[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 61 (Wednesday, March 31, 1999)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 15322]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-7874]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
30 CFR Parts 701, 724, 773, 774, 778, 842, 843, and 846
RIN 1029-AB94
Application and Permit Information Requirements; Permit
Eligibility; Definitions of Ownership and Control; the Applicant/
Violator System; Alternative Enforcement Actions
AGENCY: Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, Interior.
ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening and extension of comment period.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM)
is reopening and extending the comment period for the proposed rule
published on December 21, 1998 (63 FR 70580). The comment period
originally closed on February 19, 1999, and was extended to March 25,
1999 (64 FR 8763; February 23, 1999). We are again reopening and
extending the comment period for an additional 15 days.
DATES: We will accept written comments on the proposed rule until 5
p.m., Eastern time, on April 15, 1999.
ADDRESSES: You may mail or hand-deliver comments to the Office of
Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, Administrative Record, Room
101, 1951 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20240. You may also
submit comments to OSM via the Internet at: [email protected], gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Earl D. Bandy, Jr., Office of Surface
Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, Applicant/Violator System Office,
2679 Regency Road, Lexington, Kentucky 40503. Telephone: (606) 233-2796
or (800) 643-9748. E-Mail: ebandy@osmre.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In response to requests from members of the
public, we are reopening and extending the public comment period for
the proposed rule published on December 21, 1998 (63 FR 70580). We are
extending the comment period an additional 15 days. In the rule, we are
proposing revised permit eligibility requirements for surface coal
mining operations under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act
of 1977 (SMCRA). In particular, we propose to revise how ownership and
control of mining operations is determined under section 510(c) of
SMCRA so that applicants who are responsible for unabated violations do
not receive new permits. We have designed this proposal to be
effective, fair, and consistent with a 1997 decision by the U.S. Court
of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit addressing ownership and control
issues.
In addition, we are proposing other changes to other aspects of our
regulations in response to comments we received when we sought public
participation in developing this proposed rule. Our intent is to
improve, clarify, and simplify current regulations as well as to reduce
duplicative and burdensome permit information requirements.
Dated: March 25, 1999.
Stephen Sheffield,
Acting Assistant Director, Program Support.
[FR Doc. 99-7874 Filed 3-30-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-05-M
