingness or capability of a company to complete a monthly canvass. On a few occasions, exceptions have been made to allow a company to report annually on a temporary basis; this has been most common during poor economic times.

8. If applicable, provide a copy and identify the date and page number of publication in the Federal Register of the agency's notice, required by 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting comments on the information collection prior to submission to OMB. Summarize public comments received in response to that notice [and in response to the PRA statement associated with the collection over the past three years] and describe actions taken by the agency in response to these comments. Specifically address comments received on cost and hour burden.

Describe efforts to consult with persons outside the agency to obtain their views on the availability of data, frequency of collection, the clarity of instructions and recordkeeping, disclosure, or reporting format (if any), and on the data elements to be recorded, disclosed, or reported. [Please list the names, titles, addresses, and phone numbers of persons contacted.]

Consultation with representatives of those from whom information is to be obtained or those who must compile records should occur at least once every 3 years — even if the collection of information activity is the same as in prior periods. There may be circumstances that may preclude consultation in a specific situation. These circumstances should be explained.

On April 16, 2008, we published a Federal Register notice (73 FR 20707) announcing that we would submit this information collection to OMB for approval. The notice provided a 60-day public comment period ending on June 16, 2008. We received one comment in response to the notice. In this comment, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) stated that they support the USGS continuing to collect Industrial Minerals Surveys data since they are an important data source for key components of BEA’s economic statistics. The BEA also requested that they be kept informed of any modifications to these forms. We did not make any changes to our information collection requirements as a result of this comment.

Mineral commodity specialists are routinely contacted by Federal and State agencies, Members of Congress, trade associations, the financial community, private companies, universities, and private citizens that request general and specific data and information.

When persons outside the USGS submit requests for information, the USGS mineral commodity specialists and statistical assistants respond in a timely manner. The USGS receives and responds to several thousand e-mail and telephone inquiries each month During these discussions and interactions, views are exchanged on the availability of data, frequency of collection, the clarity of instructions and recordkeeping, disclosure, reporting format, data elements to be recorded, disclosed, or reported, burden estimates and other aspects of this Information Collection. Although no significant changes to the collection instruments were made within the last 1-year OMB approval period for this collection, these views help the USGS to improve its data and publications.

On the basis of such feedback, information-use patterns are established commodity by commodity. Once patterns are determined, canvass forms are revised to collect data and to meet the information needs. As information request patterns change, the data collected and reported are modified. The expanded time series does not require any additional reporting from the industry.

The list below identifies industry contacts consulted on the burden estimates and other aspects of this Information Collection between April and May 2008.

BASF Catalysts, LLC J.M. Turner, Senior Cost Analyst City, State: McIntyre, GA Date of contact: May 2008	World Minerals, Inc. Jonna True, Senior Mine Planning Specialist City, State: Lompoc, CA Date of contact: April 2008
KaMin LLC (formerly J.M. Huber Corporation) Harlan Archer, Director of Operations, Kaolin City, State: Sandersville, GA Date of contact: May 2008	Vulcan Materials Company Thomas I. Nelson, Chief Economist City, State: Birmingham, AL Date of contact: May 2008
IMERYS Bob Pruett, Minerals Technology Director City, State: Sandersville, GA Date of contact: May 2008	Granite Construction Company Jeff Light, Manager, Exploration Services Group City, State: Sacramento, CA Date of contact: May 2008
Portland Cement Association (PCA) David Czechowski, Manager of Economic Research City, State: Skokie, IL Date of contact: May 2008

9. Explain any decision to provide any payment or gift to respondents, other than remuneration of contractors or grantees.

No payments or gifts are made to respondents.

10. Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents and the basis for the assurance in statute, regulation, or agency policy.

Public Law 96-479, Section 5(3) (f), ensures the confidentiality of all data reported by persons or firms engaged in any phase of mineral or mineral-material production or large-scale consumption. The disclosure of data shall be in aggregated form so as not to reveal data from a single person or firm.

To implement Section 5(3) (f), the USGS withholds all data reported as “Company Proprietary Data,” and data are disclosed only in the aggregate. Additionally, tests are performed on aggregated data to ensure confidentiality. USGS policy states that absent specific company permission, aggregated data can be reported only if it represents three or more companies and if no one company accounts for more than 75% of the total or if no two companies account for more than 90% of the total. Proprietary data may only be disclosed to Congress or to Federal defense agencies upon official request for appropriate purposes and in some instances to a State government under a cooperative agreement (Memorandum of Understanding). Except in response to requests by Congress or by Federal defense agencies, proprietary data will never be disclosed without the specific permission of the company as represented in the disclosure query. The disclosure statement and query are printed on each canvass form.

The USGS standard for handling proprietary canvass data further discusses protections for USGS proprietary data including penalties associated with violations.

11. Provide additional justification for any questions of a sensitive nature, such as sexual behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs, and other matters that are commonly considered private. This justification should include the reasons why the agency considers the questions necessary, the specific uses to be made of the information, the explanation to be given to persons from whom the information is requested, and any steps to be taken to obtain their consent.

Sensitive data are not sought.

12. Provide estimates of the hour burden of the collection of information. The statement should:

* Indicate the number of respondents, frequency of response, annual hour burden, and an explanation of how the burden was estimated. Unless directed to do so, agencies should not conduct special surveys to obtain information on which to base hour burden estimates. Consultation with a sample (fewer than 10) of potential respondents is desirable. If the hour burden on respondents is expected to vary widely because of differences in activity, size, or complexity, show the range of estimated hour burden, and explain the reasons for the variance. Generally, estimates should not include burden hours for customary and usual business practices.

* If this request for approval covers more than one form, provide separate hour burden estimates for each form and aggregate the hour burdens.

* Provide estimates of annualized cost to respondents for the hour burdens for collections of information, identifying and using appropriate wage rate categories. The cost of contracting out or paying outside parties for information collection activities should not be included here. Instead, this cost should be included in Item 14.

Variations can be expected in the reporting burden for completion of these forms because of the differences in operation size and accounting systems. The data sought are those routinely maintained in the course of business. For some companies with more than one plant, the submission takes the form of a consolidated report covering all company operations. This greatly reduces the reporting burden.

We estimate public reporting burden for this collection of information (includes the time for reviewing instructions, searching data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information) is 12,639 annual burden hours (Table 1). Respondents report details of their production and consumption monthly, quarterly, semiannually, and annually. These 4 respondent groups are mutually exclusive. For example, companies that report on a monthly basis are not asked to report the same data on an annual basis. For the 18,339 associated responses, average completion time ranges from 15 minutes to 5 hours per form.

Table 1. Consolidated estimates of burden

		PRIVATE SECTOR			State/Local/Tribal Gov’t
Form No.	Frequency	Responses	Time	Burden	Responses	Time	Burden
9-4001-A	Annually	95	90 min	143	0	90 min	0
9-4002-A	Annually	10	30 min	5	0	30 min	0
9-4004-A	Annually	26	1 hour	26	0	1 hour	0
9-4005-A	Annually	19	30 min	10	0	30 min	0
9-4006-A	Annually	118	30 min	59	0	30 min	0
9-4007-A	Annually	4288	30 min	2144	226*	30 min	113
9-4008-A	Annually	8284	45 min	6213	720**	45 min	540
9-4009-A	Annually	227	45 min	170	0	45 min	0
9-4010-A	Annually	133	90 min	200	0	90 min	0
9-4011-A	Annually	30	30 min	15	0	30 min	0
9-4012-A	Annually	30	90 min	45	0	90 min	0
9-4013-A	Annually	69	30 min	35	0	30 min	0
9-4014-A	Annually	23	30 min	12	0	30 min	0
9-4015-A	Annually	288	90 min	432	0	90 min	0
9-4016-A	Annually	59	90 min	89	0	90 min	0
9-4017-A	Annually	49	90 min	74	0	90 min	0
9-4018-A	Annually	10	45 min	8	0	45 min	0
9-4019-A	Annually	10	45 min	8	0	45 min	0
9-4020-A	Annually	18	30 min	9	0	30 min	0
9-4021-A	Annually	16	30 min	8	0	30 min	0
9-4022-A	Annually	112	15 min	28	0	15 min	0
9-4023-A	Annually	28	30 min	14	0	30 min	0
9-4024-A	Annually	11	20 min	4	0	20 min	0
9-4025-A	Annually	61	1 hour	61	0	1 hour	0
9-4026-A	Annually	71	30 min	36	0	30 min	0
9-4027-A	Annually	151	2 hours	302	0	2 hours	0
9-4028-A	Annually	317	15 min	79	10	15 min	3
9-4029-M	Monthly	1,344	15 min	336	0	15 min	0
9-4030-M	Monthly	144	15 min	36	0	15 min	0
9-4031-S	Semiannually	46	45 min	35	0	45 min	0
9-4032-A	Annually	16	30 min	8	0	30 min	0
9-4033-Q	Quarterly	60	15 min	15	0	15 min	0
9-4035-S	Semiannually	24	1 hour	24	0	1 hour	0
9-4036-A	Annually	15	15 min	4	0	15 min	0
9-4039-M	Monthly	984	30 min	492	0	30 min	0
9-4041-A	Annually	158	5 hours	790	0	5 hours	0
9-4112-A	Annually	26	15 min	7	0	15 min	0
9-4115-A	Annually	13	30 min	7	0	30 min	0
TOTALS		17,383		11,983	956		656

* This total includes a subset of 135 responses from small entities with a local jurisdiction of less than 50,000 people.

** This total includes a subset of 450 responses from small entities with a local jurisdiction of less than 50,000 people.

We estimate the dollar value of annual burden hours for this collection of information to be (Table 2). Using the National Compensation Survey: Occupational Wages in the United States June 2007 published by the Bureau of Labor Standards Occupation and Wages, June 2007 (http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes193092.htm)

• Private Sector: Average hourly wage is $18.56 multiplied by 1.4 to account for benefits ($25.98).

• States/ Local/ Tribal governments: Average hourly wage is $23.99 multiplied by 1.5 to account for benefits ($35.99).

Table 2: Dollar Value of Respondent Burden Hours

Respondents	Annual Number of Responses	Total Annual Burden Hours	Dollar Value of Burden Hour Including Benefits	Total Dollar Value of Annual Burden Hours *
Private	17,383	11,983	$25.98	$311,318.34
State Local/Tribal Gov.	956	656	$35.99	$23,609.44
TOTAL	18,339	12,639		$334,927.78

13. Provide an estimate of the total annual [non-hour] cost burden to respondents or recordkeepers resulting from the collection of information. (Do not include the cost of any hour burden shown in Items 12 and 14).

We have not identified any non-hour cost burdens.

14. Provide estimates of annualized cost to the Federal government. Also, provide a description of the method used to estimate cost, which should include quantification of hours, operational expenses (such as equipment, overhead, printing, and support staff), and any other expense that would not have been incurred without this collection of information. Agencies also may aggregate cost estimates from Items 12, 13, and 14 in a single table.

The total annual cost to the Federal Government is $5,523,000. The operational expenses for this collection are estimated at $1,659,000. These costs include mailing, overhead, printing, and non-Federal support staff (Table 3).

Table 3. Operational Expenses and estimated costs

Operational Expenses	Estimated Cost
Printing of canvass forms	$1,000
Mailing lists compilation and maintenance	$6,000
Mailing operation	$26,000
Editing, coding, tabulation, analyzing	$667,000
ADP processing	$640,000
Electronic publication of results	$10,000
Government Printing Office print costs for 2 Federal Register Notices	$1,000
Electronic forms development and maintenance	$308,000
Total	$1,659,000

The total estimated cost to the Federal Government for salaries and benefits for administering this information collection is $3,864,000 (Table 4). This includes hourly wages and benefits. The table below shows Federal staff and grade levels performing various tasks associated with this information collection. We used the Office of Personnel Management Salary Table 2008-DCB (http://www.opm.gov/oca/08tables/html/dcb_h.asp) to determine the hourly wages. We multiplied the hourly wage by 1.5 to account for benefits (from the BLS news release December 11, 2007 - USDL 07-1883).

Table 4. Federal Employee Salaries and Benefits

11	2	32	4	53	64	75	86
Positions	Average grade	Estimated percent of time spent on collection	Estimated average hourly rate including benefits (1.5 x average hourly rate)	Estimated weighted average hourly rate including benefits (1.5 x average hourly rate)	Percent distribution of Federal employee salary/benefit cost	Estimated Federal employee salary/benefit annualized costs	Estimated Federal employee Hours (annualized)
Commodity Specialists	GS-13/8	33.6%	$73.54	$24.71	49.2%	$1,901,000	25,846
Statistical Assistants	GS-6/3	50%	27.14	13.57	27.0	$1,043,000	38,430
Computer Specialists	GS-13/8	5%	73.54	3.68	7.3	$282,000	3,834
Editors	GS-12/ 8	5%	61.85	3.09	6.2	$240,000	3,880
Mineral Records Administrator	GS-12/8	1.4%	61.85	$0.87	1.7	$66,000	1,067
Management	GS-14 /8	5%	86.90	4.35	8.6	$332,000	3,820
Total Estimated of Percent time spent on collection*		100%
Estimated Total Weighted Hourly Average ($/hr)				$50.27
Estimated Total annual Federal employee salary/ benefit cost						$3,864,000
Total estimated hours (annualized)							76,877

¹The grades/steps in the table represent an average of several employees at several grades/steps – some of the employees may work full-time on the collection, while other employees may work part-time.

²Data collection, processing, and publication

³Column 3 x Column 4

⁴ Column 5/Estimated total weighted hourly average

⁵ Column 6 x Estimated Total annual Federal employee salary/benefit cost (totals rounded to nearest thousand)

⁶ Column 7/ Column 4 (differences due to rounding)

15. Explain the reasons for any program changes or adjustments.

We estimate that there will be 18,339 responses totaling 12,639 burden hours. This is a net increase of 2,178 responses and 923 burden hours from our previous request.

We are reporting as a program change a decrease of 117 responses and 58 burden hours resulting from:

• Elimination of the requirement to complete form 9-4037-A (Natural Sodium Compounds and Refined Sodium Salts) – decrease of 130 responses and 65 burden hours.

• New requirement to complete form 9-4115-A (Production of Natural Zeolites) – increase of 13 responses and 7 burden hours.

We are reporting as an adjustment an increase of 2,295 responses and 981 burden hours. Based on our experience in administering this collection and feedback from our outreach, we adjusted the number of respondents and/or the burden for completing several forms.

16. For collections of information whose results will be published, outline plans for tabulation and publication. Address any complex analytical techniques that will be used. Provide the time schedule for the entire project, including beginning and ending dates of the collection of information, completion of report, publication dates, and other actions.

The AMIS mainframe system and off-the-shelf software packages are used to compile and tabulate the data and to prepare tables for publication. National, State, and regional tabulations are prepared and published annually at http://minerals.er.usgs.gov/minerals/ in table format from data collected by these canvasses. Preliminary estimates are prepared and published in the Mineral Commodity Summaries, which is the earliest Government publication to furnish estimates covering the previous year’s nonfuel mineral industry. Data are also published in the monthly and quarterly issues of the Mineral Industry Surveys series and the Annual Reports from the Minerals Yearbook and other USGS publications.

Tables present various aspects of commodities, such as consumption and production of products together with industry stocks. Economic changes are incorporated and industry trends and activities are studied. Statistical data are processed and analyzed by the Data Collection and Coordination Section, which also establishes timing for all key steps in the work.

Tabulation and publication of data are governed by the USGS standard for handling proprietary canvass data. Data are available via the Internet and in print for select publications in the USGS minerals information series.

Monthly, quarterly, and semiannual tables are generally published within 50 workdays from the end of the reporting month. Annual data are generally published within 9 months from the end of the reporting year. This publication schedule maintains a very high percentage of responses.

17. If seeking approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of the information collection, explain the reasons that display would be inappropriate.

We will display the OMB control number and expiration date.

18. Explain each exception to the certification statement identified in Item 19, “Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions."

There are no exceptions to the certification statement.

Enclosure 1. List of Forms

Form Number	Frequency	Canvass Code	Title
9-4001-A	Annually	D19	Lime
9-4002-A	Annually	D05	Byproduct Sulfuric Acid
9-4004-A	Annually	D08	Pumice and Pumicite (including Volcanic Ash)
9-4005-A	Annually	D11	Exfoliated Vermiculite
9-4006-A	Annually	C83	Gypsum
9-4007-A	Annually	D63	Stone – Crushed and Broken
9-4008-A	Annually	G10	Construction Sand and Gravel – Sold or Used
9-4009-A	Annually	D50	Dimension Stone – Including Slate
9-4010-A	Annually	G09	Industrial Sand and Gravel – Sold or Used
9-4011-A	Annually	D22	Barite
9-4012-A	Annually	D2G	Salt Company Report
9-4013-A	Annually	D27	Salt Plant Report
9-4014-A	Annually	D32	Quartz Crystal
9-4015-A	Annually	D39A	Common Clay and Shale and Fire Clay
9-4016-A	Annually	D39B	Bentonite and Fuller’s Earth
9-4017-A	Annually	D39C	Ball Clay and Kaolin
9-4018-A	Annually	D41	Ground Mica, including Sericite
9-4019-A	Annually	D42	Mica Splittings
9-4020-A	Annually	D55	Crude Mica
9-4021-A	Annually	D56	Talc, Soapstone, and Pyrophyllite
9-4022-A	Annually	D59	Natural Graphite Consumption
9-4023-A	Annually	D60	Crude Iodine
9-4024-A	Annually	D61	Crude Perlite
9-4025-A	Annually	D62	Expanded Perlite
9-4026-A	Annually	B38	Peat
9-4027-A	Annually	D72	Sulfur and Sulfuric Acid Sold or Used by End Use Industries
9-4028-A	Annually	G34	Natural and Synthetic Gem Material
9-4029-M	Monthly	D30	Elemental Sulfur (Purity of 97% or better)
9-4030-M	Monthly	D70	Marketable Phosphate Rock
9-4031-S	Semiannually	C82	Gypsum
9-4032-A	Annually	D58	Feldspar
9-4033-Q	Quarterly	D06	Metallic Abrasives
9-4035-S	Semiannually	D36	Phosphate Rock
9-4036-A	Annually	D07	Diatomite
9-4039-M	Monthly	D16	Portland and Masonry Cement
9-4041-A	Annually	D15	Portland and Masonry Cement
9-4112-A	Annually	D64	Synthetic Graphite
9-4115-A	Annually	D74	Production of Natural Zeolites