07-1575. Notice of Proposed Information Collection for 1029-0089

AGENCY:

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement.

ACTION:

Notice and request for comments.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) is announcing that the information collection request for 30 CFR part 702, Exemption for Coal Extraction Incidental to the Extraction of Other Minerals 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 but may respond after 30 days. Therefore, public comments should be submitted to OMB by April 30, 2007, 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 Interior Desk Officer, by telefax at [phone] or via e-mail to [e-mail]. Also, please send a copy of your comment to John A. Trelease, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, 1951 Constitution Ave, NW., Room 202—SIB, Washington, DC 20240, or electronically to [e-mail].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To request a copy of the information collection request contact John A. Trelease at [phone]. You may also contact Mr. Trelease at [e-mail].

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 320.8(d)]. OSM has submitted a request to OMB to renew its approval for the collection of information found at 30 CFR Part 702. OSM 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 of this collection of information is 1029-0089, and may be found in OSM's regulations at 702.10.

As required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), a Federal Register notice soliciting comments on this collection of information was published on December 8, 2006 (71 FR 71189). 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 702—Exemption for Coal Extraction Incidental to the Extraction of Other Minerals.

OMB Control Number: 1029-0089.

Summary: This part implements the requirement in Section 701(28) of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA), which grants an exemption from the requirements of SMCRA to operators extracting not more than 162/3 percentage tonnage of coal incidental to the extraction of other minerals. This information will be used by the regulatory authorities to make that determination.

Bureau Form Number: None.

Frequency of Collection: Once and annually thereafter.

Description of Respondents: Producers of coal and other minerals and the State regulatory authorities.

Total Annual Responses: 120.

Total Annual Burden Hours: 535.

Total Non-wage Costs: $200.

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 burden on respondents, such as use of automated means of collection of the information, to the addresses listed under ADDRESSES. Please refer to OMB control number 1029-0089 in all correspondence.

Dated: February 8, 2007.

John R. Craynon,

Chief, Division of Regulatory Support.