[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 14 (Wednesday, January 22, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3723-3724]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-00990]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Safety Standards for Underground Coal Mine 
Ventilation--Belt Entry Used as an Intake Air Course To Ventilate 
Working Sections and Areas Where Mechanized Mining Equipment Is Being 
Installed or Removed.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Mining Safety 
and Health Administration (MSHA) sponsored information collection 
request (ICR) titled, ``Safety Standards for Underground Coal Mine 
Ventilation--Belt Entry Used as an Intake Air Course to Ventilate 
Working Sections and Areas Where Mechanized Mining Equipment is Being 
Installed or Removed'' to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
review and approval for continued use, without change, in accordance 
with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). Public comments on the 
ICR are invited.

DATES: The OMB will consider all written comments that agency receives 
on or before February 21, 2020.

ADDRESSES: A copy of this ICR with applicable supporting documentation; 
including a description of the likely respondents, proposed frequency 
of response, and estimated total burden may be obtained free of charge 
from the RegInfo.gov website at http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=201910-1219-004 (this link will only become active 
on the day following publication of this notice) or by contacting 
Frederick Licari by telephone at 202-693-8073, TTY 202-693-8064, (these 
are not toll-free numbers) or by email at [email protected].
    Submit comments about this request by mail to the Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attn: OMB Desk Officer for DOL-
MSHA, Office of Management and Budget, Room 10235, 725 17th Street NW, 
Washington, DC 20503; by Fax: 202-395-5806 (this is not a toll-free 
number); or by email: [email protected]. Commenters are 
encouraged, but not required, to send a courtesy copy of any comments 
by mail or courier to the U.S. Department of Labor-OASAM, Office of the 
Chief Information Officer, Attn: Departmental Information Compliance 
Management Program, Room N1301, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, 
Washington, DC 20210; or by email: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Frederick Licari by telephone at 202-
693-8073, TTY 202-693-8064, (these are not toll-free numbers) or by 
email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This ICR seeks to extend PRA authority for 
the Safety Standards for Underground Coal Mine Ventilation--Belt Entry 
Used as an Intake Air Course to Ventilate Working Sections and Areas 
Where Mechanized Mining Equipment is Being Installed or Removed 
information collection. 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. MSHA 
allows operators to use air from a belt air course to ventilate a 
working section, or an area where mechanized mining equipment is being 
installed or removed, only under certain conditions. The belt air use 
must be evaluated and approved by the district manager in the mine 
ventilation plan and operators must follow a number of other 
requirements that provide additional protection.
    The Mine Act is supported by a variety of requirements contained in 
30 CFR Sections 75.350(b), 75.351(b)(3-4), 75.351(j), 75.351(m), 
75.351(n)(2), 75.351(o)(1)(i-iii), 75.351(o)(3), 75.351(p), 
75.351(q)(3), 75.352(a-c), 75.371(hh), 75.371(kk), 75.350(b)(6), 
75.371(ll), 75.371(mm), 75.371(nn), 75.371(oo), and 75.371(pp).
    This information collection is subject to the PRA. A Federal agency 
generally cannot conduct or sponsor a collection of information, and 
the public is generally not required to respond to an information 
collection, unless the OMB under the PRA approves it and displays a 
currently valid OMB Control Number. In addition, notwithstanding any 
other provisions of law, no person shall generally be subject to 
penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information that 
does not display a valid Control Number. See 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and 
1320.6. The DOL obtains OMB approval for this information collection 
under Control Number 1219-0138.
    OMB authorization for an ICR cannot be for more than three (3) 
years without renewal, and the current approval for this collection is 
scheduled to expire on January 31, 2020. The DOL seeks to extend PRA 
authorization for this information collection for three (3) more years, 
without any change to existing requirements. The DOL notes that 
existing information collection requirements submitted to the OMB 
receive a month-to-month extension while they undergo review. For 
additional substantive information about this ICR, see the related 
notice published in the Federal Register on October 31, 2019 (84 FR 
58412).
    Interested parties are encouraged to send comments to the OMB, 
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs at the address shown in 
the ADDRESSES section within thirty-(30) days of publication of this 
notice in the Federal Register. In order to help ensure appropriate 
consideration, comments should mention OMB Control Number 1219-0138. 
The OMB is particularly interested in comments that:

[[Page 3724]]

     Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility:
     Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the 
burden of the proposed collection of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used.
     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.
    Agency: DOL-MSHA.
    Title of Collection: Safety Standards for Underground Coal Mine 
Ventilation--Belt Entry Used as an Intake Air Course to Ventilate 
Working Sections and Areas Where Mechanized Mining Equipment is Being 
Installed or Removed.
    OMB Control Number: 1219-0138.
    Affected Public: Private Sector: Businesses or other for-profits.
    Total Estimated Number of Respondents: 12.
    Total Estimated Number of Responses: 161.
    Total Estimated Annual Time Burden: 2,478 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Other Costs Burden: $38,640.

    Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3507(a)(1)(D).

    Dated: January 15, 2020.
Frederick Licari,
Departmental Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2020-00990 Filed 1-21-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4510-FN-P