0007 ss 111710rev

SUPPORTING STATEMENT
COAST PILOT REPORT FORM
OMB CONTROL NO. 0648-0007
A. JUSTIFICATION
1. Explain the circumstances that make the collection of information necessary.
This request is for renewal of a current information collection.
Data obtained through the use of this report form is utilized to update the United States (U.S.)
Coast Pilot® and National Oceanic and Atmospheric (NOAA) nautical charts. Information can
also be submitted on the Nautical Charts Discrepancy Reporting site:
http://ocsdata.ncd.noaa.gov/dr/
or through direct email to the Nautical Data branch (NDB) of the National Ocean Service.
The U.S. Coast Pilot is a series of nine nautical books, 350 to 700 pages each, published by
NOAA to supplement nautical charts. The Coast Pilot contains essential marine
information important to navigators of United States coastal and intracoastal waters that cannot
be shown graphically on the charts and is not readily available elsewhere. Subjects include, but
are not limited to, channel descriptions, anchorages, bridge and cable clearances, tides and tidal
currents, prominent features, pilotage, towage, weather, ice conditions, wharf descriptions,
dangers, routes, traffic separation schemes, small craft facilities and Federal Regulations
applicable to navigation. These publications are purchased by all segments of the marine public
including U.S. and foreign merchant marine vessels, state, local and private maritime
associations including recreational boaters. Distribution is also made to the U.S. Navy and U.S.
Coast Guard vessels and other Government vessels and agencies. This publication is required by
Federal Regulations (33 CFR 164.33) to be carried on board all vessels of 1,600 gross tons and
greater, while traversing U.S. waters.
Information contained in the Coast Pilot is continually changing. Every effort is made to keep
this information current. Sources of information include, but are not limited to the following:
pilot associations, shipping companies, towboat operators, state marine authorities, city marine
authorities, local port authorities, marine operators, hydrographic research vessels, naval vessels,
Coast Guard cutters, merchant vessels, fishing vessels, pleasure boats, U.S. Power Squadron
Units, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Units, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The purpose of
the Coast Pilot Report Form is to offer a formal, standardized instrument for recommending
changes to the Coast Pilot and the nautical charts, and to encourage users to report these
recommendations by conveniently providing the form in the back of each Coast Pilot volume.

2. Explain how, by whom, how frequently, and for what purpose the information will be
used. If the information collected will be disseminated to the public or used to support
information that will be disseminated to the public, then explain how the collection
complies with all applicable Information Quality Guidelines.
When a user of the Coast Pilot notices information in the book is missing or has changed, he/she
fills in the information, and either mails, e-mails, or faxes it to the contact information provided.
When the completed form is received, it is evaluated by cartographers in NOAA’s National
Ocean Service Coast Survey’s NDB. NDB ascertains that the information is germane and if so,
that it is complete. If the information requires clarification, NDB will contact the respondent, by
letter, telephone, or fax for more information. Once complete, the form is assigned a control
number and routed to the Coast Pilot Branch (CPB) to update the Coast Pilot master files. If the
change is critical to safe navigation, CPB issues a change for publication in the Coast Guard’s
Local Notice to Mariners and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s (NGA) Weekly
Notice to Mariners.
If the change also affects a nautical chart, the form will be routed to the appropriate chart
production branch.
As explained in the preceding paragraphs, the information gathered has utility. NOAA will
retain control over the information and safeguard it from improper access, modification, and
destruction, consistent with NOAA standards for confidentiality, privacy, and electronic
information. See response to Question 10 of this Supporting Statement for more information on
confidentiality and privacy. The information collection is designed to yield data that meet all
applicable information quality guidelines. Prior to dissemination, the information will be
subjected to quality control measures and a pre-dissemination review pursuant to Section 515 of
Public Law 106-554.
3. Describe whether, and to what extent, the collection of information involves the use of
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological techniques or other forms of
information technology.
The information may be faxed or e-mailed to NDB. The form in the Coast Pilot is paper, but
more often in recent years, the information is being sent through direct emails or via the Web
site: http://ocsdata.ncd.noaa.gov/dr/.
.
4. Describe efforts to identify duplication.
This information collection is the only means for updating the Coast Pilot Report.
5. If the collection of information involves small businesses or other small entities, describe
the methods used to minimize burden.
The use of this form is voluntary and has no significant impact on small businesses,
organizations or government entities. The form requires no records to be kept by the respondent.

6. Describe the consequences to the Federal program or policy activities if the collection is
not conducted or is conducted less frequently.
Critical information might not be brought to CPB’s attention, or the information might be
incomplete. This could result in a maritime accident with possible loss of life or harm to the
environment.
7. Explain any special circumstances that require the collection to be conducted in a
manner inconsistent with OMB guidelines.
NA.
8. Provide information on the PRA Federal Register Notice that solicited public comments
on the information collection prior to this submission. Summarize the public comments
received in response to that notice and describe the actions taken by the agency in response
to those comments. Describe the 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 record keeping, disclosure or reporting format (if any) and on the data
elements to be recorded, disclosed or reported.
A Federal Register Notice was published on September 28, 2010 (75 FR 59686). There were no
comments.
9. Explain any decisions to provide payments or gifts to respondents other than
remuneration of contractors or grantees.
No remuneration of any kind is provided to respondents.
10. Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents and the basis for
assurance in statute, regulation or agency policy.
No confidentiality is offered to respondents other than the fact that individual data providers are
not identified in the text of Coast Pilot.
11. Provide additional justification for any questions of a sensitive nature, such as sexual
behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs and other matters which are commonly considered
to be private.
There are no sensitive questions.
12. Provide an estimate in hours of the burden of the collection of information.
CPB estimates an average of 30 minutes to complete the form. CPB expects to receive about 60
responses annually: 20 using the Coast Pilot form, 20 using the Discrepancy Reporting Web site
and 20 direct emails. Thus, total estimated burden to the public is about 30 hours annually.

However, NOAA would like to maintain the currently approved burden of 50 hours (and thus
100 submissions), to cover an increase in use of the Comments site or in the number of direct
emails.
13. Provide an estimate of the total annual cost burden to the respondents or recordkeepers resulting from the collection (excluding the value of the burden hours in Question
12 above).
Submission of the approximately 20 forms by mail, at $0.44 per form, would total $8.80 per year.
14. Provide estimates of annualized cost to the Federal Government.
Printing costs are nominal. The cost of processing the information received is approximately
$1,750 annually, consisting mainly of employees’ wages and benefits.
15. Explain the reasons for any program changes or adjustments.
There was no change to burden, only a shift of submission venue. There was a slight adjustment
to a higher unit cost, due to the rise in postage rate. However, overall, the cost was reduced due
to the program change of making the Discrepancy Reporting site available.
16. For collections whose results will be published, outline the plans for tabulation and
publication.
N/A.
17. If seeking approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of the
information collection, explain the reasons why display would be inappropriate.
N/A.
18. Explain each exception to the certification statement.
N/A.
B. COLLECTIONS OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS
N/A.