[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 10 (Tuesday, January 17, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 2318]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-577]


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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, Interior.

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 its intention to request approval for the collection of 
information for OSM's call for nominations for its Excellence in 
Surface Coal Mining Reclamation Awards and Abandoned Mine Land 
Reclamation Awards.

DATES: Comments on the proposed information collection must be received 
by March 19, 2012, to be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed to John Trelease, Office of Surface 
Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, 1951 Constitution Ave, NW., Room 
203-SIB, Washington, DC 20240. Comments may also be submitted 
electronically to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To receive a copy of the information 
collection request contact John Trelease at (202) 208-2783 or by email 
at [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 an information collection that OSM will be 
submitting to OMB for approval. The collection is for nominations to 
OSM's Excellence in Surface Coal Mining Reclamation Awards and 
Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Awards. OSM will request a 3-year term 
of approval for the information collection activity.
    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. Since this is a new information 
collection request, OSM is seeking new OMB control number. Responses 
are voluntary.
    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 OSM's submission of the 
information collection request to OMB.
    Before including your address, phone number, email 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.
    Title: Reclamation Awards--Call for Nominations.
    OMB Control Number: 1029-xxxx.
    Summary: This information collection clearance package is being 
submitted by the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement 
(OSM) for approval to collect information for our annual call for 
nominations for our Excellence in Surface Coal Mining Reclamation 
Awards and Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Awards. Since 1986, the 
Office of Surface Mining has presented awards to coal mine operators 
who completed exemplary active reclamation. A parallel award program 
for abandoned mine land reclamation began in 1992. The objective was to 
give public recognition to those responsible for the nation's most 
outstanding achievement in environmentally sound surface mining and 
land reclamation and to encourage the exchange and transfer of 
successful reclamation technology. The call for nominations has been in 
existence for years without OMB approval and is currently inactive. 
This collection request seeks a three-year term of approval.
    Bureau Form Number: None.
    Frequency of Collection: Once.
    Description of Respondents: Industry and state/tribal nominees for 
reclamation awards and state/tribal judges.
    Total Annual Responses: 22 active mine respondents, 12 abandoned 
mine land respondents, and 26 state and tribal judges.
    Total Annual Burden Hours: 2,384.
    Total Annual Non-Wage Burden: $34,000.

    Dated: January 10, 2012.
John A. Trelease,
Acting Chief, Division of Regulatory Support.
[FR Doc. 2012-577 Filed 1-13-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-05-M