[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 91 (Thursday, May 11, 1995)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 25185-25187]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-11647]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
30 CFR Part 946
Virginia Regulatory Program
AGENCY: Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM),
Interior.
ACTION: Announcement of reopening of public comment period and
opportunity for public hearing.
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SUMMARY: OSM is reopening a public comment period until May 26, 1995,
and is requesting public comment that would be considered in deciding
how to implement in Virginia underground coal mine subsidence control
and water replacement provisions of the Surface Mining Control and
Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA), the implementing Federal regulations,
and/or the counterpart State provisions. Recent amendments to SMCRA and
the implementing Federal regulations require that underground coal
mining operations conducted after October 24, 1992, promptly repair or
compensate for subsidence-caused material damage to noncommercial
buildings and to occupied dwellings and related structures. These
provisions also require such operations to promptly replace drinking,
domestic, and residential water supplies that have been adversely
affected by underground coal mining.
OSM must decide if the Virginia regulatory program (hereinafter
referred to as the ``Virginia program'') currently has adequate
counterpart provisions in place to promptly implement the recent
amendments to SMCRA and the Federal regulations. After consultation
with Virginia and consideration of public comments, OSM will decide
whether initial enforcement in Virginia will be accomplished through
the State program amendment process or by State enforcement, by interim
direct OSM enforcement, or by joint State and OSM enforcement.
DATES: Written comments must be received by 4:00 p.m., E.D.T. on May
26, 1995. If requested, OSM will hold a public hearing on May 22, 1995,
concerning how the underground coal mine subsidence control and water
replacement provisions of SMCRA and the implementing Federal
regulations, or the counterpart State provisions, should be implemented
in Virginia. Requests to speak at the hearing must be received by 4:00
p.m., E.D.T. on May 18, 1995.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and requests to speak at the hearing should
be mailed or hand-delivered to Robert A. Penn, Director, Big Stone Gap
Field Office at the address listed below.
Copies of the applicable parts of the Virginia program, SMCRA, the
implementing Federal regulations, information provided by Virginia
concerning its authority to implement State counterparts to SMCRA and
the implementing Federal regulations, a listing of any scheduled public
hearings, and all written comments received in response to this
document will be available for public review at the address listed
below during normal business hours, Monday through Friday, excluding
holidays: Robert A. Penn, Director, Big Stone Gap Field Office, Office
of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, P.O. Drawer 1217, Big
Stone Gap, Virginia 24219, Telephone: (703) 523-4303.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert A. Penn, Director, Big Stone
Gap Field Office, Telephone: (703) 523-4303.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
A. The Energy Policy Act
Section 2504 of the Energy Policy Act of 1992, Pub. L. 102-486, 106
Stat. 2776 (1992) added new section 720 to SMCRA. Section 720(a)(1)
requires that all underground coal mining operations promptly repair or
compensate for subsidence-caused material damage to noncommercial
buildings and to occupied residential dwellings and related structures.
Repair of damage includes rehabilitation, restoration, or replacement
of the structures identified in section 720(a)(1), and compensation
must be provided to the owner in the full amount of the reduction in
value of the damaged structures as a result of subsidence. Section
720(a)(2) requires prompt replacement of certain identified water
supplies if those supplies have been adversely affected by underground
coal mining operations.
These provisions requiring prompt repair or compensation for damage
to structures, and prompt replacement of water supplies, went into
effect upon passage of the Energy Policy Act on October 24, 1992. As a
result, underground coal mine permittees in States with OSM-approved
regulatory programs are required to comply with these provisions for
operations conducted after October 24, 1992.
B. The Federal Regulations Implementing the Energy Policy Act
On March 31, 1995, OSM promulgated regulations at 30 CFR Part 817
to implement the performance [[Page 25186]] standards of sections
720(a) (1) and (2) of SMCRA (60 FR 16722-16751).
30 CFR 817.121(c)(2) requires in part that:
The permittee must promptly repair, or compensate the owner for,
material damage resulting from subsidence caused to any non-
commercial building or occupied residential dwelling or structure
related thereto that existed at the time of mining. * * * The
requirements of this paragraph apply only to subsistence-related
damage caused by underground mining activities conducted after
October 24, 1992.
30 CFR 817.41(j) requires in part that:
The permittee must promptly replace any drinking, domestic or
residential water supply that is contaminated, diminished or
interrupted by underground mining activities conducted after October
24, 1992, if the affected well or spring was in existence before the
date the regulatory authority received the permit application for
the activities causing the loss, contamination or interruption.
30 CFR 843.25 provides that by July 31, 1995, OSM will decide, in
consultation with each State regulatory authority with an approved
program, how enforcement of the new requirements will be accomplished.
As discussed below, enforcement may be accomplished through the 30 CFR
Part 732 State program amendment process, or by State, OSM, or joint
State and OSM enforcement of the requirements. OSM will decide which of
the following enforcement approaches to pursue.
(1) State program amendment process. If the State's promulgation of
regulatory provisions that are counterpart to 30 CFR 817.41(j) and
817.121(c)(2) is imminent, the number and extent of underground mines
that have operated in the State since October 24, 1992, is low, the
number of complaints in the State concerning section 720 of SMCRA is
low, or the State's investigation of subsistence-related complaints has
been thorough and complete so as to assure prompt remedial action, the
OSM could decide not to directly enforce the Federal provisions in the
State. In this situation, the State would enforce its State statutory
and regulatory provisions once it has amended its program to be in
accordance with the revised SMCRA and to be consistent with the revised
Federal regulations. This program revision process, which is addressed
in the Federal regulations at 30 CFR Part 732, is commonly referred to
as the State program amendment process.
(2) State enforcement. If the State has statutory or regulatory
provisions in place that correspond to all of the requirements of the
above-described Federal regulations at 30 CFR 817.41(j) and
817.121(c)(2) and the State has authority to implement its statutory
and regulatory provisions for all underground mining activities
conducted after October 24, 1992, then the State would enforce its
provisions for these operations.
(3) Interim direct OSM enforcement. If the State does not have any
statutory or regulatory provisions in place that correspond to the
requirements of the Federal regulations at 30 CFR 817.41(j) and
817.121(c)(2), the OSM would enforce in their entirety 30 CFR 817.41(j)
and 817.121(c)(2) for all underground mining activities conducted in
the State after October 24, 1992.
(4) State and OSM enforcement. If the State has statutory or
regulatory provisions in place that correspond to some but not all of
the requirements of the Federal regulations at 30 CFR 817.41(j) and
817.121(c)(2) and the State has authority to implement its provisions
for all underground mining activities conducted after October 24, 1992,
then the State would enforce its provisions for these operations. OSM
would then enforce those provisions of 30 CFR 817.41(j) and
817.121(c)(2) that were not covered by the State provisions for these
operations.
If the State has statutory or regulatory provisions in place that
correspond to some but not all of the requirements of the Federal
regulations at 30 CFR 817.41(j) and 817.121(c)(2) and if the State's
authority to enforce its provisions applies to operations conducted on
or after some date later than October 24, 1992, the State would enforce
its provisions for these operations on and after the provisions'
effective date. OSM would then enforce 30 CFR 817.41(j) and
817.121(c)(2) to the extent the state statutory and regulatory
provisions do not include corresponding provisions applicable to all
underground mining activities conducted after October 24, 1992; and OSM
would enforce those provisions of 30 CFR 817.41(j) and 817.121(c)(2)
that are included in the State program but are not enforceable back to
October 24, 1992, for the time period from October 24, 1992, until the
effective date of the State's rules.
As described in items numbers (3) and (4) above, OSM would directly
enforce in total or in part its Federal statutory or regulatory
provisions until the State adopts and OSM approves, under 30 CFR Part
732, the State's counterparts to the required provisions. However, as
discussed in item number (1) above, OSM could decide not to initiate
direct Federal enforcement and rely instead on the 30 CFR Part 732
State program amendment process.
In those situations where OSM determined that direct Federal
enforcement was necessary, the ten-day notice provision of 30 CFR
843.12(a)(2) would not apply. That is, when on the basis of a Federal
inspection OSM determined that a violation of 30 CFR 817.41(j) and
817.121(c)(2) existed, OSM would issue a notice of violation or
cessation order without first sending a ten-day notice to the State.
Also under direct Federal enforcement, the provisions of 30 CFR
817.121(c)(4) would apply. This regulation states that if damage to any
noncommercial building or occupied residential dwelling or structure
related thereto occurs as a result of earth movement within an area
determined by projecting a specific angle of draw from the outermost
boundary of any underground mine workings to the surface of the land
(normally a 30 degree angle of draw), a rebuttable presumption exists
that the premittee caused the damage.
Lastly, under direct Federal enforcement, OSM would also enforce
the new definitions at 30 CFR 701.5 of ``drinking, domestic or
residential water supply,'' ``material damage,'' ``non-commercial
building,'' ``occupied dwelling and structures related thereto,'' and
``replacement of water supply'' that were adopted with the new
underground mining performance standards.
OSM would enforce 30 CFR 817.41(j), 817.121(c) (2) and (4), and 30
CFR 701.5 for operations conducted after October 24, 1992.
C. Enforcement in Virginia
By letter to Virginia dated December 14, 1994, OSM requested
information from Virginia that would help OSM decide which approach to
take in Virginia to implement the new requirements of section 720(a) of
SMCRA and the implementing Federal regulations (Administrative Record
No. VA-850. By letter dated January 13, 1995, Virginia responded to
this OSM request (Administrative Record No. VA-851).
Virginia indicated that existing State program provisions at
Sections 45.1-243 and 45.1-258 of the Code of Virginia are adequate
State counterparts to section 720(a) of SMCRA. Virginia explained that
it will enforce these State program provisions effective October 24,
1992. Section 480-03-19.817.121(c)(2) of the Virginia Coal Surface
Mining Reclamation Regulations concerning subsidence control has been
used by Virginia since December 26, 1990. OSM [[Page 25187]] records
show that approximately 325 underground coal mines have been classified
as active in Virginia since October 24, 1992. Between October 24, 1992,
and January 13, 1995, Virginia investigated 262 citizen complaints
alleging subsidence-caused structural damage or water supply loss or
contamination as a result of underground mining operations. As of
January 13, 1995, Virginia had found that no violation of the Act
existed on 202 of the complaints, violations existed on 35 of the
complaints, and technical reports and a final decision were pending on
25 complaints.
By letter dated April 30, 1995, a person requested that the comment
period be reopened because previous commitments prevented a timely
reply to OSM's request for public comment. In response to this request,
OSM is reopening the public comment period until May 26, 1995.
II. Public Comment Procedures
OSM is requesting public comment to assist OSM in making its
decision on which approach to use in Virginia to implement the
underground coal mine performance standards of section 720(a) of SMCRA,
the implementing Federal regulations, and any counterpart State
provisions.
A. Written Comments
Written comments should be specific, pertain only to the issues
addressed in this notice, and include explanations in support of the
commenter's recommendations. Comments received after the time indicated
under DATES or at locations other than the Big Stone Gap Field Office
will not necessarily be considered in OSM's final decision or included
in the Administrative Record.
B. Public Hearing
Persons wishing to speak at the public hearing should contact the
person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT by 4:00 p.m.,
E.D.T. on May 18, 1995. The location and time of the hearing will be
arranged with those persons requesting the hearing. If no one requests
an opportunity to testify at the public hearing, the hearing will not
be held.
Filing of a written statement at the time of the hearing is
requested as it will greatly assist the transcriber. Submission of
written statements in advance of the hearing will allow OSM officials
to prepare adequate responses and appropriate questions.
The public hearing will continue on the specified date until all
persons scheduled to speak have been heard. Persons in the audience who
have not been scheduled to speak, and who wish to do so, will be heard
following those who have been scheduled. The hearing will end after all
persons scheduled to speak and persons present in the audience who wish
to speak have been heard.
Any disabled individual who has need for a special accommodation to
attend a public hearing should contact that individual listed under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
C. Public Meeting
If only a few persons request an opportunity to speak at a hearing,
a public meeting, rather than a public hearing, may be held. Persons
wishing to meet with OSM representatives to discuss recommendations on
how OSM and Virginia should implement the provisions of section 720(a)
of SMCRA, the implementing Federal regulations, and/or the counterpart
State provisions, may request a meeting by contacting the person listed
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. All such meetings will be open
to the public and, if possible, notices of meetings will be posted at
the locations listed under ADDRESSES. A written summary of each meeting
will be made a part of the Administrative Record.
Dated: May 4, 1995.
Allen D. Klein,
Regional Director, Appalachian Regional Coordinating Center.
[FR Doc. 95-11647 Filed 5-10-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-05-M
