[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 162 (Wednesday, August 21, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43621-43622]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-18002]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Mine Safety and Health Administration
[OMB Control No. 1219-0020]
Proposed Extension of Information Collection; Operations Mining
Under a Body of Water
AGENCY: Mine Safety and Health Administration, Labor.
ACTION: Request for public comments.
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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 collections of information
in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. 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 on the information collection for Operations Mining
Under a Body of Water.
DATES: All comments must be received on or before October 21, 2019.
ADDRESSES: Comments concerning the information collection requirements
of this notice may be sent by any of the methods listed below.
Federal E-Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments for docket
number MSHA-2019-0030.
Regular Mail: Send comments to USDOL-MSHA, Office of
Standards, Regulations, and Variances, 201 12th Street South, Suite
4E401, Arlington, VA 22202-5452.
Hand Delivery: USDOL-Mine Safety and Health
Administration, 201 12th Street South, Suite 4E401, Arlington, VA
22202-5452. Sign in at the receptionist's desk on the 4th floor via the
East elevator.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sheila McConnell, Director, Office of
Standards, Regulations, and Variances, MSHA, at
[email protected] (email); (202) 693-9440 (voice);
or (202) 693-9441 (facsimile).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Section 103(h) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977
(Mine Act), 30 U.S.C. 813(h), authorizes MSHA to collect information
necessary to carry out its duty in protecting the safety and health of
miners. Further, section 101(a) of the Mine Act, 30 U.S.C. 811,
authorizes the Secretary of Labor (Secretary) to develop, promulgate,
and revise as may be appropriate, improved mandatory health or safety
standards for the protection of life and prevention of injuries in coal
and metal and nonmetal mines.
Title 30 CFR Sections 75.1716, 75.1716-1 and 75.1716-3 require
operators of underground coal mines to provide MSHA notification before
mining under bodies of water and to obtain a permit to mine under a
body of water if, in the judgment of the Secretary, it is sufficiently
large to constitute a hazard to miners. The regulation is necessary to
prevent the inundation of underground coal mines with water that has
the potential of drowning miners.
The coal mine operator submits an application for the permit to the
District Manager in whose district the mine is located. Applications
contain the name and address of the mine; projected mining and ground
support plans; a mine map showing the location of the river, stream,
lake or other body of water and its relation to the location of all
working places; and a profile map showing the type of strata and the
distance in elevation between the coal bed and the water involved. MSHA
has provided an exemption from notification and permit application for
mine operators where the projected mining is under any water reservoir
constructed by a Federal agency as of December 30, 1969, and where the
operator is required by such agency to operate in a manner that
adequately protects the safety of miners. The exemption for such mining
is addressed by 30 CFR Sections 75.1716 and 75.1717.
MSHA also encourages a mine operator to provide more information in
an application. When the operator files an application for a permit, in
addition
[[Page 43622]]
to the information required under 30 CFR Section 75.1716-3, operators
are also encouraged to include a map of the active areas of the mine
under the body of water showing the following: Bottom of coal
elevations (minimum 10-ft contour intervals); the limits of the body of
water and the estimated quantity of water in the pool; the limits of
the proposed ``safety zone'' within which precautions will be taken;
overburden thickness (depth of cover) contours; corehole locations; and
known faults, lineaments, and other geologic features.
If the body of water is contained within an overlying mine, then
MSHA recommends a map of the overlying mine showing bottom of coal
elevations (minimum 10-ft contour intervals), when available, corehole
locations, the limits of the body of water with the estimated quantity
of water in the pool, and interburden to active mine below be provided.
Operators are also encouraged to submit the methods that were used to
estimate the quantity of water in the pool, borehole logs, including
geotechnical information (RQD, fracture logs, etc.) if available; rock
mechanics data on the overburden, interburden, mine roof, and mine
floor, if available; mining height of the seam being mined, pillar and
floor stability analyses for the active mine, whether second mining is
planned, whether mining will be conducted down-dip or up-dip, where
water will flow to in the active mine if encountered, pumping
capabilities for dewatering, a comprehensive evacuation plan for the
miners, and a statement of what in-mine conditions would trigger the
implementation of the evacuation plan, and training that will be
provided to the miners regarding the potential hazards.
II. Desired Focus of Comments
MSHA is soliciting comments concerning the proposed information
collection related to Operations Mining Under a Body of Water. MSHA is
particularly interested in comments that:
Evaluate whether the collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Agency,
including whether the information has practical utility;
Evaluate the accuracy of MSHA's estimate of the burden of
the collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used;
Suggest methods to enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be collected; and
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 submission of responses.
The information collection request will be available on http://www.regulations.gov. MSHA cautions the commenter against providing any
information in the submission that should not be publicly disclosed.
Full comments, including personal information provided, will be made
available on www.regulations.gov and www.reginfo.gov.
The public may also examine publicly available documents at USDOL-
Mine Safety and Health Administration, 201 12th South, Suite 4E401,
Arlington, VA 22202-5452. Sign in at the receptionist's desk on the 4th
floor via the East elevator.
Questions about the information collection requirements may be
directed to the person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION section of
this notice.
III. Current Actions
This request for collection of information contains provisions for
Operations Mining Under a Body of Water. MSHA has updated the data with
respect to the number of respondents, responses, burden hours, and
burden costs supporting this information collection request.
Type of Review: Extension, without change, of a currently approved
collection.
Agency: Mine Safety and Health Administration.
OMB Number: 1219-0020.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
Number of Respondents: 77.
Frequency: On occasion.
Number of Responses: 77.
Annual Burden Hours: 424 hours.
Annual Respondent or Recordkeeper Cost: $1,040.
Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized
and 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.
Roslyn B. Fontaine,
Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2019-18002 Filed 8-20-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-43-P