[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 17 (Monday, January 27, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 4702]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-01325]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement

[S1D1S SS08011000 SX064A000 201S180110; S2D2S SS08011000 SX064A000 
20XS501520]


Grant Notification for Fiscal Year 2020

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: We, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement 
(OSMRE), are notifying the public that we intend to grant funds to 
eligible applicants for purposes authorized under the Surface Mining 
Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA) Title IV Abandoned Mine 
Land (AML) Reclamation Program and Title V Regulatory Program. We will 
award these grants during fiscal year 2020.

DATES: Single points of contact or other interested State, Tribal, or 
local entities may submit written comments regarding AML Reclamation 
Program and Regulatory Program funding until February 26, 2020.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
     Electronic mail: Send your comments to 
[email protected].
     Mail, hand-delivery, or courier: Send your comments to 
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, Attn: Grants 
Notice, Room 4551, 1849 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20240.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Yetunde Richardson, Office of Surface 
Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, 1849 C Street NW, MS 4551, 
Washington, DC 20240; Telephone (202) 208-2766.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Grant Notification

    We are notifying the public that we intend to grant funds to 
eligible applicants for purposes authorized under SMCRA's Title IV AML 
Reclamation Program. Additionally, we are notifying the public that we 
intend to grant funds to eligible applicants under SMCRA's Title V 
Regulatory Program for regulating coal mining within their 
jurisdictional borders. We will award these grants during fiscal year 
2020. Eligible applicants are those States and Tribes with an AML 
reclamation program and/or a regulatory program that we approved under 
SMCRA, as amended, 30 U.S.C. 1201 et seq., as well as States and Tribes 
that are seeking to develop a regulatory program as provided in 30 
U.S.C. 1295. Consistent with Executive Order (E.O.) 12372, we are 
providing State and Tribal officials the opportunity to review and 
comment on these proposed Federal financial assistance activities. Of 
the eligible applicants, nineteen States or Tribes do not have single 
points of contact; therefore, we are publishing this notice as an 
alternate means of notification.

Description of the AML Reclamation Program

    SMCRA established the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund to receive 
the AML fees that, along with funds from other sources, are used to 
finance reclamation of AML coal mine sites. Title IV of SMCRA 
authorizes OSMRE to provide grants to eligible States and Tribes that 
are funded from permanent (mandatory) appropriations. Recipients use 
these funds: to reclaim the highest priority AML coal mine sites that 
were left abandoned prior to the enactment of SMCRA in 1977; to reclaim 
eligible non-coal sites; for projects that address the impacts of 
mineral development; and for non-reclamation projects.

Description of the Regulatory Program

    Title V of SMCRA authorizes OSMRE to provide grants to States and 
Tribes to develop, administer, and enforce State and Tribal regulatory 
programs that address, among other things, the disturbances from coal 
mining operations. Additionally, upon our approval of a State or Tribal 
regulatory program, Title V authorizes a State to assume regulatory 
primacy and act as the regulatory authority within the State or Tribe, 
and to administer and enforce its approved SMCRA regulatory program. 
Our regulations at Title 30 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Chapter 
VII, implement these provisions of SMCRA.

    Dated: November 13, 2019.
Lanny E. Erdos,
Principal Deputy Director, Exercising the Authority of the Director, 
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement.
[FR Doc. 2020-01325 Filed 1-24-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-05-P