[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 186 (Tuesday, September 27, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-23824]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: September 27, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
30 CFR Part 944
Utah Regulatory Program
AGENCY: Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM),
Interior.
ACTION: Proposed rule; public comment period and opportunity for public
hearing on proposed amendment.
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SUMMARY: OSM is announcing receipt of a proposed amendment to the Utah
regulatory program (hereinafter, the ``Utah program'') under the
Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA). The
proposed amendment consists of revisions to the Utah rules pertaining
to the confidentiality of coal exploration information. The amendment
is intended to revise the Utah program to be consistent with the
corresponding Federal regulations.
DATES: Written comments must be received by 4:00 p.m., m.d.t., October
27, 1994. If requested, a public hearing on the proposed amendment will
be held on October 24, 1994. Requests to present oral testimony at the
hearing must be received by 4:00 p.m., m.d.t., October 12, 1994. Any
disabled individual who has need for a special accommodation to attend
a public hearing should contact the individual listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be mailed or hand delivered to
Thomas E. Ehmett at the address listed below.
Copies of the Utah program, the proposed amendment, and all written
comments received in response to this document will be available for
public review at the addresses listed below during normal business
hours, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Each requester may
receive one free copy of the proposed amendment by contacting OSM's
Albuquerque Field Office.
Thomas E. Ehmett, Acting, Director, Albuquerque Field Office, Office of
Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, 505 Marquette Avenue, NW.,
Suite 1200, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102.
Utah Coal Regulatory Program, Division of Oil, Gas and Mining, 355 West
North Temple, 3 Triad Center, Suite 350, Salt Lake City, Utah 84180-
1203, Telephone: (801) 538-5340.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas E. Ehmett, Telephone: (505)
766-1486.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background on the Utah Program
On January 21, 1981, the Secretary of the Interior conditionally
approved the Utah program. General background information on the Utah
program, including the Secretary's findings, the disposition of
comments, and the conditions of approval of the Utah program can be
found in the January 21, 1981, Federal Register (46 FR 5899).
Subsequent actions concerning Utah's program and program amendments can
be found at 30 CFR 944.15, 944.16, and 944.30.
II. Proposed Amendment
By letter dated September 9, 1994, Utah submitted a proposed
amendment to its program pursuant to SMCRA (administrative record No.
UT-971). Utah submitted the proposed amendment in response to the
required program amendment at 30 CFR 944.16(a). The provision of the
Utah Coal Mining Rules that Utah proposes to revise is Utah
Administrative Rule (Utah Admin. R.) 645-203-200, Confidentiality.
Specifically, Utah proposes to revise Utah Admin. R. 645-203-200 by
inserting language to specify that the Division of Oil, Gas and Mining
(Division) will not make information available for public inspection,
if the information ``concerns trade secrets or is privileged commercial
or financial information relating to the competitive rights of the
person intending to conduct coal exploration or that the information is
confidential under the standards of the Federal Act.'' Utah also
proposes to delete language that limited confidential information to
information ``classified as being protected, private, or controlled
under the Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA) or
confidential under other applicable State or federal laws, rules, or
regulations.''
III. Public Comment Procedures
In accordance with the provisions of 30 CFR 732.17(h), OSM is
seeking comments on whether the proposed amendment satisfies the
applicable program approval criteria of 30 CFR 732.15. If the amendment
is deemed adequate, it will become part of the Utah program.
1. Written Comments
Written comments should be specific, pertain only to the issues
proposed in this rulemaking, and include explanations in support of the
commenter's recommendations. Comments received after the time indicated
under DATES or at locations other than the Albuquerque Field Office
will not necessarily be considered in the final rulemaking or included
in the administrative record.
2. Public Hearing
Persons wishing to testify at the public hearing should contact the
person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT by 4:00 p.m.,
m.d.t., October 12, 1994. 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 testify have been heard. Persons in the audience
who have not been scheduled to testify, and who wish to do so, will be
heard following those who have been scheduled. The hearing will end
after all persons scheduled to testify and persons present in the
audience who wish to testify have been heard.
3. Public Meeting
If only one person requests an opportunity to testify at a hearing,
a public meeting, rather than a public hearing, may be held. Persons
wishing to meet with OSM representatives to discuss the proposed
amendment 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.
IV. Procedural Determinations
1. Executive Order 12866
This rule is exempted from review by the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) under Executive Order 12866 (Regulatory Planning and
Review).
2. Executive Order 12778
The Department of the Interior has conducted the reviews required
by section 2 of Executive Order 12778 (Civil Justice Reform) and has
determined that this rule meets the applicable standards of subsections
(a) and (b) of that section. However, these standards are not
applicable to the actual language of State regulatory programs and
program amendments since each such program is drafted and promulgated
by a specific State, not by OSM. Under sections 503 and 505 of SMCRA
(30 U.S.C. 1253 and 12550) and the Federal regulations at 30 CFR
730.11, 732.15, and 732.17(h)(10), decisions on proposed State
regulatory programs and program amendments submitted by the States must
be based solely on a determination of whether the submittal is
consistent with SMCRA and its implementing Federal regulations and
whether the other requirements of 30 CFR Parts 730, 731, and 732 have
been met.
3. National Environmental Policy Act
No environmental impact statement is required for this rule since
section 702(d) of SMCRA (30 U.S.C. 1292(d)) provides that agency
decisions on proposed State regulatory program provisions do not
constitute major Federal actions within the meaning of section
102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C.
4332(2)(C)).
4. Paperwork Reduction Act
This rule does not contain information collection requirements that
require approval by OMB under the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C.
3507 et seq.).
5. Regulatory Flexibility Act
The Department of the Interior has determined that this rule will
not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small
entities under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.).
The State submittal that is the subject of this rule is based upon
counterpart Federal regulations for which an economic analysis was
prepared and certification made that such regulations would not have a
significant economic effect upon a substantial number of small
entities. Accordingly, this rule will ensure that existing requirements
previously promulgated by OSM will be implemented by the State. In
making the determination as to whether this rule would have a
significant economic impact, the Department relied upon the data and
assumptions for the counterpart Federal regulations.
V. List of Subjects in 30 CFR Part 944
Intergovernmental relations, Surface mining, Underground mining.
Dated: September 16, 1994.
Russell F. Price,
Acting Assistant Director, Western Support Center.
[FR Doc. 94-23824 Filed 9-26-94; 8:45 am]
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