2017-03526. Notice of Proposed Information Collection; Request for Comments for 1029-0116

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 that the information collection request for Revision; Renewal; and Transfer, Assignment, or Sale of Permit Rights, has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and reauthorization. The information collection package was previously approved and assigned control number 1029-0116. This notice describes the nature of the information collection activity and the expected burdens.

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 March 27, 2017, 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 at [e-mail].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To receive a copy of the information collection request, contact John Trelease at [phone] or electronically to [e-mail]. You may also review the information collection request online at http://www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to review Department of the Interior collections under review by OMB.

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 for 30 CFR part 774—Revision; Renewal; and Transfer, Assignment, or Sale of Permit Rights. OSMRE is requesting a 3-year term of approval for this information collection.

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 Part 774 is 1029-0116 and is referenced in § 774.9.

As required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), a Federal Register notice soliciting comments on this collection of information was published on September 15, 2016 (81 FR 63493). No comments were received. This notice provides the public with an additional 30 days in which to comment on the following information collection:

Title: 30 CFR part 774—Revisions; Renewals; and Transfer, Assignment, or Sale of Permit Rights.

OMB Control Number: 1029-0116.

Summary: Sections 506 and 511 of Public Law 95-87 provide that persons seeking permit revisions, renewals, transfer, assignment, or sale of their permit rights for coal mining activities submit relevant information to the regulatory authority to allow the regulatory authority to determine whether the applicant meets the requirements for the action anticipated.

Bureau Form Number: None.

Frequency of Collection: Once.

Description of Respondents: Surface coal mining permit applicants and State regulatory authorities.

Total Annual Responses: 4,311 responses from permit applicants and 4,229 responses from State regulatory authorities.

Total Annual Burden Hours: 302,815.

Total Annual Non-wage Costs: $1,059,644.

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 address listed above. Please refer to OMB control number 1029-0116 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: February 1, 2017.

John A. Trelease,

Acting Chief, Division of Regulatory Support.