2012-10457. Notice of Proposed Information Collection for 1029-0061

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 its intention to request renewed approval for the collection of information for the Permanent Regulatory Program—Small Operator Assistance Program (SOAP). This collection request 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 collections but may respond after 30 days. Therefore, public comments should be submitted to OMB by June 1, 2012, 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 to [phone] or by 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, by telefax to [phone], or by email to [e-mail].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To receive a copy of the information collection request, contact John Trelease at [phone], or via email at [e-mail]. You may also review this information collection request by going to http://www.reginfo.gov (Information Collection Review, Currently Under Review, Agency is Department of the Interior, DOI-OSMRE).

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)]. OSM has submitted a request to OMB to renew its approval of the collection of information contained in 30 CFR part 795—Permanent Regulatory Program—Small Operator Assistance Program. OSM is requesting 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. The OMB control number for this collection of information is 1029-0061. Responses are required to obtain a benefit.

As required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), a Federal Register notice soliciting comments on these collections of information was published on February 7, 2012 (77 FR 6141). No comments were received. This notice provides the public with an additional 30 days in which to comment on the following information collection activities:

Title: 30 CFR Part 795—Permanent Regulatory Program—Small Operator Assistance Program.

OMB Control Number: 1029-0061.

SUMMARY:

This information collection requirement is needed to provide assistance to qualified small mine operators under section 507(c) of Public Law 95-87. The information requested will provide the regulatory authority with data to determine the eligibility of the applicant and the capability and expertise of laboratories to perform required tasks.

Bureau Form Number: FS-6.

Frequency of Collection: Once per application.

Description of Respondents: Small operators, laboratories, and State regulatory authorities (SRAs).

Total Annual Responses: 4.

Total Annual Burden Hours: 93 hours. This includes 18 hours per operator to complete form, 1 hour for laboratory to request contract, 70 hours for SRAs to award laboratory contract, and 4 hours for SRAs to review application and prepare response letter.

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 places listed under Addresses. Please refer to control number 1029-0061 in your 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: April 25, 2012.

Andrew F. DeVito,

Chief Division of Regulatory Support.