[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 154 (Tuesday, August 11, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 42774-42775]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-21528]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement

30 CFR Part 902

[AK-007-FOR, Amendment No. VII]


Alaska Regulatory Program

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

ACTION: Proposed rule; public comment period and opportunity for public 
hearing on proposed amendment.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) 
is announcing receipt of a proposed amendment to the Alaska regulatory 
program (hereinafter, the ``Alaska program'') under the Surface Mining 
Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA). The proposed amendment 
consists of revisions to rules pertaining to general permitting 
requirements, general permit application information requirements, 
environmental resource information requirements, reclamation and 
operation plan requirements, permitting for special categories of 
mining, coal exploration, self-bonding requirements, performance 
standards, and general provisions. The amendment is intended to revise 
the Alaska program to provide additional safeguards, to clarify 
ambiguities, and to improve operational efficiency.

DATES: Written comments must be received by 4:00 p.m., m.d.t., 
September 10, 1998. If requested, a public hearing on the proposed 
amendment will be held on September 8, 1998. Requests to present oral 
testimony at the hearing must be received by 4:00 p.m., m.d.t., August 
26, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be mailed or hand delivered to James 
F. Fulton at the address listed below.
    Copies of the Alaska 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 Denver Field Division.

James F. Fulton, Chief, Denver Field Division, Office of Surface Mining 
Reclamation and Enforcement, 1999 Broadway, Suite 3320, Denver, 
Colorado 80202-5733.
Robert Loeffler, Large Mine Project Manager, Alaska Division of Mining 
and Water Management, 3601 C Street, Suite 800, Anchorage, Alaska 
99503-5935, Telephone: 907-269-8627.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James F. Fulton, Telephone: 303-844-
1424; Internet address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background on the Alaska Program

    On March 23, 1983, the Secretary of the Interior conditionally 
approved the Alaska program. General background information on the 
Alaska program, including the Secretary's findings, the disposition of 
comments, and conditions of approval of the Alaska program can be found 
in the March 23, 1983, Federal Register (48 FR 12274).
    Subsequent actions concerning Alaska's program and program 
amendments can be found at 30 CFR 902.15 and 902.16.

II. Proposed Amendment

    By letter dated July 30, 1998, Alaska submitted a proposed 
amendment (amendment number VII, administrative record No. AK-07-01) to 
its program pursuant to SMCRA, 30 U.S.C. 1201 et seq. Alaska submitted 
the proposed amendment at its own initiative. The provisions of the 
Alaska Surface Coal Mining Program Regulations that Alaska proposed to 
revise were: 11 Alaska Administrative Code (AAC) 90.002(a), (b), and 
(c), responsibilities, and 11 AAC 90.011[(a)] (1) and (2), permit fees, 
as provided in Article 2, General Permitting Requirements; 11 AAC 
90.025(a)(2), (b), and (c), authority to enter and ownership 
information, as provided in Article 3, General Permit Application 
Information Requirements; 11 AAC 90.045(a)(1) and (2), geology 
description, and 11 AAC 90.049[(a)], [(a)](1), (2), and [(a)](2)(C) 
through (H) surface water information, as provided in Article 4, 
Environmental Resource Information Requirements; 11 AAC 90.083(b)(9) 
and (11), reclamation plan general requirements, and 11 AAC 90.097, 
transportation facilities, as provided in Article 5, Reclamation and 
Operation Plan; 11 AAC 90.149(d) and (d)(1), operations near alluvial 
valley floors, as provided in Article 7, Permitting for Special 
Categories of Mining; 11 AAC 90.163(a) and (d), exploration that 
substantially disturbs the natural land surface or occurs in an area 
designated unsuitable for surface coal mining, as provided in Article 
8, Exploration; 11 AAC 90.207(f), self-bonding requirements, as 
provided in Article 10, Bonding; 11 AAC 90.337(f), impoundment 
inspection, 11 AAC 90.375(f), public notice of blasting, 11

[[Page 42775]]

AAC 90.391(h)(1) and (2) and (s), disposal of excess spoil and coal 
mine waste, 11 AAC 90.401(e), coal mine waste, refuse piles, 11 AAC 
90.407(e), coal mine waste, dams and embankments, 11 AAC 90.423(b) and 
(h), protection of fish and wildlife, 11 AAC 90.443(d)(1), (k), and 
(k)(1) and (2), backfilling and grading, and 11 AAC 90.491(e), (f), and 
(f)(1) and (2), construction and maintenance of roads, transportation 
and support facilities, and utility installations, as provided in 
Article 11, Performance Standards; and 11 AAC 90.901(e), applicability, 
11 AAC 90.907(c) and (j), public participation, and 11 AAC 90.911(92), 
definition of ``road,'' as provided in Article 17, General Provisions.
    Alaska is proposing numerous editorial changes and recodifications 
for the purpose of clarity and in order to be consistent with the 
requirements of the State's ``Drafting Manual for Administrative 
Regulations'' (1995 edition). In addition, Alaska specifically proposes 
at 11 AAC 90.049[(a)](2)(G) to require that water quality data show 
acidity information if there is potential for acid drainage from the 
proposed mining operation, and at 11 AAC 90.207(f)(2) to apply certain 
provisions for self-bonding, including criteria that must be met by the 
self-bond guarantor.

III. Public Comment Procedures

    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 Alaska program.

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 Denver 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 4:00 p.m., 
m.d.t., August 26, 1998. Any disabled individual who has need for a 
special accommodation to attend a public hearing should contact the 
individual listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. 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 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 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 the Federal regulations at 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.

3. National Environmental Policy Act

    No environmental impact statement is required for this rule since 
section 702(d) of SMCRA (30 U.S.C. 192(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)).

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 
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.

6. 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 902

    Intergovernmental relations, Surface mining, Underground mining.

    Dated: August 4, 1998.
Russell F. Price,
Acting Regional Director,
Western Regional Coordinating Center.
[FR Doc. 98-21528 Filed 8-10-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-05-M