[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 36 (Monday, February 24, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8634-8635]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-4268]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Mine Safety and Health Administration


Proposed Information Collection Request; Submitted for Public 
Comment and Recommendations; Emergency Evacuations and Mine Emergency 
Evaluation and Fire-Fighting Program of Instruction

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 pre-clearance 
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 extension of the information 
collection related to the 30 CFR Sections 75.1501--Emergency 
Evacuations and 75.1502--Mine Emergency Evacuation and Fire-Fighting 
Program of Instruction.

[[Page 8635]]


DATES: Submit comments on or before April 25, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Jane Tarr, Management Analyst, 
Administration and Management, 1100 Wilson Boulevard, Room 2171, 
Arlington, VA 22209-3939. Commenters are encouraged to send their 
comments on computer disk, or via Internet E-mail to [email protected]. Ms. Tarr can be reached at (202) 693-9824 (voice), or 
(202) 693-9801 (facsimile).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jane Tarr, Management Analyst, Records 
Management Group, U.S. Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health 
Administration, Room 2171, 1100 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22209-
3939. Ms. Tarr can be reached at [email protected] (Internet E-mail), 
(202) 693-9824 (voice), or (202) 693-9801 (facsimile).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    In response to the recent accidents of September 2001 at the Jim 
Walter Resources No. 5 Mine and of July 2000 at the Willow Creek Mine, 
MSHA has determined that new safety standards are necessary to further 
protect miners when a mine emergency presenting an imminent danger to 
miners due to fire, explosion, or gas or water inundation occurs which 
requires an evacuation of miners. Miners and mine operators must be 
able to rapidly and safely respond to emergency situations created by 
fire, explosion, or gas or water inundation hazards, and initiate an 
immediate mine evacuation when necessary to protect miners from the 
grave dangers of remaining underground or re-entering affected areas 
when hazards and conditions arise that endanger safety. A rapid and 
planned evacuation of all miners, who are knowledgeable about the 
mine's plan for mine emergencies, is essential to survival, and is one 
of the last safeguards that would allow miners to exit from the mine 
under extremely adverse conditions. The current lack of such knowledge, 
and demonstrated inability to quickly initiate and properly conduct a 
mine evacuation, presents a grave danger to miners who work in 
underground coal mines when a mine fire, explosion, or gas or water 
inundation emergency occurs.

II. Desired Focus of Comments

    MSHA is particularly interested in comments which:
    [sbull] 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;
    [sbull] Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the 
burden of the proposed collection of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
    [sbull] Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
    [sbull] 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 other 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 in the For Further 
Information Contact section of this notice, or viewed on the Internet 
by accessing the MSHA home page (http://www.msha.gov) and then choosing 
``Statutory and Regulatory Information'' and ``Federal Register 
Documents.''

III. Current Actions

    Section 75.1501(c), required the mine operator to train all miners 
about the requirements of this section and the identity of the 
responsible person(s) designated by the operator for the work-shift. 
The operator also is required to instruct miners of any change in the 
identity of the responsible person before the start of their work-
shift. Section 75.1502 broadens existing section 75.1101-23 by 
including all mine emergencies created as a result of a fire, an 
explosion, or gas or water inundation. It requires revisions to 
existing fire-fighting and evacuation plans to address these 
emergencies, require training of miners regarding the mine emergency 
evacuation fire-fighting plan, and require that mine operators train 
miners in any revisions to the plan after its submission to MSHA for 
approval.
    Section 75.1502(a) requires the operator to adopt a mine emergency 
evacuation and fire-fighting program. The operator is required to train 
all miners in the proper evacuation procedures to be followed in the 
event of a mine emergency, the location and use of fire-fighting 
equipment, location of escape-ways, exits, and routes of travel to the 
surface. All miners would be trained on any revisions made to the 
program of instruction after it has been approved by MSHA to ensure 
that miners are kept aware of any changes made to the mine emergency 
evacuation and fire-fighting plan after they have received initial 
training.
    Type of Review: Extension.
    Agency: Mine Safety and Health Administration.
    Title: Emergency Evacuations and Mine Emergency Evaluation and 
Fire-Fighting Program of Instruction.
    OMB Number: 1219-0137.
    Frequency: On Occasion.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
    Respondents: 664.
    Estimated Time Per Respondent: 7.55 minutes.
    Total Burden Hours: 5,010 hours.
    Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): $0.
    Total Burden Cost (operating/maintaining): $0.
    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 at Arlington, Virginia, this 14th day of February, 2003.
David L. Meyer,
Director, Office of Administration and Management.
[FR Doc. 03-4268 Filed 2-21-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-43-P