[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 40 (Wednesday, February 28, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 7411-7413]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-4429]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement

30 CFR Part 935

[OH-229-FOR #66]


Ohio Regulatory Program

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

ACTION: Final rule; approval of amendment.

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SUMMARY: OSM is approving a proposed amendment to the Ohio regulatory 
program (hereinafter referred to as the ``Ohio program'') under the 
Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA). Ohio 
proposed revisions to rules and directives pertaining to premining 
water quality samples for previously mined permit sites. The amendment 
is intended to make the Ohio program as effective as the corresponding 
Federal regulations.

EFFECTIVE DATE: February 28, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
George Rieger, Program Manager, OSM, Appalachian Regional Coordinating 
Center, 10 Parkway Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15220, Telephone: (412) 937-
2849.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background on the Ohio Program.
II. Submission of the Proposed Amendment.
III. Director's Findings.
IV. Summary and Disposition of Comments.
V. Director's Decision.
VI. Procedural Determinations.

I. Background on the Ohio Program

    On August 16, 1982, the Secretary of the Interior conditionally 
approved the Ohio program. Background information on the Ohio program, 
including the Secretary's findings, the disposition of comments, and 
the conditions of approval can be found in the August 10, 1982, Federal 
Register (47 FR 34688). Subsequent actions concerning conditions of 
approval and program amendments can be found at 30 CFR 935.11, 935.12, 
935.15, and 935.16.

II. Submission of the Proposed Amendment

    By letter dated July 3, 1995 (Administrative Record No. OH-2143), 
Ohio submitted a proposed amendment to its program pursuant to SMCRA at 
its own initiative. Ohio proposed to revise one rule at Ohio 
Administrative Code (OAC) section 1501:13-4-15 concerning the number 
and frequency of premining water samples required for previously mined 
permit areas. Ohio also proposed to revise two of its Policy/Procedures 
Directives (PPD)--PPD Permitting 92-3 and PPD Regulatory 93-4, to 
reflect the rule change.
    OSM announced receipt of the proposed amendment in the July 25, 
1995, Federal Register (60 FR 37972), and in the same document opened 
the public comment period and provided an opportunity for a public 
hearing on the adequacy of the proposed amendment. The public comment 
period closed on August 24, 1995.
    During its review of the amendment, OSM identified concerns 
relating to pollution abatement areas. OSM notified Ohio of these 
concerns by letter dated September 8, 1995 (Administrative Record No. 
OH-2156).
    By letter dated September 27, 1995 (Administrative Record No. OH-
2157), Ohio responded to OSM's concerns by submitting revisions to its 
proposed program amendment. Ohio proposed two additional revisions to 
PPD Regulatory 93-4. The first revision deletes the earlier proposed 
provision which would have allowed the inclusion of ``contiguous 
undisturbed areas'' within pollution abatement areas. The second 
revision requires that the operator make an additional written 
notification pertaining to the demonstration of untreated pre-existing 
discharges.
    Based on the revisions to the proposed program amendment submitted 
by Ohio, OSM reopened the public comment period in the October 25, 
1995, Federal Register (60 FR 54619) and provided an opportunity for a 
public hearing on the adequacy of the amendment. The public comment 
period closed on November 9, 1995.

III. Director's Findings

    Set forth below, pursuant to SMCRA and the Federal regulations at 
30 CFR 732.15 and 732.17, are the Director's findings concerning the 
proposed amendment.
    Revisions not specifically discussed below concern nonsubstantive 
wording changes, or revised cross-references and paragraph notations to 
reflect organizational changes resulting from this amendment.
    15 OAC 1501:13-4-15(D)(2)--Authorization to Conduct Coal Mining on 
Previously Mined Areas. Ohio is proposing to amend its regulations 
pertaining to water quality to require that a permit applicant submit 
data from a minimum of 12 samples taken at regular intervals at each 
sampling location and collected over a period of at least 12 months or 
longer, as determined by the regulatory authority. The Federal 
regulations at 30 CFR 780.21(b) establish baseline hydrologic 

[[Page 7412]]
information requirements. The regulatory authority may require 
additional information as warranted. The Director finds that the 
proposed revision at 15 OAC 1501.13-4-15(d)(2) is not inconsistent with 
the Federal regulations at 30 CFR 780.21(b).
    Policy/Procedure Directive (PPD) 93-4. Ohio is proposing to revise 
the bond release provisions of PPD 93-4 to clarify that as part of the 
demonstration that the untreated pre-existing discharges from the 
pollution abatement area have not exceeded the modified effluent 
limitations for the required 12 months, the operator must notify the 
Division's district office in writing at the beginning of the 12-month 
period prior to the Phase II bond release. The name of Ohio's Remining 
Program's contact person is changed to Bob Baker. The Federal 
regulations at 30 CFR 800.40(c) authorize the regulatory authority to 
release all or part of a bond if the regulatory authority is satisfied 
that certain conditions have been met. The Director finds that the 
proposed revisions to PPD 93-4 are no less effective than the Federal 
regulations at 30 CFR 800.40(c).
    Policy/Procedure Directive (PPD) 92-3. Ohio is proposing to revise 
the sampling procedures for pre-existing discharge sites. The permit 
applicant is required to submit a minimum of 12 samples for each pre-
existing discharge site to be collected over a period of at least 12 
months and the samples must be collected over a period of 12 months or 
longer. Sites are to be sampled no more frequently than once a month. 
There is no statutory provision for a variance of the sampling 
requirements.
    The Federal regulations at 30 CFR 780.21(b) establish baseline 
hydrologic information requirements. The regulatory authority may 
require additional information as warranted. The Director finds that 
the proposed revisions to PPD 92-3 are not inconsistent with the 
Federal regulations at 30 CFR 780.21(b).

IV. Summary and Disposition of Comments

Public Comments

    The Director solicited public comments on July 25, 1995, and 
October 25, 1995, and provided an opportunity for public hearings on 
the proposed amendment. No public comments were received, and because 
no one requested an opportunity to speak at a public hearing, no 
hearings were held.

Federal Agency Comments

    Pursuant to 30 CFR 732.17(h)(11)(i), the Director solicited 
comments on the proposed amendment from various Federal agencies with 
an actual or potential interest in the Ohio program. The U.S. 
Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration, concurred 
without comment.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

    Pursuant to 732.17(h)(11)(i), OSM solicited comments on the 
proposed amendment from EPA (Administrative Record No. OH-2144). It did 
not respond to OSM's request.

V. Director's Decision

    Based on the above findings, the Director approves the proposed 
amendment as submitted by Ohio on July 3, 1995, and as revised on 
September 27, 1995.
    The Federal regulations at 30 CFR part 935, codifying decisions 
concerning the Ohio program, are being amended to implement this 
decision. This final rule is being made effective immediately to 
expedite the State program amendment process and to encourage States to 
bring their programs into conformity with the Federal standards without 
undue delay. Consistency of State and Federal standards is required by 
SMCRA.

VI. Procedural Determinations

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).

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, to the extent allowed by law, 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 1255) and 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.

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)).

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.).

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 which is the subject of this rule is based upon 
corresponding 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 corresponding Federal regulations.

List of Subjects in 30 CFR Part 935

    Intergovernmental relations, Surface mining, Underground mining.

    Dated: February 16, 1996.
Allen D. Klein,
Assistant Director, Appalachian Regional Coordinating Center.

    For the reasons set out in the preamble, Title 30, Chapter VII, 
Subchapter T of the Code of Federal Regulations is amended as set forth 
below:

PART 935--OHIO

    1. The authority citation for Part 935 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 30 U.S.C. 1201 et seq.

    2. Section 935.15 is amended by adding paragraph (aaaa) to read as 
follows:


Sec. 935.15  Approval of regulatory program amendments.

* * * * *
    (aaaa) The amendments to the following rules and directives, as 
submitted to OSM on July 3, 1995, and 

[[Page 7413]]
revised on September 27, 1995, are approved effective February 28, 
1996:

15 OAC 1501:13-4-15(D)(2)--Authorization to Conduct Coal Mining on 
Previously Mined Areas
Policy/Procedure Directive 93-4--Remining Enforcement Procedure
Policy/Procedure Directive 92-3--Remining Process

[FR Doc. 96-4429 Filed 2-27-96; 8:45 am]
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