[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 2 (Tuesday, January 5, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 425-426]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-31375]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLWO320000L1320000.PP]


Extension of Approved Information Collection, OMB Control Number 
1004-0073

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: 60-day notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces its intention to request that 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) extend approval for the 
paperwork requirements in 43 CFR parts 3400 through 3500, which cover 
leasing or developing Federal coal. The BLM uses the information to 
determine if the applicant is qualified to hold a Federal coal lease. 
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) previously approved this 
information collection activity under the control number 1004-0073.

DATES: You must submit your comments to the BLM at the address below on 
or before March 8, 2010. The BLM is not obligated to consider any 
comments postmarked or received after the above date.

ADDRESSES: You may mail comments to: U.S. Department of the Interior, 
Bureau of Land Management, Mail Stop 401-LS, 1849 C St., NW., 
Washington, DC 20240, Attention: 1004-0073. You may also comment by e-
mail at: [email protected]. Comments will be available for public 
review at the L Street address during regular business hours (7:45 a.m. 
to 4:15 p.m.), Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: You may contact John A. Lewis, 
Division of Solid Minerals at (202) 912-7116 (Commercial or FTS). 
Persons who use a telecommunication device for the deaf (TDD) may call 
the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) on 1-800-877-8339, 24 
hours a day, seven days a week, to contact Mr. Lewis. You may also 
contact Mr. Lewis to obtain a copy, at no cost, of the regulations and 
forms that require this collection of information.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OMB regulations at 5 CFR part 1320, which 
implement provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501-
3521), require that interested members of the public and affected 
agencies be provided an opportunity to comment on information 
collection and recordkeeping activities (see 5 CFR 1320.8(d) and 
1320.12(a)). This notice identifies information collections that are 
contained in 43 CFR parts 3400 through 3500, which cover leasing and 
the development of Federal coal. The BLM will request that the OMB 
approve this information collection activity for a 3-year term.
    Comments are invited on: (1) The need for the collection of 
information for the performance of the functions of the agency; (2) the 
accuracy of the agency's burden estimates; (3) ways to enhance the 
quality, utility, and clarity of the information collection; and (4) 
ways to minimize the information collection burden on respondents, such 
as use of automated means of collection of the information. A summary 
of the public comments will accompany the BLM's submission of the 
information collection requests to OMB.
    The following information is provided for the information 
collection:
    Title: Coal Management (43 CFR 3400-3500).
    Forms:
     Form 3400-12; Coal Lease.
     Form 3440-1; License to Mine.
    OMB Control Number: 1004-0073.
    Abstract: This notice pertains to information collections that 
cover the leasing and development of Federal coal. The BLM determines 
if the applicant to lease is qualified to hold a lease or develop 
Federal coal. The information collections covered by this notice are 
found at 43 CFR parts 3400 through 3500; and in the form listed above.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: Approximately 1235 
applicants to hold a coal lease or develop Federal coal.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Hour'' Burden: The 
currently approved annual reporting burden for this collection is 
21,022 hours. The following chart details the individual components and 
respective hour burden estimates of this information collection 
request:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                   Estimated   Estimated
     Regulation 43 CFR       Type of application   number of   hours per
                                                   responses   response
------------------------------------------------------------------------
3410......................  Application for an            10          36
                             exploration license.
3410......................  Issuance and                   5          12
                             termination of an
                             exploration license.

[[Page 426]]

 
3410......................  Operations under and           1           1
                             modification of an
                             exploration license.
3410......................  Collection and                 5          18
                             submission of data
                             from an exploration
                             license.
3420......................  Call for coal                  0           3
                             resource and other
                             resource
                             information.
3420......................  Surface owner                  7           1
                             consultation.
3420......................  Expressions of                 0           7
                             leasing interest.
3422......................  Response to notice             8          56
                             of sale.
3422......................  Consultation with              7           4
                             Attorney General.
3425......................  Leasing on                    15         308
                             application.
3427......................  Surface owner                  7           1
                             consent.
3430......................  Preference right               3         800
                             lease application.
3432......................  Lease modifications.           5          12
3440......................  License to mine.....           2          21
3452......................  Relinquishments.....          30          18
3453......................  Transfers,                    43          10
                             assignments,
                             subleases.
3410, 3453, 3473..........  Bonds...............         196           8
3471......................  Land description              15           2
                             requirements.
3471......................  Future interest                0          16
                             lease application.
3472......................  Special leasing                4           3
                             qualifications.
3472......................  Qualification                  4           3
                             statement.
3473......................  Lease rental and               9          13
                             royalty rate
                             reductions.
3473, 3483................  Lease suspensions...           7          20
3475......................  Lease form..........          12           1
3475, 3481, 3487..........  Logical mining units           5         170
3481......................  General obligations            1           1
                             of the operator/
                             lessee.
3482......................  Exploration plans...          11          30
3482......................  Resource recovery              4         192
                             and protection plan.
3482......................  Modifications to              79          16
                             exploration plans
                             and resource
                             recovery and
                             protection plans.
3482......................  Mining operations            311          20
                             maps.
3483......................  Request for payment           12          22
                             of advance royalty
                             in lieu of
                             continued operation.
3484......................  Performance                   22           1
                             standards for
                             exploration
                             (Retention of
                             samples).
3484......................  Performance                    6           1
                             standards for
                             surface and
                             underground coal
                             mines.
3485......................  Exploration reports.           7           4
3485, 3486................  Production reports..         323          10
3486......................  Notices and orders..           1           2
3486......................  Enforcement.........           8           2
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'' Burden: The 
currently approved annual non-hour cost burden for Control Number 1004-
0073 is $1,048,578.
    The PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.) provides that an agency may not 
conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a 
currently valid OMB control number. Until OMB approves a collection of 
information, you are not obligated to respond.
    The BLM will summarize all responses to this notice and include 
them in the request for OMB approval. All comments will become a matter 
of public record. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail 
address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you 
should be aware that your entire comment--including your personal 
identifying information--may be made publicly available at any time. 
While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal 
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we 
will be able to do so.

Jean Sonneman,
Acting Information Collection Clearance Officer, Bureau of Land 
Management.
[FR Doc. E9-31375 Filed 1-4-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-P