[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: 94-23825]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: September 27, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement

30 CFR Part 936

 

Oklahoma 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 
Oklahoma regulatory program (hereinafter, the ``Oklahoma program'') 
under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA). 
The proposed amendment consists of recodification of Oklahoma's coal 
mining rules and revisions to the rules pertaining to reclamation plan 
requirements for ponds, impoundments, banks, dams, and embankments; 
road systems; subsidence control plans; transportation facilities; 
requirements for releasing performance bonds; hydrologic balance 
requirements for siltation structures; revegetation standards for 
success; subsidence control; soil removal requirements for prime 
farmland; soil stockpiling requirements for prime farmland; and soil 
replacement requirements for prime farmland. The amendment is intended 
to revise the Oklahoma program to be consistent with the corresponding 
Federal regulations.

dates: Written comments must be received by 4:00 p.m., c.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., c.d.t. on 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 James 
H. Moncrief at the address listed below.
    Copies of the Oklahoma 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 Tulsa Field Office.

James H. Moncrief, Director, Tulsa Field Office, Office of Surface 
Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, 5100 E. Skelly Drive, Suite 550, 
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74135
Oklahoma Department of Mines, 4040 N. Lincoln Blvd., Suite 107, 
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73105, Telephone: (405) 521-3859

for further information contact: James H. Moncrief, Telephone: (918) 
581-6430.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background on the Oklahoma Program

    On January 19, 1981, the Secretary of the Interior conditionally 
approved the Oklahoma program. General background information on the 
Oklahoma program, including the Secretary's findings, the disposition 
of comments, and the conditions of approval of the Oklahoma program can 
be found in the January 19, 1981, Federal Register (46 FR 4902). 
Subsequent actions concerning Oklahoma's program and program amendments 
can be found at 30 CFR 936.15, 936.16, and 936.30.

II. Proposed Amendment

    By letter dated September 14, 1994, Oklahoma submitted a proposed 
amendment to its program pursuant to SMCRA (administrative record No. 
OK-963). Oklahoma submitted the proposed amendment with the intention 
of revising the Oklahoma program to be consistent with the 
corresponding Federal regulations.
    Oklahoma proposes to recodify its rules according to the standards 
set forth by the Oklahoma State Legislature and the Office of 
Administrative Code. The proposed recodification revises the Oklahoma 
rules from series 816 for surface coal mining operations and series 817 
for underground coal mining operations to series 460 with underlying 
chapters and subchapters specifying the various surface and underground 
coal mining provisions.
    In addition, Oklahoma proposes to revise the Oklahoma Coal Rules 
and Regulations at Secs. 780.25 and 784.16, reclamation plan for ponds, 
impoundments, banks, dams, and embankments; Sec. 780.37, road systems; 
Sec. 784.20, subsidence control plans; Sec. 784.24, transportation 
facilities; section 800.40, requirement to release performance bonds; 
Secs. 816.46 and 817.46, hydrologic balance and siltation structures; 
Sec. 816.116, revegetation success standards; Sec. 816.121, subsidence 
control; Sec. 823.12, prime farmland soil removal; Sec. 823.13, prime 
farmland soil stockpiling; and Sec. 823.14, prime farmland soil 
replacement.
    More specifically, Oklahoma proposes the following revisions. It 
proposes to revise Secs. 780.25 and 784.16, regarding the reclamation 
plan requirements for ponds, impoundments, banks, dams, and 
embankments, by deleting language allowing professional geologists and 
qualified, registered professional land surveyors to certify plans and 
detailed designs. In addition, Oklahoma proposes in both provisions to 
replace the phrase ``regulatory authority' with the term 
``Department.''
    Oklahoma proposes to revise Sec. 780.37, regarding road systems, by 
deleting language allowing qualified, registered professional land 
surveyors to certify plans and drawings for primary roads.
    Oklahoma proposes to revise Sec. 784.20, regarding subsidence 
control plans, by removing the phrase ``to the extent required under 
State law'' from the requirement that a permit application include a 
subsidence control plan containing a description of the measures to be 
taken to mitigate or remedy any subsidence-related material to, or 
diminution in value or reasonable foreseeable use of structures or 
facilities.
    Oklahoma proposes to revise Sec. 784.24, regarding transportation 
facilities, by deleting language allowing qualified, registered 
professional land surveyors to certify plans and drawings for primary 
roads.
    Oklahoma proposes to revise Sec. 800.40, regarding the requirement 
to release performance bonds, by providing that the Department may 
arrange with the permittee to allow access to the permit area upon 
request by any person with an interest in bond release, for the purpose 
of gathering information relevant to the proceeding.
    Oklahoma proposes to revise Secs. 816.46 and 817.46, regarding the 
hydrologic balance requirements for siltation structures, by (1) 
striking a cross-reference to provisions that grant authority to 
qualified, registered professional land surveyors to certify plans and 
detailed designs for ponds, impoundments, banks, dams, and embankments; 
and (2) adding language to require that the qualified, registered 
professional engineer or land surveyor certifying the construction of 
siltation structures shall have experience in pond construction.
    Oklahoma proposes to revise Sec. 816.116, regarding revegetation 
success standards, to require that prior to approving selective 
husbandry practices, the Department must obtain the approval of the 
Director of the Office of Surface Mining that such practices are normal 
husbandry practices.
    Oklahoma proposes to revise Sec. 816.121, regarding subsidence 
control, by deleting the phrase ``to the extent required under 
applicable provisions of State law'' from the requirement to correct 
material damage resulting from subsidence.
    Oklahoma proposes to revise Sec. 823.12, regarding soil stockpiling 
requirements for prime farmland, to include the E horizon in the 
description of topsoil for prime farmland. In addition, Oklahoma 
proposes to delete the phrase ``an equal or'' from the requirement that 
a final soil have a greater productive capacity than that which existed 
prior to mining.
    Lastly, Oklahoma proposes to revise sections 823.13 and 823.14, 
regarding soil stockpiling and soil replacement requirements for prime 
farmland, to include the E horizon in the description of topsoil for 
prime farmland.

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 Oklahoma 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 Tulsa 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., 
c.d.t., on 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 936

    Intergovernmental relations, Surface mining, Underground mining.

    Dated: September 20, 1994.
Russell F. Price,
Acting Assistant Director, Western Support Center.
[FR Doc. 94-23825 Filed 9-20-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-05-M