[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 101 (Thursday, May 24, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 31038]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-12405]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
Notice of Proposed Information Collection
AGENCY: Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) is
announcing that the information collection request for bonding and
insurance requirements for surface coal mining and reclamation
operations under regulatory programs has been submitted to the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The information
collection request describes the nature of the information collection
and the expected burden and cost.
DATES: OMB has up to 60 days to approve or disapprove the information
collections but may respond after 30 days. Therefore, public comments
should be submitted to OMB by June 25, 2012 in order to be assured of
consideration.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments to the Office of Information and Regulatory
Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Attention: Department of the
Interior Desk Officer, by telefax at (202) 395-5806 or via email to
OIRA_Docket@omb.eop.gov. Also, please send a copy of your comments to
John Trelease, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement,
1951 Constitution Ave. NW., Room 203-SIB, Washington, DC 20240, by
telefax to (202) 219-3276, or by email to jtrelease@osmre.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To receive a copy of the information
collection request contact John Trelease at (202) 208-2783, or
electronically at jtrelease@osmre.gov. You may also review this
information collection request on the Internet by going to http://www.reginfo.gov (Information Collection Review, Currently Under Review,
Agency is Department of the Interior, DOI-OSMRE).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OMB regulations at 5 CFR 1320, which
implement provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L.
104-13), require that interested members of the public and affected
agencies have an opportunity to comment on information collection and
recordkeeping activities [see 5 CFR 1320.8(d)]. OSM has submitted a
request to OMB to renew its approval for the collection of information
contained in 30 CFR Part 800--Bonding and insurance requirements for
surface coal mining and reclamation operations under regulatory
programs. OSM is requesting a 3-year term of approval for each
information collection activity.
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. The OMB control number for this
collection of information is 1029-0043 for 30 CFR 800.
As required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), a Federal Register notice
soliciting comments for this collection of information was published on
March 2, 2012, (77 FR 12879). We received one comment for this
information collection request. The commenter expressed concern that
bond amounts are not adequate to cover the cost of reclamation if the
operator should forfeit their bond, requiring taxpayers to fund
reclamation. However, section 509 of SMCRA and 30 CFR Part 800 require
that bonds be in an amount adequate to complete the reclamation plan in
the event of bond forfeiture. This notice provides the public with an
additional 30 days in which to comment on the following information
collection activity:
Title: 30 CFR Part 800--Bond and insurance requirements for surface
coal mining and reclamation operations under regulatory programs.
OMB Control Number: 1029-0043.
Summary: The regulations at 30 CFR Part 800 primarily implement
Sec. 509 of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977,
which requires that persons planning to conduct surface coal mining
operations first post a performance bond to guarantee fulfillment of
all reclamation obligations under the approved permit. The regulations
also establish bond release requirements and procedures consistent with
Sec. 519 of the Act, liability insurance requirements pursuant to
Sec. 507(f) of the Act, and procedures for bond forfeiture should the
permittee default on reclamation obligations.
Bureau Form Number: None.
Frequency of Collection: Once.
Description of Respondents: Surface coal mining and reclamation
applicants and State regulatory authorities.
Total Annual Responses: 12,336.
Total Annual Burden Hours: 112,627 hours.
Total Annual Cost Burden: $1,510,214.
Send comments on the need for the collection of information for the
performance of the functions of the agency; the accuracy of the
agency's burden estimates; ways to enhance the quality, utility and
clarity of the information collection; and ways to minimize the
information collection burdens on respondents, such as use of automated
means of collections of the information, to the addresses listed in
ADDRESSES. Please refer to the appropriate OMB control number in all
correspondence.
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.
Dated: May 8, 2012.
Andrew F. DeVito,
Chief, Division of Regulatory Support.
[FR Doc. 2012-12405 Filed 5-23-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-05-M