2017-25096. Agency Information Collection Activities: Requirements for Coal Exploration

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 for requirements for coal exploration.

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before January 19, 2018.

ADDRESSES:

Send your comments on this information collection request (ICR) by mail to: The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, Information Collection Clearance Officer, Attn: John Trelease, 1849 C Street NW., Mail Stop 4559, Washington, DC 20240. Comments may also be submitted electronically to [e-mail].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To request additional information about this ICR, contact John Trelease by email at [e-mail], or by telephone at [phone].

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.

We are 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 the OSMRE; (2) is the estimate of burden accurate; (3) how might the OSMRE enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) how might the 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. We will include or summarize each comment in our request to OMB to approve this ICR. 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.

This notice provides the public with 60 days in which to comment on the following information collection activity:

Title of Collection: 30 CFR part 772—Requirements for coal exploration.

OMB Control Number: 1029-0112.

Abstract: OSMRE and State regulatory authorities use the information collected under 30 CFR part 772 to keep track of coal exploration activities, evaluate the need for an exploration permit, and ensure that exploration activities comply with the environmental protection and reclamation requirements of 30 CFR parts 772 and 815, and section 512 of SMCRA (30 U.S.C. 1262).

Form Number: None.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents/Affected Public: Persons planning to conduct coal exploration and State regulatory authorities.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 1,024 persons submitting exploration notices or permits, and 24 State regulatory authorities.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 1,125 responses by persons submitting exploration notices or permits, and 1,031 responses by State regulatory authorities.

Estimated Completion Time per Response: Varies from .5 hours to 70 hours for persons submitting exploration notices or permits, depending on activity, .5 hours to 53 hours for State regulatory authorities, depending on activity.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 7,644 hours.

Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.

Frequency of Collection: Once.

Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: $2,408.

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.).

Authority: The authorities for this action are the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977, as amended (30 U.S.C. 1201 et seq.), and the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

Dated: October 5, 2017.

John A. Trelease,

Acting Chief, Division of Regulatory Support.