[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 111 (Tuesday, June 10, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 31541-31543]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-15009]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement

30 CFR Part 925

[SPATS No. MO-032-FOR]


Missouri Regulatory Program

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

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

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SUMMARY: OSM is announcing receipt of revisions to a previously 
proposed amendment to the Missouri Regulatory program (hereinafter 
referred to as the ``Missouri program'') under the Surface Mining 
Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA). The proposed amendment 
consists of revisions to Missouri's revegetation success guidelines. 
Missouri is proposing to withdraw the portion of its proposed amendment 
pertaining to the use of county average yields for determining prime 
farmland revegetation success and to revise the portion of its proposed 
amendment pertaining to special requirements for ground cover density 
on previously mined areas reclaimed to a pasture land use. The 
amendment is intended to revise the Missouri program to be consistent 
with the corresponding Federal regulations.

DATES: Written comments must be received by 4:00 p.m., c.d.t., June 25, 
1997.


[[Page 31542]]


ADDRESSES: Written comments should be mailed or hand delivered to 
Russell W. Frum, Mid-Continent Regional Coordinating Center, at the 
address listed below.
    Copies of the Missouri 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 Mid-Continent Regional Coordinating Center.

Russell W. Frum, Mid-Continent Regional Coordinating Center, Office of 
Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, Alton Federal Building, 501 
Belle Street, Alton, Illinois, 62002, Telephone: (618) 463-6460
Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Land Reclamation Program, 205 
Jefferson Street, P.O. Box 176, Jefferson City, Missouri 65102, 
Telephone: (573) 751-4041.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Russell W. Frum, Mid-Continent Regional Coordinating Center, Telephone: 
(618) 463-6460.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background on the Missouri Program

    On November 21, 1980, the Secretary of the Interior conditionally 
approved the Missouri program. General background information on the 
Missouri program, including the Secretary's findings, the disposition 
of comments, and the conditions of approval of the Missouri program can 
be found in the November 21, 1980, Federal Register (45 FR 77017). 
Subsequent actions concerning Missouri's program and program amendments 
can be found at 30 CFR 925.12, 925.15, and 925.16.

II. Discussion of the Proposed Amendment

    By letter dated April 16, 1997 (Administrative Record No. MO-649), 
Missouri submitted a proposed amendment to its program pursuant to 
SMCRA. Missouri submitted the proposed amendment at its own initiative. 
Missouri proposed to amend its revegetation success guidelines by 
adding procedures to allow for the use of county average yields when 
determining how the production on reclaimed prime farmland compares to 
the production on unmined prime farmland and by referencing the special 
requirements for ground cover density on previously mined areas in each 
land use section of the guidelines.
    OSM announced receipt of the proposed amendment in the April 29, 
1997, Federal Register (62 FR 23194) and invited public comment on its 
adequacy. The public comment period ended May 29, 1997.
    By letter dated May 29, 1997 (Administrative Record No. MO-5649.3), 
Missouri proposed the following revisions to its April 16,1 997, 
proposed amendment.

1. Phase II/III Revegetation Success Standards for Prime Farmland

    Missouri proposed to withdraw the revisions to its revegetation 
success guidelines for phase II/III revegetation success standards for 
prime farmland at section II.C.5 and new Appendix N pertaining to the 
option and procedures for using county average yields when determining 
how the production on reclaimed prime farmland compares to the 
production on unmined prime farmland.

2. Phase III Revegetation Success Standards for Pasture

    Missouri previously proposed to require the permittee to establish 
a minimum ground cover density of 90 percent on previously mined areas 
reclaimed to a land use of pasture if the premining use was not pasture 
or the premining ground cover density was not recorded before 
redisturbance. In its letter dated May 29, 1997, Missouri proposed to 
change the minimum ground cover density for this requirement to 70 
percent.

III. Public Comment Procedures

    OSM is reopening the comment period on the proposed Missouri 
program 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), 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 Missouri 
program.

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 Mid-Continent Regional 
Coordinating Center will not necessarily be considered in the final 
rulemaking or included in the Administrative Record.

IV. Procedural Determinations

Executive Order 12866

    This proposed rule is exempted from review by the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) under Executive Order 12866 (Regulatory 
Planning and Review).

Executive Order 12988

    The Department of the Interior has conducted the reviews required 
by section 3 of Executive Order 12988 (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 
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.

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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.

Unfunded Mandates

    This rule will not impose a cost of $100 million or more in any 
given year on any governmental entity or the private sector.

List of Subjects in 30 CFR Part 925

    Intergovernmental relations, Surface mining, Underground mining.

    Dated: June 2, 1997.
Deborah Watford,
Acting Regional Director, Mid-Continent Regional Coordinating Center.
[FR Doc. 97-15009 Filed 6-9-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-05-M