[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 3, 2006)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 25992-25993]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-6653]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement

30 CFR Part 942

RIN 1029-AC50


Tennessee Federal Program

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

ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of comment period and notice of 
hearing.

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SUMMARY: We are extending the public comment period on the proposed 
Tennessee Federal Program rule published on April 6, 2006. The comment 
period is being extended in order to afford the public more time to 
comment and to allow enough time to hold a public hearing which has 
been requested by several individuals. We are also notifying the public 
of the date, time, and location for the public hearing.

DATES: Comments on the proposed rule must be received on or before 4 
p.m., local time on June 30, 2006. The public hearing will be held on 
June 1, 2006, at 7 p.m. local time.

ADDRESSES: Written or Electronic Comments: you may submit comments 
identified by RIN 1029-AC50, by any of the following methods:
     E-Mail: [email protected]. Include docket number 1029-
AC50 in the subject line of the message.
     Mail/Hand-Delivery/Courier: Knoxville Field Office, Office 
of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, 710 Locust Street, 2nd 
Floor, Knoxville, Tennessee 37902.
     Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
    For detailed instructions on submitting comments and additional 
information on the rulemaking process, see ``III. Public Comment 
Procedures'' in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of the proposed 
rule published on April 6, 2006.
    Public Hearing: The public hearing will be held at Holiday Inn 
Select Downtown, 525 Henley Street, Knoxville, Tennessee 37902, 
telephone: 865-522-2800, on June 1, 2006, at 7 p.m. local time.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tim Dieringer, Field Office Director, 
Telephone: 865-545-4103; e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April 6, 2006 (71 FR 17682), we published 
a proposed rule that would revise the Tennessee Federal Program. The 
revisions would: (1) Provide regulations establishing trust funds or 
annuities to fund the treatment of long-term postmining pollutional 
discharges; (2) delete the minimum requirements of eighty percent (80%) 
ground cover for certain postmining land uses and provide that 
herbaceous ground cover be limited to that necessary to control erosion 
and support the postmining land use; and (3) exempt areas developed for 
wildlife habitat, undeveloped land, recreation, or forestry from the 
requirements that bare

[[Page 25993]]

areas shall not exceed one-sixteenth (\1/16\) acre in size and total 
not more than ten percent (10%) of the area seeded.
    We have received several requests for a public hearing on the 
proposed rule. We are extending the public comment period in order to 
afford the public more time to comment and to allow enough time to 
schedule and hold the hearing. The date, time, and location for the 
public hearing may be found under DATES and ADDRESSES above.
    The hearings will be open to anyone who would like to attend and/or 
testify. The primary purpose of the public hearing is to obtain your 
comments on the proposed rule so that we can prepare a complete and 
objective analysis of the proposal. The purpose of the hearing officer 
is to conduct the hearing and receive the comments submitted. Comments 
submitted during the hearing will be responded to in the preamble to 
the final rule, not at the hearing. We appreciate all comments but 
those most useful and likely to influence decisions on the final rule 
will be those that either involve personal experience or include 
citations to and analyses of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation 
Act of 1977, its legislative history, its implementing regulations, 
case law, other State or Federal laws and regulations, data, technical 
literature, or relevant publications.
    At the hearing, a court reporter will record and make a written 
record of the statements presented. This written record will be made 
part of the administrative record for the rule. If you have a written 
copy of your testimony, we encourage you to give us a copy. It will 
assist the court reporter in preparing the written record. Any disabled 
individual who needs reasonable accommodation to attend the public 
hearing is encouraged to contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT.

    Dated: April 25, 2006.
H. Vann Weaver,
Acting Regional Director.
[FR Doc. E6-6653 Filed 5-2-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-05-P