[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 25 (Monday, February 8, 1999)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 6005-6006]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-2899]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement

30 CFR Part 935

[OH-244-FOR]


Ohio Regulatory Program

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

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

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SUMMARY: OSM is announcing receipt of a proposed amendment to the Ohio 
regulatory program (Ohio program) under the Surface Mining Control and 
Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA). Ohio is proposing revisions to section 
1513-3-21 of the Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) as it relates to awards 
of costs and expenses, including attorney's fees, arising in connection 
with appeals heard by the Reclamation Commission. The amendment is 
intended to revise the Ohio program to be consistent with its statute 
at Ohio Revised Code (ORC) Sec. 1513.13(E) as well as the corresponding 
Federal regulations.

DATES: If you submit written comments, they must be received by 4:00 
p.m., [E.D.T.] March 10, 1999. If requested, a public hearing on the 
proposed amendment will be held on March 5, 1999. Requests to speak at 
the hearing must be received by 4:00 p.m., on February 23, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Mail or hand-deliver your written comments and requests to 
speak at the hearing to George Rieger, Field Branch Chief, at the 
address listed below.
    You may review copies of the Ohio program, the proposed amendment, 
a listing of any scheduled public hearings, and all written comments 
received in response to this document at the addresses listed below 
during normal business hours, Monday through Friday, excluding 
holidays. You may receive one free copy of the proposed amendment by 
contacting OSM's Appalachian Regional Coordinating Center.

George Rieger, Field Branch Chief, Appalachian Regional Coordinating 
Center, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, 3 Parkway 
Center, Pittsburgh PA 15220, Telephone: (412) 937-2153.
Ohio Division of Mines and Reclamation, 1855 Fountain Square Court, 
Columbus, Ohio 43244, Telephone: (614) 265-1076.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: George Rieger, Field Branch Chief, 
Appalachian Regional Coordinating Center, Telephone: (412) 937-2153. 
Internet: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background on the Ohio Program

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

II. Description of the Proposed Amendment

    By letter dated January 21, 1999 (Administrative Record No.OH-2177-
00) Ohio submitted proposed amendments to its program concerning award 
of costs and fees in connection with appeals heard by the Reclamation 
Commission. Ohio submitted the proposed amendments at its own 
initiative. The changes proposed by Ohio in the amendment are discussed 
briefly below:
    OAC 1513-3-21 Award of costs and expenses.
    (a) Paragraphs (A) and (B) are amended by changing the reference 
from the ``board of review'' to the ``Reclamation Commission'' and 
specifically requiring that a petition for costs and expenses including 
attorney's fees be submitted in accordance with Section 1513.13(E) and 
(E)(1)(c) of the ORC.
    (b) New paragraph (C) is added to specify that a decision by the 
Chief of the Division of Mines and Reclamation granting or denying in 
whole or in part a request for an award of costs and expenses including 
attorney's fees made under Section 1513.13(E)(1)(a) or 1513.13(E)(1)(b) 
of the ORC shall be appealable to the commission under Section 
1513.13(A) of the ORC.
    (c) Existing Paragraph (C) pertaining to the contents of a petition 
is re-numbered as (D) and further amended by including the specific 
references to the ORC included in (a) and (b) above.
    (d) Existing Paragraphs (D),(E) and (F) are re-numbered as (E), 
(F), and (G) and are further amended by changing the references from 
the board to the Reclamation Commission.

III. Public Comment Procedures

    According to the provisions of 30 CFR 732.17(h), we are seeking 
comments on whether the proposed amendment satisfies the applicable 
program approval criteria of 30 CFR 732.15. If we determine the 
amendment to be adequate, it will become part of the Ohio program.

Written Comments

    Your written comments should be specific, pertain only to the 
issues proposed in this rulemaking, and include explanations in support 
of your recommendations. Comments received after the time indicated 
under ``DATES'' or at locations other than the Appalachian Regional 
Coordinating Center will not necessarily be considered in the final 
rulemaking or included in the Administrative Record.

Public Hearing

    If you wish to speak at the public hearing, you should contact the 
person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT by 4:00 p.m., 
[E.D.T.] on February 23, 1999. The location and time of the hearing 
will be arranged with those persons requesting the hearing. If no one 
requests an opportunity to speak at the public hearing, the hearing 
will not be held.
    Filing 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 also allow us to prepare 
adequate responses and appropriate questions.
    The public hearing will continue on the specified date until all 
persons scheduled to speak have been heard. Persons in the audience who 
have not been scheduled to speak, and who wish to do so, will be heard 
following those who have been scheduled. The hearing will end after all 
persons scheduled to speak and persons present in the audience who wish 
to speak have been heard.
    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.

[[Page 6006]]

Public Meeting

    If only one person requests an opportunity to speak 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

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 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. 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

    In accordance with the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (2 U.S.C. 1501 
et seq.), this rule will not produce a Federal mandate of $100 million 
or greater in any year, i.e., it is not a ``significant regulatory 
action'' under the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.

List of Subjects in 30 CFR 935

    Intergovernmental relations, Surface mining, Underground mining.

    Dated: January 29, 1999.
Allen D. Klein,
Regional Director, Appalachian Regional Coordinating Center.
[FR Doc. 99-2899 Filed 2-5-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-05-P