60-day FRN

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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 159 / Friday, August 16, 2024 / Notices

ensuring robust protection for the
Nation’s waters and biodiversity (86 FR
7619). In addition, NOAA acknowledges
that submarine cables have been
designated as critical infrastructure by
the U.S. Government due to their
importance for U.S. commercial and
national security interests.
As authorized in the NMSA, NOAA
protects nationally-significant marine
resources while facilitating compatible
uses in sanctuaries. 16 U.S.C.
1431(b)(6). Cable construction projects
have been proposed, approved by
NOAA, and successfully built within
national marine sanctuaries. However,
for the policy reasons described above
and in consideration of the public and
industry comments NOAA has received,
NOAA considers it timely to evaluate
and seek input on the need to update
the SUP category for commercial
submarine cables. During the pendency
of this process, to avoid uncertainty,
NOAA has determined it appropriate to
suspend the application of the
submarine cable SUP category for a twoyear period for national marine
sanctuaries designated after August 16,
2024.
NOAA has a thorough understanding
of how cables impact national marine
sanctuaries designated before August
16, 2024, and, for those sites, has
established methods to approve
prohibited activities related to cables
and to consider and issue SUPs for the
continued presence of commercial
submarine cables on the seabed. NOAA
may use different approval types
depending on differences in its
regulations for each national marine
sanctuary, findings, or other agency
permits. Approval processes in place for
national marine sanctuaries designated
before August 16, 2024 provide
reasonable predictability and assurance
and suspending the SUPs for the
continued presence of commercial
cables for a short two-year time period
could disrupt existing management,
therefore, NOAA is not extending the
pause to those sites.
Within the two-year suspension
period, NOAA intends to consider and
respond to public comments on a
separate, proposed update to its
submarine cable permit guidance
document. In updating and improving
the submarine cable permit guidance
document and providing an opportunity
for the public to comment on the
updated guidance document, NOAA
intends to be responsive to CHNMS
draft designation documents
comments 5 requesting clearer guidance
5 At https://www.regulations.gov/, Docket No.
NOAA–NOS–2021–0080.

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on the permitting and approval process
for cables.
III. Request for Comments
NOAA is seeking public comment on
the following:
• The use of the SUP category for the
continued presence of commercial
submarine cables;
• Potential modifications to this SUP
category; and
• The current (2011) submarine cable
permit guidance and input on updating
the guidance.
Any subsequent FRN proposing
updates to the SUP category and/or to
the submarine cable permit guidance
will consider and address public
comments received on this notice.
IV. Classification
A. National Environmental Policy Act
NOAA has concluded this action will
not have a significant effect,
individually or cumulatively, on the
human environment. This action is
categorically excluded from the
requirement to prepare an
Environmental Assessment or
Environmental Impact Statement in
accordance with the NOAA Categorical
Exclusion G7 and because there are no
extraordinary circumstances precluding
the application of this categorical
exclusion. Specifically, this action is a
notice of an administrative and legal
nature, and any future effects of
subsequent actions are too broad,
speculative, or conjectural to lend
themselves to meaningful analysis and
will be subject to later NEPA analysis.
This action would only temporarily
pause the issuance of new special use
permits for the continued presence of
commercial submarine cables on or
within the submerged lands of any
national marine sanctuary designated
after August 16, 2024. It does not
commit the outcome of any particular
federal action taken by NOAA. NOAA is
proposing to update the 2011 submarine
cable guidelines and request public
comment on the newly proposed
guidance. NOAA will ensure the
appropriate NEPA documentation is
prepared prior to taking final action or
making any irretrievable or irreversible
commitment of agency resources.
B. Paperwork Reduction Act
Notwithstanding any other provisions
of the law, no person is required to
respond to, nor shall any person be
subject to a penalty for failure to comply
with a collection of information subject
to the requirements of the Paperwork
Reduction Act (PRA), 44 U.S.C. 3501 et
seq., unless that collection of

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information displays a currently valid
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) control number. NOAA has an
OMB control number (0648–0141) for
the collection of public information
related to the processing of ONMS
permits across the National Marine
Sanctuary System. NOAA does not
anticipate that this temporary two-year
suspension of the SUP category for the
continued presence of commercial
submarine cables in newly designated
sanctuaries would alter the public
reporting burden for national marine
sanctuaries permits. As such, this action
does not necessitate a modification to
the information collection approval.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.
John Armor,
Director, Office of National Marine
Sanctuaries, National Ocean Service,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2024–18099 Filed 8–15–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–NK–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Submission to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for
Review and Approval; Comment
Request; Environmental Compliance
Questionnaire for NOAA Federal
Funding Opportunity Applicants
National Oceanic &
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of information collection,
request for comment.
AGENCY:

The Department of
Commerce, in accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(PRA), invites the general public and
other Federal agencies to comment on
proposed, and continuing information
collections, which helps us assess the
impact of our information collection
requirements and minimize the public’s
reporting burden. The purpose of this
notice is to allow for 60 days of public
comment preceding submission of the
collection to OMB.
DATES: To ensure consideration,
comments regarding this proposed
information collection must be received
on or before October 15, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are
invited to submit written comments to
Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer,
at [email protected]. Please
reference OMB Control Number 0648–
0538 in the subject line of your
SUMMARY:

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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 159 / Friday, August 16, 2024 / Notices

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comments. All comments received are
part of the public record and will
generally be posted on https://
www.regulations.gov without change.
Do not submit Confidential Business
Information or otherwise sensitive or
protected information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Requests for additional information or
specific questions related to collection
activities should be directed to Mia
Logan, 1315 East West Hwy., Bldg.
SSMC3, Rm. 15107, Silver Spring, MD
20910–3282, tel. 202–365–1052, or
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Abstract
This request is for a renewal of a
currently approved information
collection through the Environmental
Compliance Questionnaire for National
Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration Federal Funding
Opportunity Applicants
(Questionnaire). This Questionnaire is
used by the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to
collect information about proposed
activities for the purpose of complying
with the National Environmental Policy
Act (‘‘NEPA,’’ 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.)
and other environmental compliance
requirements associated with proposed
activities. NEPA requires federal
agencies to complete an environmental
analysis for all major federal actions,
including funding non-federal activities
through federal financial assistance
awards where federal participation in
the funded activity is expected to be
significant. The Questionnaire is used in
conjunction with NOAA Notices of
Funding Opportunity (NOFO).
The NOFO will indicate the specific
questions to which an applicant must
respond in one of three ways: (1) the
applicable questions are inserted
directly into the NOFO with reference to
the OMB Approval Number (0648–0538)
for this form; (2) the NOFO will specify
which questions (e.g., 1, 2) an applicant
must answer, with the entire OMBapproved Questionnaire attached to the
NOFO; or (3) applicants to be
recommended for funding will be
required to answer relevant questions
from the Questionnaire. The federal
program officer will determine which
questions are relevant to each specific
applicant. Answers must be provided
before the application can be submitted
for final funding approval. This
Questionnaire has been not revised
since 2021.
II. Method of Collection
Submissions are collected
electronically.

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III. Data

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

OMB Control Number: 0648–0538.
Form Number(s): None.
Type of Review: Regular submission
[extension of a current information
collection].
Affected Public: Individuals or
households; Business or other for-profit
organizations; Not-for-profit
institutions; State, Local, or Tribal
government.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
736.
Estimated Time per Response: 3
hours.
Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours: 2,208.
Estimated Total Annual Cost to
Public: 0.
Respondent’s Obligation: Required to
Obtain or Retain Benefits.
Legal Authority: National
Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C.
4321 et seq.).
IV. Request for Comments
We are soliciting public comments to
permit the Department/Bureau to: (a)
Evaluate whether the proposed
information collection is necessary for
the proper functions of the Department,
including whether the information will
have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the
accuracy of our estimate of the time and
cost burden for this proposed collection,
including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (c)
Evaluate ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and (d) Minimize the
reporting burden on those who are to
respond, including the use of automated
collection techniques or other forms of
information technology.
Comments that you submit in
response to this notice are a matter of
public record. We will include or
summarize each comment in our request
to OMB to approve this ICR. Before
including your address, phone number,
email address, or other personal
identifying information in your
comment, you should be aware that
your entire comment—including your
personal identifying information—may
be made publicly available at any time.
While you may ask us in your comment
to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of
the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs,
Commerce Department.
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National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Submission to the Office of
Management and Budget for Review
and Approval; Comment Request;
Southeast Region Logbook Family of
Forms
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of information collection;
request for comment.
AGENCY:

The Department of Commerce
invites the general public and other
Federal agencies to comment on
proposed and continuing information
collections in accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(PRA), which helps us assess the impact
of our information collection
requirements and minimize the public’s
reporting burden. The purpose of this
notice is to allow for 60 days of public
comment preceding submission of the
collection to the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB).
DATES: To ensure consideration,
comments regarding this proposed
information collection must be received
by October 15, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are
invited to submit written comments to
Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer,
at [email protected]. Please reference
OMB Control Number 0648–0016 in the
subject line of your comments. All
comments received are part of the
public record and will generally be
posted on https://www.regulations.gov
without change. Do not submit
confidential business information or
otherwise sensitive or protected
information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Direct requests for additional
information or questions related to
collection activities described in this
notice to Rich Malinowski, NMFS
Southeast Regional Office, Sustainable
Fisheries Division, 263 13th Ave South,
St. Petersburg, FL 33701, telephone:
727–824–5305, email: rich.malinowski@
noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
SUMMARY:

I. Abstract
The NMFS Southeast Region proposes
to revise parts of the information
collections currently approved under
OMB Control Number 0648–0016 to
comply with a court order from the U.S.
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which
effectively invalidated previous
regulations implemented by NMFS. The

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