[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 194 (Friday, October 6, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52412-52414]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-24897]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement


Notice of Public Meeting and Request for Public Comments

AGENCY: Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, Interior.

SUMMARY: The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM 
or we) of the U.S. Department of the Interior is developing its 
recommendations to the President for the FY 1997 budget. As part of 
OSM's effort to be customer-driven, we are providing the public (you) 
with a chance to give us your recommendations on how much money we 
should ask for and how we should set our priorities to serve your 
needs. You can send us written comments. We will also hold a public 
meeting to give you and OSM's Management Council a chance to talk about 
FY 1997 priorities and funding levels. You can also let us know your 
views on other issues, but we prefer the focus to be on your priorities 
for FY 1997. The public meeting will be interactive, and will include 
several pre-selected roundtables. OSM will not respond directly to 
written comments or to the points raised in the public meeting. All 
points will be considered in the Management Council's deliberations. 
This is an experimental effort. If it works, we will use it in the 
future.

DATES: Written comments: We will accept written comments on the 
priority of our business lines and the program activities for fiscal 
year 1997 until 4:00 p.m. local time on November 1, 1995.
    Public meeting: We will hold a public meeting in an interactive 
forum on our business lines and program activities for fiscal year 1997 
in Washington, D.C. on October 31, 1995, beginning at 9:00 a.m. If more 
time is needed we will continue the meeting on November 1, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Written comments: Mail or hand-deliver to Victor J. 
Christiansen at the address provided under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT.
    Public meeting: The public meeting will be held at the South 
Interior Building's Auditorium, 1951 Constitution Ave., N.W., 
Washington, D.C.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Victor J. Christiansen. Mr. 
Christiansen can supply information on our FY 1995-1996 budget for 
those interested, and may be reached at: Office of Surface Mining 
Reclamation and Enforcement, Room 244, 1951 Constitution Avenue, N.W., 
Washington, D.C. 20240; Telephone: 202-7851; E-Mail address on the 
internet; [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OSM has decided to request public comments 
and to hold a public meeting where we hope to gain your input into our 
recommendations to the President on OSM's FY 1997 budget. To better 
enable you to prepare comments, we have included our mission and vision 
statements and a list of our business functions below. We would like 
you to prioritize the business lines and program activities, keeping in 
mind the mission and vision of OSM.

Mission

    Our mission is to carry out the requirements of the Surface Mining 
Control and Reclamation Act in cooperation with States and Tribes. Our 
primary objectives are to ensure that coal mines are operated in a 
manner that protects citizens and the environment during mining and 
assures that the land is restored to beneficial use following mining, 
and to mitigate the effects of past mining by aggressively pursuing 
reclamation of abandoned coal mines.

Vision

    In regulating active coal mining, we will maintain compliance at 
high levels and ensure that all mines are properly operated and 
promptly reclaimed to the standards established under the Act. We will 
emphasize prevention and ensure that long-term environmental problems 
do not occur. We will ensure that the premining productivity of the 
land is restored.
    In reclaiming abandoned mine lands, we will aggressively pursue 
reclamation with a primary emphasis on correcting the most serious 
problems related to public health, safety, and the general welfare. We 
will ensure maximum public benefit through the prompt and fair 
distribution of public funds.
    In cooperating with State regulatory authorities, the primary 
enforcers of SMCRA, and with Tribes, we will promote a shared 
commitment to the goals of the Act. We will develop 

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comprehensive understandings about the fairness, effectiveness, and 
efficiency of SMCRA programs. We will provide constructive program 
reviews, oversight monitoring, and technical assistance that focus on 
results. We will act independently to protect the public interest in 
situations of imminent harm or when a State does not implement an 
approved regulatory program.
    In dealing with those who are affected by mining and reclamation, 
we will ensure the protection of citizens from abusive mining 
practices, be responsive to their concerns, and allow them full access 
to information needed to evaluate the effect of mining on their health, 
safety, general welfare, and property.
    In our relations with the coal industry, we will have clear, fair, 
and consistently applied policies and will respect the importance of 
coal production as a source of our Nation's energy supply.
    In all communications, we will maintain open, courteous, 
constructive, and timely dialogue and will use information to 
understand and improve our programs and those of our State and Tribal 
partners.
    In demonstrating leadership in mining and reclamation, we will 
promote the development of the highest quality technical information 
and research and will seek the transfer of technology to those who 
would benefit.
    In meeting our responsibilities, we will be a diverse, competent, 
innovative, and highly-trained work force. We will serve with 
integrity, and demonstrate technical, legal, administrative, and 
professional excellence at all times. We will constantly strive to 
create a more responsive, efficient, and effective process for 
achieving SMCA's objectives.

Business Lines and Program Activities

    Financial Management involves the functions of collecting managing 
and disbursing the funds received from coal operators. This business 
line includes the costs of collecting, managing, disbursing and 
investing abandoned mine land reclamation fees. It also includes the 
full range of the audit, billing, and collection process. This line 
also finances the costs of collecting civil penalties from operators 
who violate any mining permit condition or any Title V SMCRA provision, 
as well as other administrative collections. It provides funds for 
protecting the environment, property and public.
    Revenue Management--This program activity involves the 
identification, notification and collection of civil penalties and 
associated interest and bond forfeiture collections.
    Fee Compliance--This program activity's primary purpose is to 
identify, notify, audit and collect fees from operators for the AML 
Fund. It is the AML Fund that provides monies for the reclamation of 
abandoned mine lands.
    Financial Management--This program activity includes the 
programmatic accounting functions, such as AML and excluding 
administrative functions such as payroll. This also includes the fiscal 
responsibility and accounting for grants.
    Environmental Restoration involves all those functions that 
contribute to reclaiming lands affected by past coal mining practices. 
This business line provides for the use of AML funds to protect public 
health, safety, and general welfare from extreme danger and adverse 
effects of coal mining practices. It also restores land and water 
resources and the environment previously degraded by these practices. 
In addition, OSM will finance the Appalachian Clean Streams Initiative 
in this business line.
    The preponderance of the funding requirement is devoted to AML 
State reclamation funding. Also included in the grants area is funding 
for State operated emergency projects and priority projects. This 
business line also finances the costs of the Federal reclamation 
program, including the Federal emergency program and for priority 
projects in States that do not have a reclamation program. This 
business line also funds the costs of AML program development by 
providing resources for policy direction and program oversight.
    State Funding--This program activity involves the funds allocated 
to the States for their approved AML programs. This does not include 
grant application processing or any other processes for administering 
the grants.
    State Performance Evaluation--This program activity provides for 
monitoring the progress and quality of each approved State and Tribal 
reclamation plan.
    Emergencies--This program activity provides for immediate relief 
from abandoned mine hazards that threaten public safety and health. It 
provides for implementation of the emergency program in States and 
Tribal lands without approved emergency reclamation programs.
    Federal/Indian Lands--This program activity provides for the 
management of AML projects in States and Tribal lands without approved 
reclamation plans under the Federal Reclamation Program.
    Program Development and Maintenance--The Program Development 
activity provides for developing an allocation and distribution formula 
for grants to the States and Indian Tribes; management and maintenance 
of the National Abandoned Mine Land Inventory; development and 
implementation of the Appalachian Clean Streams Initiative; and the 
application and development of policies and regulations related to 
Title IV of SMCRA.
    Environmental Protection ecnompasses those functions that directly 
contribute to ensuring that the environment is protected during surface 
coal mining operations. It also assures that coal operators adequately 
reclaim the land after the mining is complete.
    This business line involved the oversight of State programs and the 
operation of Federal and Indian programs. As with the Environmental 
Restoration business line, the principal costs of delivering the 
Environmental Protection line are devoted to providing regulatory 
grants to the States. Other important responsibilities financed out of 
this business line include State program oversight through the 
inspection and evaluation processes and the operation of the Applicant 
Violator System. OSM funds State regulatory program development in this 
business line.
    This business line also provides OSM with the resources needed to 
oversee Federal and Indian programs. It includes direct inspection and 
enforcement activities on Indian lands and in States not having 
primacy, and in States who have not entered into cooperative agreements 
to oversee Federal lands within their borders. It also provides for 
OSM's costs for regulatory program development.
    State Funding--This program activity involves the grant funds OSM 
must allocate to each State with an approved regulatory program to fund 
up to 50% of their programs. This program does not include processing 
grant applications or any other processes necessary to disburse the 
grants to the states.
    State Performance Evaluation--Includes those program activities 
associated with the assurance that the states are following the 
approved regulatory and abandoned mine land programs.
    Federal Programs--Includes those program activities associated with 
establishing/maintaining a Federal presence to carry out the 
requirements of SMCRA.
    Federal Lands--Includes those program activities associated with 
the negotiation and monitoring of cooperative agreements with primacy 
states to regulate coal mining on Federal 

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lands in their states; also includes direct regulatory activities on 
Federal lands in states without cooperative agreements.
    Indian Lands--Includes direct regulatory activities on Indian lands 
and initiatives in self-governance and self-determination.
    Program Development and Maintenance--Includes those program 
activities associated with the interpretation of SMCRA and its 
implementing regulations, reviewing and processing amendments to state 
programs and developing new program initiatives to meet changes in 
regulatory policy.
    Applicant Violator System (AVS)--This program activity provides 
OSM, the states and tribes with the required information to fully meet 
the requirements of Section 510(c) of the Surface Mining Act.
    Technology Development and Transfer captures OSM efforts to enhance 
the technical skills that States and Indian tribes need to operate 
their regulatory and reclamation programs and to meet SMCRA 
requirements. OSM wants to assure that States and Indian tribes have 
the highest possible level of technical capabilities necessary to run 
effective programs.
    OSM provides technical outreach to States and Indian tribes in a 
multi-disciplinary approach to solve problems related to the 
environmental effects of coal mining. OSM provides daily informal 
assistance to States and Indian tribes. It also conducts technical 
studies on mining related problems and shares the results with them.
    This business line provides the resources necessary to operate the 
Technical Information Processing system. This business line also funds 
OSM's technical training program by providing an ongoing formal 
educational program to increase the technical competence of OSM, State 
and Tribal personnel. It also funds COALEX, a computer assisted library 
search service, used to aid regulatory authorities by providing legal 
information on SMCRA, its implementing regulations and State regulatory 
information.
    Training--The training program activity provides technical 
assistance to State, Tribal and OSM personnel by developing, 
conducting, evaluating, and/or coordinating all OSM training 
activities.
    Technical Assistance--The technical assistance program activity 
addresses technical problems which arise during implementing of SMCRA. 
This includes assistance and advice to State, Tribal, and OSM personnel 
on specific issues related to Titles IV and V of SMCRA, and current and 
effective methodology on mining and reclamation. This program area also 
includes the operation and maintenance of the Technical Information 
Processing System (TIPS), technical input for State program evaluation, 
assistance/testimony in court cases/hearings, preparation of technical 
studies, and interaction/coordination with other agencies on technical 
issues.
    Technology Transfer--The technology transfer program activity 
provides assistance to customers in the understanding of SMCRA and in 
the dissemination of technical methods of achieve the requirements of 
SMCRA. This includes participation in technical meetings, interactive 
forums, and workshops; providing displays and speakers for conferences/
seminars; and providing access and maintenance to information systems 
such as COALEX/LEXIS.
    To assist us prioritize these business lines and program activities 
we have scheduled a public meeting on the fiscal year 1997 budget in 
Washington, D.C. Refer to DATES and ADDRESSES for the time, date and 
location for the meeting. The meeting will continue until everyone has 
had an opportunity to be heard. We will not prepare a formal transcript 
of the meeting, nor do we plan to provide formal responses to the 
written comments. We hope that this will facilitate dialogue in the 
interactive forum.
    Any disabled individual who needs special accommodation to attend 
the public meeting should contact the individual listed under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

    Dated: September 29, 1995.
Robert Uram,
Director, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement.
[FR Doc. 95-24897 Filed 10-5-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-05-M