[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 190 (Friday, September 29, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 58564]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-25001]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement


Notice of Proposed Information Collection

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

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) is 
announcing its intention to request approval for the collection of 
information for the Abandoned Mine Land Contractor Information form. 
This collection request has been forwarded to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The information collection 
request describes the nature of the information collection and the 
expected burden and cost.

DATES: OMB has up to 60 days to approve or disapprove the information 
collections but may respond after 30 days. Therefore, public comments 
should be submitted to OMB by October 30, 2000, in order to be assured 
of consideration.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request a copy of the information 
collection request, explanatory information and related forms, contact 
John A. Trelease at (202) 208-2783, or electronically to 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
regulations at 5 CFR part 1320, which implement provisions of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13), require that 
interested members of the public and affected agencies have an 
opportunity to comment on information collection and recordkeeping 
activities (see 5 CFR 1320.8(d)). OSM has submitted a request to OMB to 
approve the collection of information for the Abandoned Mine Land 
Contractor Information form. OSM is requesting a 3-year term of 
approval for the information collection activity.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required 
to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a 
currently valid OMB control number. This form is currently in use 
without OMB approval. Therefore, OSM is seeking approval from OMB to 
collect the information contained in the form. This collection is found 
in the Applicant/Violator System (AVS) handbook and is prepared by AML 
contractors to ensure compliance with 30 CFR 874.16.
    As required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), a Federal Register notice 
soliciting comments on the collection of information was published on 
July 5, 2000 (65 FR 41488). No comments were received. This notice 
provides the public with an additional 30 days in which to comment on 
the following information collection activity:
    Title: AML Contractor Information Form.
    OMB Control Number: 1029-xxxx.
    Summary: 30 CFR 874.16 requires that every successful bidder for an 
AML contract must be eligible under 30 CFR 773.15(b)(1) at the time of 
contract award to receive a permit or conditional permit to conduct 
surface coal mining operations. Further, the regulation requires the 
eligibility to be confirmed by OSM's automated Applicant/Violator 
System (AVS) and the contractor must be eligible under the regulations 
implementing Section 510(c) of the Surface Mining Act to receive 
permits to conduct mining operations. This form provides a tool for OSM 
and the States/Indian tribes to help them prevent persons with 
outstanding violations from conducting further mining or AML 
reclamation activities in the State.
    Bureau Form Number: None.
    Frequency of Collection: Once per contract.
    Description of Respondents: AML contract applicants and State and 
tribal regulatory authorities.
    Total Annual Responses: 519.
    Total Annual Burden Hours: 465.
    Send comments on the need for the collections of information for 
the performance of the functions of the agency; the accuracy of the 
agency's burden estimates; ways to enhance the quality, utility and 
clarity of the information collections; and ways to minimize the 
information collection burdens on respondents, such as use of automated 
means of collections of the information, to the following addresses.

ADDRESSES: Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of 
Management and Budget, Attention: Department of Interior Desk Officer, 
725 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20503. Also, please send a copy of 
your comments to John A. Trelease, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation 
and Enforcement, 1951 Constitution Ave., NW, Room 201-SIB, Washington, 
DC 20240, or electronically to [email protected].

    Dated: September 25, 2000.
Richard G. Bryson,
Chief, Division of Regulatory Support.
[FR Doc. 00-25001 Filed 9-28-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-05-M