00-22915. Notice of Proposed Information Collection

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 approval for the collection of information under 30 CFR Part 769, Petition process for designation of federal lands as unsuitable for all or certain types of surface coal mining operations and for termination of previous designations. The collection described below 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 collection but may respond after 30 days. Therefore, pubic comments should be submitted to OMB by October 10, 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 form, 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 in 30 CFR part 769, Petition process for designation of Federal lands as unsuitable for all or certain types of surface coal mining operations and for termination of previous designations. OSM is requesting a 3-year term of approval for this 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 of this collection of information is 1029-0098.

As required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), a Federal Register notice soliciting comments on these collections of information was published on May 10, 2000 (65 FR 30132). 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: Petition process for designation of Federal lands as unsuitable for all or certain types of surface coal mining operations and for termination of previous designations—30 CFR Part 769.

OMB Control Number: 1029-0098.

Summary: This Part establishes the minimum procedures and standards for designating Federal lands unsuitable for certain types of surface mining operations and for terminating designations pursuant to a petition. The information requested will aid the regulatory authority in the decision making process to approve or disapprove a request.

Bureau Form Number: None.

Frequency of Collection: Once.

Description of Respondents: People may be adversely affected by surface mining on Federal lands.

Total Annual Responses: 1.

Total Annual Burden Hours: 120.

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 following addresses. Please refer to the appropriate OMB control number in all correspondence.

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 210—SIB, Washington, DC 20240, or electronically to [e-mail].

Richard G. Bryson,

Chief, Division of Regulatory Support.