Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; USGS Ash Fall Report
| Published date | 02 July 2019 |
| Citation | 84 FR 31616 |
| Record Number | 2019-14100 |
| Section | Notices |
| Court | Geological Survey,Interior Department |
Federal Register, Volume 84 Issue 127 (Tuesday, July 2, 2019)
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 127 (Tuesday, July 2, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31616-31618]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-14100]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Geological Survey
[GX19WC00GJNV331; OMB Control Number 1028-0106]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; USGS Ash Fall
Report
AGENCY: U.S. Geological Survey, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we,
the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) are proposing to renew an information
collection.
[[Page 31617]]
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before
August 1, 2019.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments on this information collection request
(ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget's Desk Officer for the
Department of the Interior by email at [email protected]; or
via facsimile to (202) 395-5806. Please provide a copy of your comments
to U.S. Geological Survey, Information Collections Officer, 12201
Sunrise Valley Drive, MS 159, Reston, VA 20192; or by email to [email protected]. Please reference OMB Control Number 1028-
0106 in the subject line of your comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information
about this ICR, contact Kristi Wallace by email at [email protected],
or by telephone at (907) 786-7109. You may also view the ICR at http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995, we provide the general public and other Federal agencies
with an opportunity to comment on new, proposed, revised, and
continuing collections of information. This helps us assess the impact
of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's
reporting burden. It also helps the public understand our information
collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired
format.
A Federal Register notice with a 60-day public comment period
soliciting comments on this collection of information was published on
May 8, 2019, 84 FR 20160. No comments were received.
We are again soliciting comments on the proposed ICR that is
described below. We are especially interested in public comment
addressing the following issues: (1) Is the collection necessary to the
proper functions of the USGS; (2) will this information be processed
and used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate;
(4) how might the USGS enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (5) how might the USGS minimize the
burden of this collection on the respondents, including through the use
of information technology.
Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of
public record. 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 can 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.
Abstract: The USGS provides notifications and warnings to the
public of volcanic activity in the US in order to reduce the loss of
life, property, and economic and societal impacts. Ash fallout to the
ground can pose significant disruption and damage to buildings,
transportation, water and wastewater, power supply, communications
equipment, agriculture, and primary production leading to potentially
substantial societal impacts and costs, even at thicknesses of only a
few millimeters or inches. Additionally, fine grained ash, when
ingested can cause health impacts to humans and animals. USGS will use
reports entered in real time by respondents of ash fall in their local
area to correct or refine ash fall forecasts as the ash cloud moves
downwind. Retrospectively these reports will enable USGS to improve
their ash fall models and further research into eruptive processes.
This project is a database module and web interface allowing the
public and Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) staff to enter reports of
ash fall in their local area in real time and retrospectively following
an eruptive event. Users browsing the AVO website during eruptions will
be directed towards a web form allowing them to fill in ash fall
information and submit the information to AVO.
Compiled ashfall reports are available in real-time to AVO staff
through the AVO internal website. A pre-formatted summary report or
table that distills information received online will show ash fall
reports in chronological order with key fields including (1) date and
time of ash fall, (2) location, (3) positive or negative ash fall (4)
name of observer, and (5) contact information is easily viewable
internally on the report so that calls for clarification can be made by
AVO staff quickly and Operations room staff can visualize ashfall
information quickly.
Ashfall report data will also be displayed on a dynamic map
interface and show positive (yes ash) and negative (no ash) ash fall
reports by location. Ash fall reports (icons) will be publicly
displayed for a period of 24 hours and shaded differently as they age
so that the age of reports is obvious.
The ashfall report database will help AVO track eruption clouds and
associated fallout downwind. These reports from the public will also
give scientists a more complete record of the amount and duration and
other conditions of ash fall. Getting first-hand accounts of ash fall
will support model ash fall development and interpretation of satellite
imagery. AVO scientists will--as time allows--be able to contact the
individuals using their entered contact information for clarification
and details. Knowing the locations from which ash-fall reports have
been filed will improve ash fall warning messages, AVO Volcanic
Activity Notifications, and make fieldwork more efficient. AVO staff
will be able to condense and summarize the various ash fall reports and
forward that information on to emergency management agencies and the
wider public. The online form will also free up resources during
exceedingly busy times during an eruption, as most individuals
currently phone AVO with their reports.
Title of Collection: USGS Ash Fall Report.
OMB Control Number: 1028-0106.
Form Number: None.
Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Respondents/Affected Public: General Public, local governments and
emergency managers.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: We are likely to ask
individuals to respond 1-6 times year which is the number of past
eruptions we have during any one year in Alaska. Individuals can submit
responses more than once during an eruption to report ashfall details.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: Approximately 575
individuals affected by a volcanic ashfall event each year.
Estimated Completion Time per Response: We estimate the public
reporting burden will average 5 minutes per response. This includes the
time for reviewing instructions and answering a web-based
questionnaire.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 79 hours.
Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion, after each ashfall event.
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: $736.
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.
[[Page 31618]]
The authority for this action is the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).
Thomas Murray,
Director, Volcano Science Center.
[FR Doc. 2019-14100 Filed 7-1-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4338-11-P
