2012-19836. Notice of Proposed Information Collection

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 (OSM) is announcing its intention to seek approval to continue the collection of information for the contractor eligibility, and the Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Contractor Information form. This information collection activity was previously approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and assigned clearance number 1029-0119.

DATES:

Comments on the proposed information collection must be received by October 16, 2012, to be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES:

Comments may be mailed to John A. Trelease, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, 1951 Constitution Ave. NW., Room 203—SIB, Washington, DC 20240. Comments may also be submitted electronically to [e-mail].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To receive a copy of the information collection request contact John Trelease, at [phone] or by email at [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

OMB regulations at 5 CFR 1320, which implementing 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)]. This notice identifies information collection that OSM will be submitting to OMB for approval. This collection is contained in 30 CFR 874.16 and the Abandoned Mine Land Contractor Information form. OSM will request a 3-year term of approval for each 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 is 1029-0119. Responses are required to obtain a benefit.

Comments are invited on: (1) The need for the collection of information for the performance of the functions of the agency; (2) the accuracy of the agency's burden estimates; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information collection; and (4) ways to minimize the information collection burden on respondents, such as use of automated means of collection of the information. A summary of the public comments will accompany OSM's submission of the information collection request to OMB.

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.

Title: 30 CFR 874.16—Contractor eligibility, and the AML Contractor Information form.

OMB Control Number: 1029-0119.

Summary: 30 CFR 874.16 requires that every successful bidder for an AML contract must be eligible under 30 CFR 773.15(b)(1) at the time of contract award to receive a permit or conditional permit to conduct surface coal mining operations. Further, the regulation requires the eligibility to be confirmed by OSM's automated AVS and the contractor must be eligible under the regulations implementing Section 510(c) of the Surface Mining Act to receive permits to conduct mining operations. The AML Contractor Information form provides a tool for OSM and the States/Indian tribes to help them prevent persons with outstanding violations from conducting further mining or AML reclamation activities in the State.

Bureau Form Number: None.

Frequency of Collection: Once per contract.

Description of Respondents: AML contract applicants and State and tribal AML authorities.

Total Annual Responses: 279 bidders and 46 State responses.

Total Annual Burden Hours: 169.

Dated: August 7, 2012.

Andrew F. DeVito,

Chief, Division of Regulatory Support.