2014-27005. Notice of Proposed Information Collection; Request Comments for 1029-0047

AGENCY:

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice and request for comments.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) has forwarded the information collection renewal request relating to the permanent program performance standards—surface mining activities and underground mining activities, 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. This information collection activity was previously approved by OMB and assigned control number 1029-0047.

DATES:

OMB has up to 60 days to approve or disapprove the information collection but may respond after 30 days. Therefore, public comments should be submitted to OMB by December 15, 2014, 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 [phone] or via email to [e-mail]. 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, or electronically to [e-mail]. Please refer to OMB Control Number 1029-0047 in your correspondence.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To receive a copy of the information collection request contact John Trelease at [phone], or electronically at [e-mail]. You may also review this information collection request 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)]. OSMRE has submitted a request to OMB to renew its approval for the collection of information in 30 CFR parts 816 and 817—Permanent Program Performance Standards—Surface and Underground Mining Activities. OSMRE is requesting a 3-year term of approval for this 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 1029-0047.

As required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), a Federal Register notice soliciting comments on this collection of information was published on August 5, 2014 (79 FR 45459). 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 816 and 817—Permanent Program Performance Standards—Surface and Underground Mining Activities.

OMB Control Number: 1029-0047.

Summary: 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 in monitoring and inspecting surface coal mining activities to ensure that they are conducted in compliance with the requirements of the Act.

Bureau Form Number: None.

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

Description of Respondents: Coal mining operators and State regulatory authorities.

Total Annual Responses: 389,822 responses by the coal mining industry and 1,259 responses by State regulatory authorities.

Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,963,782.

Total Annual Non-Wage Burden Cost: $8,662,409.

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 burden on respondents, such as use of automated means of collection of the information, to the addresses listed under ADDRESSES. Please refer to the appropriate OMB control number 1029-0047 in your 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: November 7, 2014.

Harry J. Payne,

Chief, Division of Regulatory Support.