E8-23794. Notice of Proposed Information Collection for 1029-0036

AGENCY:

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement.

ACTION:

Notice and request for comments.

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 30 CFR part 780 which relates to surface mining permit applications—minimum requirements for reclamation and operation plans has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. 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 November 10, 2008, in order to be assured of consideration.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To request a copy of the information collection request, contact John A. Trelease at [phone], or electronically to [e-mail].

ADDRESSES:

Comments may be submitted to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Department of the Interior Desk Officer, via e-mail at [e-mail], or by facsimile to [phone]. Also, please send a copy of your comments to John Trelease, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, 1951 Constitution Ave, NW., Room 202-SIB, Washington, DC 20240, or electronically to [e-mail]. Please reference 1029-0036 in your correspondence.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations at 5 CFR part 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 of the collection of information contained in 30 CFR Part 780—Surface Mining Permit Applications—Minimum Requirements for Reclamation and Operation Plans. 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 1029-0036.

As required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), a Federal Register notice soliciting comments on this collection of information was published on July 1, 2008 (73 FR 37486). No comments were received. This notice provides the public with an additional 30 days in which to comment on the following information collection activities:

Title: 30 CFR Part 780—Surface Mining Permit Applications—Minimum Requirements for Reclamation and Operation Plan.

OMB Control Number: 1029-0036.

SUMMARY:

Sections 507(b), 508(a), 510(b), 515(b) and (d), and 522 of Public Law 95-87 require applicants to submit operations and reclamation plans for coal mining activities. Information collection is needed to determine whether the plans will achieve the reclamation and environmental protections pursuant to the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act. Without this information, Federal and State regulatory authorities cannot review and approve permit application requests.

Bureau Form Number: None.

Frequency of Collection: Once.

Description of Respondents: Applicants for surface coal mine permits on Federal lands and State regulatory authorities.

Total Annual Respondents: 225 applicants and 221 State responses.

Total Annual Burden Hours for Applicants: 281,706.

Total Annual Burden Hours for State Regulatory Authorities: 78,457.

Total Annual Burden Hours for All Respondents: 360,163.

Total Annual Burden Costs for All Respondents: $1,992,395.

Send comments on the need for the collections 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 collections; and ways to minimize the information collection burdens on respondents, such as use of automated means of collections of the information, to the individual listed in ADDRESSES. Please refer to OMB control number 1029-0036 in all correspondence.

Before including your address, phone number, e-mail 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: October 2, 2008.

John A. Trelease,

Acting Chief, Division of Regulatory Support.