[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 41 (Wednesday, March 3, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10326-10328]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-5191]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Mine Safety and Health Administration


Proposed Information Collection Request Submitted for Public 
Comment and Recommendations: Preparation and Maintenance of Accurate 
and Up-to-date Certified Mine Maps for Surface and Underground Coal 
Mines, Submittal of Underground Mine Closure Maps, and Notification of 
MSHA Prior to Opening New Mines or the Reopening of Inactive or 
Abandoned Mines

ACTION: Notice.

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Summary: The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to 
reduce paperwork and respondent burden conducts a preclearance 
consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies 
with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing 
collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 (PRA95) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This program helps to 
ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, 
reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, 
collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of 
collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed.
    Currently, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is 
soliciting comments concerning the proposed extension of the 
information collection related to the Record of Mine Closeure addressed 
in 30 CFR 75.1204; the inclusion of standards requiring MSHA 
notification and inspection prior to mining when opening a new mine or 
reopening an inactive or abandoned mine addressed in 30 CFR 75.373 and 
75.1721; and, the inclusion of standards requiring underground and 
surface mine operators to prepare and maintain accurate and up-to-date 
mine maps addressed in 30 CFR 75.1200, 75.1200-1, 75.1201, 75.1202, 
75.1202-1, 75.1203, 77.1201 and 77.1202. MSHA is particularly 
interested in comments which:
     Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
     Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the 
burden of the proposed collection of information,

[[Page 10327]]

including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
     Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
     Minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or the forms of information technology, e.g., permitting 
electronic submissions of responses.
    A copy of the proposed information collection request can be 
obtained by contacting the employee listed below in the For Further 
Information Contact section of this notice

DATES: Submit comments on or before May 8, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Theresa M. O'Malley, Chief, Records 
Management Branch, Office of Program Evaluation and Information 
Resources, 4015 Wilson Boulevard, Room 715, Arlington, VA 22203-1984. 
Commenters are encouraged to send their comments on a computer disk, or 
via E-mail to [email protected], along with an original printed copy. 
Mrs. O'Malley can be reached at (703) 235-1470 (voice) or (703) 235-
1563 (facsimile).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Theresa M. O'Malley, Chief, Records 
Management Branch, Office of Program Evaluation and Information 
Resources, U.S. Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health 
Administration, Room 715, 4015 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22203-
1984. Mrs. O'Malley can be reached at [email protected] (Internet E-
mail), (703) 235-1470 (voice), or (703) 235-1563 (facsimile).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    Title 30 CFR 75.1200, 75.1200-1, 75.1201, 75.1202, 75.1202-1, and 
75.1203 require underground coal mine operators to have in a fireproof 
repository in an area on the surface of the mine chosen by the mine 
operator to minimize the danger of destruction by fire or other 
hazards, an accurate and up-to-date map of such mine drawn on scale. 
These standards specify the information which must be shown, the range 
of acceptable scale, the surveying technique or equivalent accuracy 
required of the surveying which must be used to prepare the map, that 
the maps must be certified as accurate by a registered engineer or 
surveyor, that the maps must be kept continuously up-to-date by 
temporary notations and must be revised and supplemented to include the 
temporary notations at intervals not more than 6 months. In addition, 
the mine operator must provide the MSHA District Manager a copy of the 
certified mine map annually during the operating life of the mine. 
These maps are essential to the planning and safe operation of the 
mine. In addition, these maps provide a graphic presentation of the 
locations of working sections and the locations of fixed surface and 
underground mine facilities and equipment, escapeway routes, coal 
haulage and man and materials haulage entries and other information 
essential to mine rescue or mine fire fighting activities in the event 
of mine fire, explosion or inundations of gas or water. The information 
is essential to the safe operation of adjacent mines and mines 
approaching the worked out areas of active or abandoned mines.
    Title 30 CFR 75.1204 and 75.1204-1 require that whenever an 
underground coal mine operator permanently closes or abandons a coal 
mine, or temporarily closes a coal mine for a period of 90 days, the 
operator shall file with MSHA a copy of the mine map revised and 
supplemented to the date of closure. Maps are retained in a repository 
and are made available to mine operators of adjacent properties. The 
maps are necessary to provide an accurate record of underground areas 
that have been mined to help prevent active mine operators from mining 
into abandoned areas that may contain water or harmful gases.
    Title 30 CFR 77.1200, 77.1201 and 77.1202 require surface coal mine 
operators to maintain an accurate and up-to-date map of the mine and 
specifies the information to be shown on the map, the acceptable range 
of map scales, that the map be certified by a registered engineer or 
surveyor, that they be available for inspection by the Secretary or his 
authorized representative. These maps are essential for the safe 
operation of the mine and provide essential information to operators of 
adjacent surface and underground mine operations. Properly prepared 
effectively utilized surface mine maps can prevent outbursts of water 
impounded in underground mine workings and/or inundations of 
underground mines by surface impounded water or water and/or gases 
impounded in surface auger mining worked out areas.
    Title 30 75.373 and 75.1721 require that after a mine is abandoned 
or declared inactive and before it is reopened, mine operations shall 
not begin until MSHA has been notified and has completed an inspection. 
Standard 75.1721 specifies that the notification be in writing and 
lists specific information, preliminary arrangements and mine plans 
which must be submitted to the MSHA District Manager.

II. Current Actions

    Mine operators are required to conduct surveying such that mine 
maps are maintained accurate and up-to-date, the maps must be revised 
every 6 months and certified accurate by a registered engineer or 
surveyor and to submit copies of the certified underground maps to MSHA 
annually and an up-to-date and revised mine closure map whenever an 
operator permanently closes or abandons a coal mine, or temporarily 
closes a coal mine for a period of more than 90 days, he or she shall 
promptly notify the Secretary of such closure.
    In addition, mine operators must notify MSHA so that an inspection 
can be conducted when ever a new mine is opened or a previously 
abandoned or inactive mine is reopened. The information required to be 
gathered and recorded on mine maps is essential to the safe operation 
of the mine and essential to the effectiveness of mandatory inspections 
and mandated mine plan approval by MSHA. Such information cannot be 
replaced by any other source and anything less than continuously 
updated and accurate information would place miner's safety at risk.
    The information collected through the submittal of mine closure 
maps is used by operators of adjacent coal mines when approaching 
abandoned underground mines. The abandoned mine could be flooded with 
water or contain explosive amounts of methane or harmful gases. If the 
operator were to mine into such an area, unaware of the hazards, miners 
could be killed or seriously injured. In addition, it is in the public 
interest to maintain permanent records of the locations, extent of 
workings and potential hazards associated with abandoned mines. The 
public safety can be adversely affected by future land usage where such 
hazards are not known or inaccurately assessed. MSHA collects the 
closure maps and provides those documents to the Office of Surface Mine 
Reclamation for inclusion in a repository of abandoned mine maps. 
Therefore, MSHA is continuing the certification and application of 30 
CFR 75.1204 to assure the required information remains available for 
the protection of miner's and public safety. In addition, MSHA has 
added the burden hours and cost estimates for standards which address 
the preparation and maintenance of certified mine maps for surface and 
underground coal mines and the

[[Page 10328]]

notification of MSHA prior to the opening on new coal mines or the 
reopening of inactive or abandoned mines.
    Type of Review: Reinstatement and Existing collection in use 
without an OMB control number.
    Agency: Mine Safety and Health Administration.
    Title: Preparation and Maintenance of Accurate and Up-to-date 
Certified Mine maps for Surface and Underground Coal Mines; Submittal 
of Underground Mine Closure Maps; and, Notification of MSHA Prior to 
Opening New Mines or the Reopening of Inactive or Abandoned Mines.
    OMB Number: 1219-0073.
    Agency Number: MSHA 205.
    Recordkeeping: Mine operators are required conduct surveying such 
that mine maps are maintained accurate and up-to-date, the maps must be 
revised every 6 months and certified accurate by a registered engineer 
or surveyor and to submit copies of the certified underground maps to 
MSHA annually and an up-to-date and revised mine closure map whenever 
an operator permanently closes or abandons a coal mine, or temporarily 
closes a coal mine for a period of more than 90 days, he or she shall 
promptly notify the Secretary of such closure.
    In addition, mine operators must notify MSHA so that an inspection 
can be conducted when ever a new mine is opened or a previously 
abandoned or inactive mine is reopened. The information required to be 
gathered and recorded on mine maps is essential to the safe operation 
of the mine and essential to the effectiveness of mandatory inspections 
and mandated mine plan approval by MSHA. Such information cannot be 
replaced by any other source and anything less than continuously 
updated and accurate information would place miner's safety at risk.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.

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                                                                                   Average time
        Cite/reference               Total          Frequency          Total       per response    Burden hours
                                  respondents                        responses        (hours)
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75.1200, 75.1200-1, 75.1201,             1,064  Biannual........             750           11.28          17,024
 75.1202, 75.1202-1, 75.1203,
 75.1204, & 75.1204-1.
75.1204 & 75.1204-1...........           1,500  On occasion.....             724            2              1,448
75.373 & 75.1721..............           1,500  On occasion.....             210            6              1,260
77.1200, 77.1201 & 77.1202....           1,699  Quarterly.......             424            5              8,480
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      Totals..................       \1\ 3,154  ................           2,108  ..............          28,212
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\1\ The total respondents is 1,064; however, 25% of the mine operators perform these tasks utilizing mine-staff,
  the remaining 75% utilize contracting services. The contracting services are included as an Operating and
  Maintenance cost (shown below).

    Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): None.
    Total Burden Cost (operating/maintaining): Contract Surveying and 
Map preparation $24,006,575.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for Office of Management and Budget 
approval of the information collection request; they will also become a 
matter of public record.

    Dated: February 25, 1999.
Theresa M. O'Malley,
Chief, Records Management Branch.
[FR Doc. 99-5191 Filed 3-2-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-43-M