[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 26 (Wednesday, February 7, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9357-9358]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-3099]


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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.

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 that the information collection requests for 30 CFR part 
702, Exemption for Coal Extraction Incidental to the Extraction of 
Other Minerals; and 30 CFR part 850, Permanent Regulatory Program 
Requirements--Standards for Certification of Blasters, have been 
forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and 
comment. The information collection requests describe the nature of the 
information collections and their expected burden and cost.

DATES: OMB has up to 60 days to approve or disapprove the information 
collection but may respond after 30 days. Therefore, public comments 
should be submitted to OMB by March 9, 2001, in order to be assured of 
consideration.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request a copy of either 
information collection request, explanatory information and related 
form, contact John A. Trelease at (202) 208-2783. You may also contact 
Mr. Trelease at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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 two 
requests to OMB to renew its approval for the collections of 
information found at 30 CFR parts 702 and 850. OSM is requesting a 3-
year term of approval for these information collection activities.
    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. The OMB control numbers for these 
collections of information are 1029-0089 for Part 702 and 1029-0080 for 
Part 850, and may be found in OSM's regulations at 702.10 and 850.10.
    As required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), Federal Register notices 
soliciting comments on the collection of information for Part 702 was 
published on November 7, 2000 (65 FR 66764; and on November 2, 2000 (65 
FR 65879) for Part 850. No comments were received from either notice. 
This notice provides the public with an additional 30 days in which to 
comment on the following information collection activities;
    Title: Exemption for Coal Extraction Incidental to the Extraction 
of Other Minerals, 30 CFR part 702.
    OMB Control Number: 1029-0089.
    Summary: This part implements the requirement in section 701(28) of 
the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA), which 
grants an exemption from the requirements of SMCRA to operators 
extracting not more than 16\2/3\ percentage tonnage of coal incidental 
to the extraction of other minerals. This information will be used by 
the regulatory authorities to make that determination.
    Bureau Form Number: None.
    Frequency of Collection: Once and annually thereafter.
    Description of Respondents: Producers of coal and other minerals.
    Total Annual Responses: 61.
    Total Annual Burden Hours: 513.

[[Page 9358]]

    Title: Permanent Regulatory Program Requirements--Standards for 
Certification of Blasters, 30 CFR part 850.
    OMB Control Number: 1029-0080.
    Summary: This part establishes the requirements and procedures 
applicable to the development of regulatory programs for the training, 
examination, and certification of persons engaging in or directly 
responsible for the use of explosives in surface coal mining 
operations.
    Bureau Form Number: None.
    Frequency of Collection: Once.
    Description of Respondents: State regulatory authorities.
    Total Annual Responses: 1.
    Total Annual Burden Hours: 173.
    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 burden on respondents, such as use of automated 
means of collection of the information, to the following address. 
Please refer to the appropriate OMB control number in all 
correspondence.

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 210--SIB, Washington, 
DC 20240, or electronically to [email protected].

    Dated: January 23, 2001.
Sarah E. Donnelly,
Acting Chief, Division of Regulatory Support.
[FR Doc. 01-3099 Filed 2-6-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-05-M