[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 137 (Wednesday, July 21, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38504-38505]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-15458]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Mine Safety and Health Administration

[OMB Control No. 1219-0073]


Proposed Extension of Information Collection; Mine Mapping and 
Records of Opening, Closing, and Reopening of Mines

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 
request for comment 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 request 
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 Mine Mapping and 
Records of Opening, Closing, and Reopening of Mines.

DATES: All comments must be received on or before September 20, 2021.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comment as follows. Please note that late, 
untimely filed comments will not be considered.
    Electronic Submissions: Submit electronic comments in the following 
way:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments for docket number MSHA-
2021-0021. Comments submitted electronically, including attachments, to 
https://www.regulations.gov will be posted to the docket, with no 
changes. Because your comment will be made public, you are responsible 
for ensuring that your comment does not include any confidential 
information that you or a third party may not wish to be posted, such 
as your or anyone else's Social Security number or confidential 
business information.
     If your comment includes confidential information that you 
do not wish to be made available to the public, submit the comment as a 
written/paper submission.
    Written/Paper Submissions: Submit written/paper submissions in the 
following way:
     Mail/Hand Delivery: Mail or visit DOL-MSHA, Office of 
Standards, Regulations, and Variances, 201 12th Street South, Suite 
4E401, Arlington, VA 22202-5452.
     MSHA will post your comment as well as any attachments, 
except for information submitted and marked as confidential, in the 
docket at https://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jessica Senk, 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 
or other mines.
    The information collection addressed by this notice is intended to 
protect miners by ensuring that up-to-date, accurate mine maps contain 
the information needed to clarify the best alternatives for action 
during an emergency operation. Coal mine operators routinely use maps 
to create safe and effective development plans.
    Mine maps are schematic depictions of critical mine infrastructure, 
such as water, power, transportation, ventilation, and communication 
systems. Using accurate, up-to-date maps during a disaster, mine 
emergency personnel can locate refuges for miners and identify sites of 
explosion potential. Emergency personnel use the maps to know where 
stationary equipment was placed, where ground was secured, and where 
they can best begin a rescue operation. During a disaster, maps can be 
crucial to the safety of the emergency personnel who must enter a mine 
to begin a search for survivors.
    Mine maps may describe the current status of an operating mine or 
provide crucial information about a closed mine that is being reopened.
    Title 30 CFR 75.1200 requires each underground coal mine operator 
to have an accurate and up-to-date map of such mine drawn to scale and 
stored in a fireproof repository in an area on the surface of the mine 
chosen by the mine operator to minimize the danger of destruction by 
fire or other hazards. Sections 75.1200-1, 75.1201, 75.1202, 75.1202-1, 
and 75.1203 specify the information which must be shown on the map. The 
maps must be certified by a registered engineer or surveyor and be kept 
up-to-date by temporary notations and revised and supplemented to 
include the temporary notations at intervals of not more than 6 months. 
Maps must be made available for inspection by a representative of the 
Secretary, State coal mine inspectors, miners and their 
representatives, operators of adjacent coal mines, and persons owning, 
leasing, or residing on surface areas of such mines or areas

[[Page 38505]]

adjacent to such mines. Mine maps are essential to the planning and 
safe operation of the mine. In addition, these maps provide a graphic 
presentation of the locations of working sections and the locations of 
fixed surface and underground mine facilities and equipment, escapeway 
routes, coal haulage and man and materials haulage entries and other 
information essential to mine rescue or mine firefighting activities in 
the event of mine fires, explosions or inundations of gas or water. The 
information is essential to the safe operation of adjacent mines and 
mines approaching the worked out areas of active or abandoned mines. 
Section 75.372 requires underground mine operators to submit three 
copies of an up-to-date mine map to the District Manager at intervals 
not exceeding 12 months during the operating life of the mine.
    Title 30 CFR 75.1204 and 75.1204-1 require that whenever an 
underground coal mine operator permanently closes or abandons a coal 
mine, or temporarily closes a coal mine for a period of more than 90 
days, the operator must file with MSHA a copy of the mine map revised 
and supplemented to the date of closure. Maps are retained in a 
repository and are made available to mine operators of adjacent 
properties. The maps are necessary to provide an accurate record of 
underground areas that have been mined to help prevent active mine 
operators from mining into abandoned areas that may contain water or 
harmful gases.
    Title 30 CFR 77.1200, 77.1201, and 77.1202 require surface coal 
mine operators to maintain an accurate and up-to-date map of the mine 
and specifies the information to be shown on the map, the acceptable 
range of map scales, that the map be certified by a registered engineer 
or surveyor, and that the map be available for inspection by the 
Secretary or his authorized representative. These maps are essential 
for the safe operation of the mine and provide essential information to 
operators of adjacent surface and underground mines. Properly prepared 
and effectively utilized surface mine maps can prevent outbursts of 
water impounded in underground mine workings and/or inundations of 
underground mines by surface impounded water or water and/or gases 
impounded in surface auger mining worked-out areas.
    Title 30 CFR 75.373 and 75.1721 require that after a mine is 
abandoned or declared inactive and before it is reopened, mine 
operations must not begin until MSHA has been notified and has 
completed an inspection. Section 75.1721 specifies that once the mine 
operator notifies the MSHA District Manager of the intent to reopen a 
mine all preliminary plans must be submitted in writing and approved 
prior to development of the coalbed.

II. Desired Focus of Comments

    MSHA is soliciting comments concerning the proposed information 
collection related to Mine Mapping and Records of Opening, Closing, and 
Reopening of Mines. 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.
    Background documents related to this information collection request 
are available at https://regulations.gov and at DOL-MSHA located at 201 
12th Street South, Suite 4E401, Arlington, VA 22202-5452. 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 information collection request concerns provisions for Mine 
Mapping and Records of Opening, Closing, and Reopening of Mines. MSHA 
has updated the data with respect to the number of respondents, 
responses, burden hours, and burden costs supporting this information 
collection request from the previous information collection request.
    Type of Review: Extension, without change, of a currently approved 
collection.
    Agency: Mine Safety and Health Administration.
    OMB Number: 1219-0073.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 580.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Number of Responses: 1,190.
    Annual Burden Hours: 6,274 hours.
    Annual Respondent or Recordkeeper Cost: $3,204,898.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized in 
the request for Office of Management and Budget approval of the 
proposed information collection request; they will become a matter of 
public record and will be available at https://www.reginfo.gov.

Jessica Senk,
Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2021-15458 Filed 7-20-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-43-P