[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 240 (Thursday, December 15, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-30831]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: December 15, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement

30 CFR Part 944

 

Utah Regulatory Program and Abandoned Mine Land Plan

ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening and extension of public comment period 
on proposed amendment.

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SUMMARY: OSM is announcing receipt of revisions and additional 
explanatory information pertaining to a previously proposed amendment 
to the Utah regulatory program and abandoned mine plan (hereinafter, 
the ``Utah program'' and ``Utah plan'') under the Surface Mining 
Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA). The revisions and 
additional explanatory information for Utah's proposed rules and 
statutes pertain to the applicability of Utah Mined Land Reclamation 
Act to Utah's coal program; administrative procedures; appeals to 
district court and further review; formal hearings; and cessation 
orders, abatement notices, and show cause orders. The amendment is 
intended to revise Utah's program and plan to be consistent with SMCRA 
and the Utah Administrative Procedures Act, and to improve operational 
efficiency.

DATES: Written comments must be received by 4:00 p.m., m.s.t., December 
30, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be mailed or hand delivered to 
Thomas E. Ehmett at the address listed below.
    Copies of the Utah program and Utah plan, 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 and Abandoned Mine Reclamation Programs, 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, and June 3, 1983, the Secretary of the 
Interior conditionally approved the Utah program and approved the Utah 
plan. General background information on the Utah program and Utah plan, 
including the Secretary's findings, the disposition of comments, the 
conditions of approval of the Utah program, and approval of the Utah 
plan, can be found in the January 21, 1981, and June 3, 1983, 
publications of the Federal Register (46 FR 5899 and 48 FR 24876). 
Subsequent actions concerning Utah's program and program amendments can 
be found at 30 CFR 944.15, 944.16, and 944.30. Subsequent actions 
concerning Utah's plan amendments can be found at 30 CFR 944.25.

II. Proposed Amendment

    By letter dated April 14, 1994, Utah submitted a proposed amendment 
to its program pursuant to SMCRA (administrative record No. UT-917). 
Utah submitted the proposed amendment in part to make its program and 
plan consistent with SMCRA and in part at its own initiative to make 
its program and plan consistent with the Utah Administrative Procedures 
Act, thereby improving operational efficiency.
    The program provisions of the Utah Coal Reclamation Act of 1979 
that Utah proposed to revise were: Utah Code Annotated (UCA) 40-10-2, 
purpose of Chapter 10; (2) UCA 40-10-3, definitions of new terms 
``adjudicative proceeding,'' ``lands eligible for remining,'' and 
``unanticipated event or condition;'' (3) UCA 40-10-6.5, rulemaking 
authority and procedure; (4) UCA 40-10-6.7, administrative procedures; 
(5) UCA 40-10-7, prohibition of financial interest in any coal mining 
operation; (6) UCA 40-10-8, coal exploration rules issued by the 
Division of Oil, Gas and Mining (Division) and penalty for violation; 
(7) UCA 40-10-10, permit applications; (8) UCA 40-10-11, Division 
action on the permit application; (9) UCA 40-10-12, revision or 
modification of permit provisions; (10) UCA 40-10-13, informal 
conferences; (11) UCA 40-10-14, permit approval or disapproval, 
appeals, and further review; (12) UCA 40-10-15, performance bonds; (13) 
UCA 40-10-16, release of performance bond, surety, or deposit; (14) UCA 
40-10-17, revegetation standards on lands eligible for remining; (15) 
UCA 40-10-18, operator requirements for underground coal mining; (16) 
UCA 40-10-19, information provided by the permittee to the Division and 
right of entry; (17) UCA 40-10-20, contest of violation or amount of 
penalty; (18) UCA 40-10-21, civil action to compel compliance with 
Utah's program and other rights not affected; (19) UCA 40-10-22, 
violations of Utah's program or permit conditions; (20) UCA 40-10-24, 
determination of unsuitability of lands for surface coal mining; and 
(21) UCA 40-10-30, judicial review of rules or orders. Utah also 
proposed to repeal UCA 40-10-4, ``Mined land reclamation provisions 
applied,'' and UCA 40-10-31, ``Chapter's procedures supersede Title 63, 
Chapter 46B,'' and add the requirement that UCA 40-10-11(5), 
modification of permit issuance prohibition, and UCA 40-10-
17(2)(t)(ii), revegetation standards on lands eligible for remining, 
are repealed effective September 30, 2004.
    The plan provisions of the Utah Coal Mining and Reclamation Act 
that Utah proposed to revise were: (1) UCA 40-10-25, lands and water 
eligible for reclamation; (2) UCA 40-10-27, entry upon land adversely 
affected by past coal mining practices, State acquisition of land and 
public sale, and water pollution control and treatment plants; and (3) 
UCA 40-10-28, recovery of reclamation costs and liens against reclaimed 
land.
    OSM announced receipt of the proposed amendment in the May 12, 
1994, Federal Register (59 FR 24675), provided an opportunity for a 
public hearing or meeting on its substantive adequacy, and invited 
public comment on its adequacy (administrative record No. UT-926). 
Because no one requested a public hearing or meeting, none was held. 
The public comment period ended on June 13, 1994.
    During its review of the amendment, OSM identified concerns 
relating to the provisions of the Utah Coal Reclamation Act of 1979 at 
UCA 40-10-3(1), definition of ``adjudicative proceeding;'' UCA 40-10-4, 
applicability of provisions of UCA 40-8; UCA 40-10-6.7 and Utah 
Administrative Rule (Utah Admin. R.) 641-100-100, administrative 
procedures; UCA 40-10-11(3) schedule of applicant's mining law 
violations; UCA 40-10-11(5), remining operation violations resulting 
from unanticipated events or conditions; UCA 40-1013(2)(b), location of 
informal conferences; UCA 40-1014(6)(c), appeal to district court and 
further review; UCA 40-10-16(e), informal conference or formal hearings 
concerning performance bond release decisions; UCA 40-10-18(4), damage 
resulting from underground coal mining subsidence; UCA 40-10-20(2)(e), 
contest of a violation or amount of a civil penalty; UCA 40-10-
22(2)(b), cessation order, abatement notice or show cause order; UCA 
40-10-22(3)(e), costs assessed against the permittee or any person 
having an interest that is or may be adversely affected by the notice 
or order of the Board of Oil, Gas and Mining (Board); and UCA 40-10-
28(1)(b) and (2)(b), recovery of reclamation costs and liens against 
reclaimed land. OSM notified Utah of the concerns by letter dated 
October 24, 1994 (administrative record No. UT-980). Utah responded in 
a letter dated December 7, 1994, by submitting a revised amendment and 
additional explanatory information (administrative record No. UT-997).
    Utah proposes additional explanatory information for (1) UCA 40-10-
4, for the purpose of explaining its intention in repealing UCA 40-10-
4, which allowed the Utah Mined Land Reclamation Act and its 
implementing rules at Utah Admin. R. Part 647 to be applied to the 
Utah's coal mining program, (2) UCA 40-10-16(6), for the purpose of 
affirming that the provisions of Utah Admin. R. Part 641, Rules of 
Practice and Procedure of the Board, apply to hearings held for the 
purposes of bond release and to verify that when an informal hearing is 
converted to a formal hearing, the requirements of a formal proceeding 
apply, and (3) UCA 40-10-22(2)(b), for the purpose of explaining that 
this provision allows for the Utah Supreme Court to be the authority 
for modifying or setting aside a Board order or decision, and that, to 
the extent that any judicial body can reconsider its own order or 
decision, the district court can perform a review and act in a manner 
consistent with the Federal counterpart provisions for granting a stay 
of enforcement or other relief. Utah also proposes revisions to (1) 
Utah Admin. R. 641-100-100, to provide that ``[t]he rules for informal 
adjudicative proceedings are in ``the Coal Program Rules,'' the Oil and 
Gas Conservation Rules and the Mineral Rules and (2) UCA 40-10-14(6), 
to provide that any applicant or person with an interest which is or 
may be adversely affected who has participated in the proceedings as an 
objector, and who is aggrieved by the decision of the Board, ``may 
appeal the decision of the Board directly to the Utah Supreme Court;'' 
to allow in those instances where the Board fails to act that ``the 
applicant or any person with an interest which is or may be adversely 
affected, who has requested a hearing in accordance with Subsection 
(3), to bring an action in'' the district court, and to delete the 
provision allowing for review of the adjudication of the district court 
by the Utah Supreme Court; to provide that ``[a]ny party to the action 
in district court may appeal from the final judgment, order, or decree 
of the district court;'' and to require that the ``[t]ime frame for 
appeals under Subsection (6) (a) through (c) shall be consistent with 
applicable provisions in Section 63-46b-14, Administrative Procedures 
Act.''

III. Public Comment Procedures

    OSM is reopening the comment period on the proposed Utah program 
and plan amendment to provide the public an opportunity to reconsider 
the adequacy of the proposed amendment in light of the additional 
materials submitted. In accordance with the provisions of 30 CFR 
732.17(h) and 884.15(a), OSM is seeking comments on whether the 
proposed amendment satisfies the applicable program and plan approval 
criteria of 30 CFR 732.15 and 884.14. If the amendment is deemed 
adequate, it will become part of the Utah program and plan.
    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.

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, 
abandoned mine land reclamation (AMLR) plans, program amendments, and 
plan revisions since such program or plan 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), 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. Decisions on proposed 
state AMLR plans and revisions thereof submitted by a State are based 
on a determination of whether the submittal meets the requirements of 
Title IF of SMCRA (30 U.S.C. 1231-1243) and the applicable Federal 
regulations at 30 CFR Parts 884 and 888.

3. National Environmental Policy Act

    No environmental impact statement is required for this rule since 
section 702(d) of SMCRA (30 1292 1291(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)) while state AMLR plans and revisions thereof are 
categorically excluded from compliance with the National Environmental 
Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4332) by the Manual of the Department of the 
Interior (516 DM6, appendix 8, paragraph 8.4B(29)).

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 
established by SMCRA or 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 in the analysis for the 
corresponding Federal regulations.

List of Subjects in 30 CFR Part 944

    Intergovernmental relations, Surface mining, Underground mining.

    Dated: December 9, 1994.
Peter A. Rutledge,
Acting Assistant Director, Western Support Center.
[FR Doc. 94-30831 Filed 12-14-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-05-M