[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 61 (Wednesday, March 31, 1999)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 15322]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-7874]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement

30 CFR Parts 701, 724, 773, 774, 778, 842, 843, and 846

RIN 1029-AB94


Application and Permit Information Requirements; Permit 
Eligibility; Definitions of Ownership and Control; the Applicant/
Violator System; Alternative Enforcement Actions

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

ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening and extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) 
is reopening and extending the comment period for the proposed rule 
published on December 21, 1998 (63 FR 70580). The comment period 
originally closed on February 19, 1999, and was extended to March 25, 
1999 (64 FR 8763; February 23, 1999). We are again reopening and 
extending the comment period for an additional 15 days.

DATES: We will accept written comments on the proposed rule until 5 
p.m., Eastern time, on April 15, 1999.

ADDRESSES: You may mail or hand-deliver comments to the Office of 
Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, Administrative Record, Room 
101, 1951 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20240. You may also 
submit comments to OSM via the Internet at: osmrules@osmre, gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Earl D. Bandy, Jr., Office of Surface 
Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, Applicant/Violator System Office, 
2679 Regency Road, Lexington, Kentucky 40503. Telephone: (606) 233-2796 
or (800) 643-9748. E-Mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In response to requests from members of the 
public, we are reopening and extending the public comment period for 
the proposed rule published on December 21, 1998 (63 FR 70580). We are 
extending the comment period an additional 15 days. In the rule, we are 
proposing revised permit eligibility requirements for surface coal 
mining operations under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act 
of 1977 (SMCRA). In particular, we propose to revise how ownership and 
control of mining operations is determined under section 510(c) of 
SMCRA so that applicants who are responsible for unabated violations do 
not receive new permits. We have designed this proposal to be 
effective, fair, and consistent with a 1997 decision by the U.S. Court 
of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit addressing ownership and control 
issues.
    In addition, we are proposing other changes to other aspects of our 
regulations in response to comments we received when we sought public 
participation in developing this proposed rule. Our intent is to 
improve, clarify, and simplify current regulations as well as to reduce 
duplicative and burdensome permit information requirements.

    Dated: March 25, 1999.
Stephen Sheffield,
Acting Assistant Director, Program Support.
[FR Doc. 99-7874 Filed 3-30-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-05-M