[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 199 (Monday, October 16, 1995)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 53564-53565]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-25558]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
30 CFR Part 934

[ND-033]


North Dakota Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation (AMLR) Plan

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 North 
Dakota AMLR plan (hereinafter, the ``North Dakota plan'') under the 
Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA). The 
proposed amendment consists of addition of a contractor eligibility 
statutory provision, revision of procurement and contract procedures, 
revision of procurement and contract policies, and revision of the 
State agency organizational structure. The amendment is intended to 
revise the North Dakota plan to meet the requirements of the 
corresponding Federal regulations and to improve operational 
efficiency.

DATES: Written comments must be received by 4 p.m., m.d.t., November 
15, 1995. If requested, a public hearing on the proposed amendment will 
be held on November 13, 1995. Requests to present oral testimony at the 
hearing must be received by 4 p.m., m.d.t., October 31, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be mailed or hand delivered to Guy 
Padgett at the address listed below.
    Copies of the North Dakota 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 Casper Field Office.

Guy Padgett, Director, Casper Field Office, Office of Surface Mining 
Reclamation and Enforcement, 100 East B Street, Room 2128, Casper, 
Wyoming 82601-1918
Louis A. Ogaard, Director, AML Division, Public Service Commission, 
Capitol Building, Bismarck, ND 58505-0165

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Guy Padgett, Telephone: (307) 261-5776.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background on the North Dakota Plan

    On December 23, 1981, the Secretary of the Interior approved the 
North Dakota plan. General background information on the North Dakota 
plan, including the Secretary's findings and the disposition of 
comments, can be found in the December 23, 1981, Federal Register (46 
FR 62253). Subsequent actions concerning North Dakota's plan and plan 
amendments can be found at 30 CFR 934.25.

II. Proposed Amendment

    By letter dated September 20, 1995, North Dakota submitted a 
proposed amendment to its plan (administrative record No. ND-X-02) 
pursuant to SMCRA (30 U.S.C. 1201 et seq.). North Dakota submitted the 
proposed amendment at its own initiative and in response to a September 
26, 1994, letter (administrative record No. ND-X-01) that OSM sent to 
North Dakota in accordance with 30 CFR 884.15(b). The provisions of its 
North Dakota plan that North Dakota proposes to add and/or revise are: 
North Dakota Century Code (NDCC) 38-14.2-03(14), powers and duties of 
the Commission; procurement procedures; contract procedures; policy 2-
01-81(5), procurement policy and contract policy; and State agency 
organizational structure.
    Specifically, North Dakota proposes to add to its statute at NDCC 
38-14.2-03(14) a requirement that:

    Every successful bidder for an AML contract must be eligible 
based on available information concerning Federal and State failure-
to-abate cessation orders, unabated Federal and State imminent harm 
cessation orders, delinquent civil penalties issued pursuant to 
Section 518 of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 
1977, bond forfeitures where violations upon which the forfeitures 
were based have not been corrected, delinquent abandoned mine 
reclamation fees, and unabated violations of Federal and State laws, 
rules, and regulations pertaining to air or water environmental 
protection incurred in connection with any surface coal mining 
operation.

    North Dakota proposes to rename its ``Procurement Policy'' as 
``Procurement Procedures'' and make various revisions in:
    Section II, definitions and miscellaneous policy provisions, at 
subsection E, contract execution; subsection H, contractor selection; 
subsection I, final report; subsection K, preference; subsection M, 
procurement officer;
    Section III, Public Service Commission and public contractor code 
of conduct, at subsection B, gifts; and
    Section IV, procurement procedural requirements, at subsection B, 
procurement procedures; subsection C, method of procurement; subsection 
D, unsolicited proposal.
    In the ``Procurement Procedures,'' North Dakota also proposes to 
add appendices at: A, evaluation criteria for request for proposals/
competitive negotiations; B, sample scoring system for competitive 
negotiation type contracts; C, procedures for competitive contract 
negotiations; D, procedures for sole source procurement; and E, 
checklist for work statement (specific provisions) contracts and 
requests for proposals.
    North Dakota proposes to rename its ``Contract Policy'' as 
``Contract Procedures'' and make various revisions in:
    Section II, checklist for negotiating contracts; and
    Section III, standard contract provisions, at subsection B, 
construction contracts.
    In the ``Contract Procedures,'' North Dakota also proposes to add 
appendices at: A, sample close-out letter to contractor; B, sample 
contract transmittal letter; C, sample detailed budget sheet for cost 
reimbursable contracts; D, checklist for negotiating contracts; E, 
Public Service Commission contract numbering system; F, conflict of 
interest disclaimer; G, checklist for work statement (specific 
provisions) contracts and request for proposals; and H, certification 
of payment to employees, suppliers, and subcontractors.
    North Dakota proposes to revise policy 2-02-81(5), Public Service 
Commission contract policy and procurement policy.
    Lastly, North Dakota submitted a revised organizational chart for 
the Public Service Commission. The chart indicates that 5.3 employees 
are devoted to abandoned mine lands.

[[Page 53565]]


III. Public Comment Procedures

    In accordance with the provisions of 30 CFR 884.15(a), OSM is 
seeking comments on whether the proposed amendment satisfies the 
applicable plan approval criteria of 30 CFR 884.14. In the amendment is 
deemed adequate, it will become part of the North Dakota plan.

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 Casper 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 p.m., m.d.t., 
October 31, 1995. Any disabled individual who has need for a special 
accommodation to attend a public hearing should contract the individual 
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTRACT. 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 Tribe or State AMLR plans and 
revisions thereof since each such plan is drafted and promulgated by a 
specific Tribe or State, not by OSM. Decisions on proposed Tribe or 
State AMLR plans and revisions thereof submitted by a Tribe or State 
are based on a termination of whether the submittal meets the 
requirements of Title IV 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 
agency decisions on proposed Tribe or 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 DM 6, 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 Tribe or State submittal which is the subject of this rule is based 
upon Federal regulations from 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 Tribe or 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 analyses for the 
corresponding Federal regulations.

List of Subjects in 30 CFR Part 934

    Abandoned mine reclamation programs, Intergovernmental relations, 
Surface mining, Underground mining.

    Dated: September 27, 1995.
Richard J. Seibel,
Regional Director, Western Regional Coordinating Center.
[FR Doc. 95-25558 Filed 10-13-95; 8:45 am]
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