2015-30984. Notice of Proposed Information Collection; Request for Comments for 1029-0027

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) is announcing its intention to seek renewed authority to collect information for surface coal mining and reclamation operations on Federal lands. This collection request has been forwarded 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 collection request but may respond after 30 days. Therefore, public comments should be submitted to OMB by January 8, 2016, 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 reference 1029-0027 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 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 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)]. OSMRE has submitted a request to OMB to renew its approval for the collections of information contained in 30 CFR part 740, Surface Coal Mining and Reclamation Operations on Federal Lands. 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 1029-0027.

As required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), a Federal Register notice soliciting comments on this collection of information was published on August 5, 2015 (80 FR 46601). No comments were received. This notice provides the public with an additional 30 days in which to comment on the following information collection activity:

Title: 30 CFR part 740—General Requirements for Surface Coal Mining and Reclamation Operations on Federal Lands.

OMB Control Number: 1029-0027.

Summary: Section 523 of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 requires that a Federal lands program be established to govern surface coal mining and reclamation operations on Federal lands. The information requested is needed to assist the regulatory authority to determine the eligibility of an applicant to conduct surface coal mining operations on Federal lands.

Frequency of Collection: Once.

Description of Respondents: Applicants for surface coal mine permits on Federal lands, and State Regulatory Authorities.

Total Annual Responses: 12.

Total Annual Burden Hours for Applicants: 780.

Total Annual Burden Hours for States: 1,425.

Total Annual Burden for All Respondents: 2,205.

Obligation to Respond: Required in order to obtain or retain benefits.

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 places listed under ADDRESSES. Please refer to control number 1029-0027 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: December 4, 2015.

John A. Trelease,

Acting Chief, Division of Regulatory Support.