2018-01615. Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Permanent Program Performance Standards-Surface and Underground Mining Activities

AGENCY:

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice of information collection; request for comment.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) are proposing to renew an information collection used by the regulatory authority to monitor and inspect surface coal mining activities to ensure that they are conducted in compliance with the requirements of the Act.

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before February 28, 2018.

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 [e-mail]; or via facsimile to [phone]. Please provide a copy of your comments to Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, Attn: John Trelease, 1849 C. Street NW, Mail Stop 4559, Washington, DC 20240, or by email to [e-mail]. Please refer to OMB Control Number 1029-0047 in the subject line of your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To request additional information about this ICR, contact John Trelease by email at [e-mail], or by telephone at [phone]. 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 August 16, 2017 (82 FR 38932). 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 OSMRE; (2) is the estimate of burden accurate; (3) how might OSMRE enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) how might OSMRE 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.

Title: 30 CFR parts 816 and 817—Permanent Program Performance Standards—Surface and Underground Mining Activities.

OMB Control Number: 1029-0047.

Abstract: Sections 515 and 516 of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 provide that permittees conducting coal mining operations shall meet all applicable performance standards of the Act. The information collected is used by the regulatory authority to monitor and inspect surface coal mining activities to ensure that they are conducted in compliance with the requirements of the Act.

Bureau Form Number: None.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents/Affected Public: Coal mining operators and State regulatory authorities.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 406,897 coal mining operator responses and 1,672 State regulatory authority responses.

Estimated Completion Time per Response: 1 hour.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: Varies from 1.1 hours to 107 hours for operators, depending on the requirement; 40 hours to 240 hours for regulatory authorities, depending on the requirement.

Respondent's Obligation: Required to Obtain or Retain a Benefit.

Frequency of Collection: Once, on occasion, quarterly and annually.

Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: $26,787,506.

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 authority for this action is the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq).

Dated: January 24, 2018.

John A. Trelease,

Acting Chief, Division of Regulatory Support.