[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 179 (Thursday, September 16, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55837-55838]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-20884]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement


Notice of Proposed Information Collection for 1029-0124

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 request for Revegetation: 
Standards for Success, required for surface mining activities and 
underground mining activities at 30 CFR 816.116 and 817.116, has been 
forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and 
comment. The information collection request describs 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 18, 2004, in order to be assured 
of consideration.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request a copy of the information 
collection request, explanatory information and related form, 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 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)]. This notice identifies information collections at 30 CFR 
816.116 and 817.116 that OSM will be submitting to OMB.
    OSM previously received approval for collection activities for 30 
CFR parts 816 and 817. They were assigned clearance number 1029-0047. 
However, OSM inadvertently omitted in the clearance request existing 
collection requirements for Sec. Sec.  816.116 and 817.116. These 
sections require State regulatory authorities to develop success 
standards and statistically valid sampling techniques, and for 
operators to document revegetation success for Phase III bond release. 
OSM requested and received an emergency clearance from OMB for the 
collection activities in Sec. Sec.  816.116 and 817.116. They were 
assigned clearance number 1029-0124. Now, OSM is seeking a 3-year term 
of approval for these collections.
    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 number for this 
collection of information is 1029-0124. However, upon approval by OMB, 
OSM will submit a correction to OMB requesting that this collection be 
incorporated into the collection authority for 30 CFR parts 816 and 817 
(1029-0047).
    As required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), a Federal Register notice 
soliciting comments on this collection of information was published on 
April 20,

[[Page 55838]]

2004 (69 FR 21158). 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: Revegetation: Standards for Success, 30 CFR 816.116 and 
817.116.
    OMB Control Number: 1029-0124.
    Summary: Section 515 and 516 of the surface Mining Control and 
Reclamation Act of 1977 provides that permittees conducting coal mining 
operations shall meet all applicable performance standards of the Act. 
The information collected is used by the regulatory authority in 
inspecting surface and underground coal mining reclamation activities 
to ensure that they are revegetated in accordance with applicable State 
requirements.
    Bureau Form Number: None.
    Frequency of Collection: Once.
    Description of Respondents: Coal mining operators and State 
regulatory authorities.
    Total Annual Responses: 882.
    Total Annual Burden Hours: 70,600.
    Total Annual Non-Wage Costs: $44,000.
    Send comments on the need for the collection 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 collection; 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. 
Please refer to the appropriate OMB control number in all 
correspondence.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments to the Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Attention: Department of 
Interior Desk Officer, by telefax at (202) 395-6566 or via e-mail to 
[email protected] 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: June 28, 2004.
Sarah E. Donnelly,
Acting Chief, Division of Regulatory Support.
[FR Doc. 04-20884 Filed 9-15-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-05-M