00-25001. 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 request approval for the collection of information for the Abandoned Mine Land Contractor Information form. This collection request has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. 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 October 30, 2000, in order to be assured of consideration.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To request a copy of the information collection request, explanatory information and related forms, contact John A. Trelease at [phone], or electronically to [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations at 5 CFR part 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 approve the collection of information for the Abandoned Mine Land Contractor Information form. 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. This form is currently in use without OMB approval. Therefore, OSM is seeking approval from OMB to collect the information contained in the form. This collection is found in the Applicant/Violator System (AVS) handbook and is prepared by AML contractors to ensure compliance with 30 CFR 874.16.

As required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), a Federal Register notice soliciting comments on the collection of information was published on July 5, 2000 (65 FR 41488). 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: AML Contractor Information Form.

OMB Control Number: 1029-xxxx.

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 Applicant/Violator System (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. This 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 regulatory authorities.

Total Annual Responses: 519.

Total Annual Burden Hours: 465.

Send comments on the need for the collections 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 collections; and ways to minimize the information collection burdens on respondents, such as use of automated means of collections of the information, to the following addresses.

ADDRESSES:

Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Attention: Department of Interior Desk Officer, 725 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20503. Also, please send a copy of your comments to John A. Trelease, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, 1951 Constitution Ave., NW, Room 201-SIB, Washington, DC 20240, or electronically to [e-mail].

Dated: September 25, 2000.

Richard G. Bryson,

Chief, Division of Regulatory Support.