Information requested on the Advance Notification Form will be used by the Department of State to make a determination whether an intended tourist or other non-governmental activity is organized in or proceeding from its territory and, if so, to prepare a pre-season notification to other Parties to the Treaty containing specifics of each intended expedition. Upon determination that an activity falls under U.S. jurisdiction, U.S. expeditions must comply with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations requiring the preparation of an Environmental Impact Assessment reflecting U.S. obligations under the TreatyÂs Protocol for Environmental Protection. The content of the proposed Advance Notification Form has been cleared with both EPA and the National Science Foundation.
The U.S. Government is obligated under Article VII(5)(a) of the Antarctic Treaty to provide advance notification to other Contracting Parties of Âall expeditions to and within Antarctica, on the part of its ships or nationals, and all expeditions to Antarctica organized in or proceeding from its territory. Notice of official USG expeditions is provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF), while the Department of State provides notice of U.S. tourist and non-governmental activities. Filing an Advance Notification Form leads to a determination of U.S. jurisdiction over an activity and triggers an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This mandatory process takes several months to complete. In order for U.S. expedition organizers to meet their EIA requirements before the tourist season begins in October, some Advance Notification Forms must be completed and submitted to the Department before July. Thus, the PRA submission process needs to be completed more quickly than regular processing would allow, preventing the Department from fulfilling its Treaty obligations. The content of the proposed Advance Notification Form has been cleared with both NSF and EPA.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Form DS-4131 Advance Notification Form: Tourist and Other Non-Governmental Activities in the Antarctic Treaty Area
Justification for Emergency Review.doc
Advance Notification Form: Tourist and Other Non-Governmental Activities in the Antarctic Treaty Area