2015-03408. Notice of Proposed Information Collection; Request for Comments for 1029-0129

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 request approval for the collection of information for OSMRE's call for nominations for its Excellence in Surface Coal Mining Reclamation Awards and Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Awards.

DATES:

Comments on the proposed information collection must be received by April 20, 2015, to be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES:

Comments may be mailed to John Trelease, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, 1951 Constitution Ave. NW., Room 203-SIB, Washington, DC 20240. Comments may also be submitted electronically to [e-mail].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To receive a copy of the information collection request contact John Trelease at [phone] or by email at [e-mail].

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)]. This notice identifies an information collection that OSMRE will be submitting to OMB for approval. The collection is for nominations to OSMRE's Excellence in Surface Coal Mining Reclamation Awards and Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Awards. OSMRE will request a 3-year term of approval for the 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. Since this is a new information collection request, OSMRE is seeking new OMB control number. Responses are voluntary.

Comments are invited on: (1) The need for the collection of information for the performance of the functions of the agency; (2) the accuracy of the agency's burden estimates; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information collection; and (4) ways to minimize the information collection burden on respondents, such as use of automated means of collection of the information. A summary of the public comments will accompany OSMRE's submission of the information collection request to OMB.

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: Reclamation Awards—Call for Nominations.

OMB Control Number: 1029-0129.

Summary: This information collection clearance package is being submitted by the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) for renewed approval to collect information for our annual call for nominations for our Excellence in Surface Coal Mining Reclamation Awards and Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Awards. Since 1986, the Office of Surface Mining has presented awards to coal mine operators who completed exemplary active reclamation. A parallel award program for abandoned mine land reclamation began in 1992. The objective was to give public recognition to those responsible for the nation's most outstanding achievement in environmentally sound surface mining and land reclamation and to encourage the exchange and transfer of successful reclamation technology. This collection request seeks a three-year term of approval.

Bureau Form Number: None.

Frequency of Collection: Once.

Description of Respondents: Industry and state/tribal nominees for reclamation awards and state/tribal judges.

Total Annual Responses: 14 active mine respondents, 11 state and tribal abandoned mine land program respondents, and 26 state and tribal judges.

Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,646.

Total Annual Non-Wage Burden: $2,500.

Dated: February 11, 2015.

Harry J. Payne,

Chief, Division of Regulatory Support.