[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 15, Volume 3]
[Revised as of January 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 15CFR971.200]

[Page 344-345]
 
                  TITLE 15--COMMERCE AND FOREIGN TRADE
 
CHAPTER IX--NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT 
                               OF COMMERCE
 
PART 971_DEEP SEABED MINING REGULATIONS FOR COMMERCIAL RECOVERY PERMITS--Table 
of Contents
 
                         Subpart B_Applications
 
Sec. 971.200  General.


    (a) Who may apply; how. Any United States citizen holding a valid 
exploration license may apply to the Administrator for issuance of a 
commercial recovery permit for all or part of the area to which the 
license applies. Any holder of a commercial recovery permit may apply to 
the Administrator for transfer of the permit. Applications must be 
submitted in the form and manner described in this subpart.
    (b) Place, form and copies. An application for the issuance or 
transfer of a commerical recovery permit must be in writing, verified 
and signed by an authorized officer or other authorized representative 
of the applicant. The application and 25 copies thereof must be 
submitted to:

Ocean Minerals and Energy Division, Office of Ocean and Coatal Resource 
Management, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Suite 710, 
1825 Connecticut Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20235.


The Administrator may waive in whole or in part, at his discretion, the 
requirement that 25 copies of an application be filed with NOAA.
    (c) General contents. The application must contain a proposed 
commerical recovery plan and the financial, technical, environmental and 
other information specified in this part, which in total are necessary 
for the Administrator to make the determinations required by the Act and 
this part. Although the ultimate standards for determinations under 
these rules are identical for both transferees and original preexisting 
licensees, NOAA anticipates that applicants who are transferees will 
have to supply more information with the application than licensees will 
[see subsection (e) in this section].

[[Page 345]]

    (d) Identification of requirements. Each portion of the application 
should identify the requirements of this part to which it responds.
    (e) Information previously submitted in connection with an 
exploration license. Information previously submitted as part of an 
exploration license application, as well as information submitted during 
the course of license activities (such as data included in annual 
reports to NOAA), may be incorporated in the commercial recovery permit 
application by reference.
    (f) Request for confidential treatment of information. If an 
applicant wishes to have any information in its application not be 
subject to public disclosure, it must so request, at the time of 
submitting the information, pursuant to Sec. 971.802 which will govern 
disposition of the request.
    (g) Pre-application consultation. The Administrator will make NOAA 
staff available to potential applicants for pre-application 
consultations on how to respond to the provisions of this part. In 
appropriate circumstances, the Administrator will provide written 
confirmation to the applicant of oral guidance resulting from such 
consultations. Such consultation is required for the purpose of Sec. 
971.207. The applicant is encouraged to consult with affected States as 
early as is practicable [see also Sec. Sec. 971.213 and 971.606(b)].
    (h) Compliance with Federal consistency requirements. An applicant 
for a commercial recovery permit must comply with all necessary 
requirements, including procedures, pursuant to 15 CFR part 930, subpart 
D. Applications and other necessary data and information must be 
transmitted to the designated State agency as prescribed under 15 CFR 
930.50.

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