Notice2021-15458
Proposed Extension of Information Collection; Mine Mapping and Records of Opening, Closing, and Reopening of Mines
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
July 21, 2021
Issuing agencies
Labor DepartmentMine Safety and Health Administration
Abstract
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.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 137 (Wednesday, July 21, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 137 (Wednesday, July 21, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38504-38505]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[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:
<bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>.
Follow the instructions for submitting comments for docket number MSHA-
2021-0021. Comments submitted electronically, including attachments, to
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> 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.
<bullet> 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:
<bullet> Mail/Hand Delivery: Mail or visit DOL-MSHA, Office of
Standards, Regulations, and Variances, 201 12th Street South, Suite
4E401, Arlington, VA 22202-5452.
<bullet> MSHA will post your comment as well as any attachments,
except for information submitted and marked as confidential, in the
docket at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jessica Senk, Director, Office of
Standards, Regulations, and Variances, MSHA, at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#ca8799828be4a3a4aca5b8a7abbea3a5a4e4a9a5a6a6afa9bea3a5a4b98aaea5a6e4ada5bc"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="3578667d741b5c5b535a475854415c5a5b1b565a59595056415c5a5b4675515a591b525a43">[email protected]</span></a> (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:
<bullet> 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;
<bullet> Evaluate the accuracy of MSHA's estimate of the burden of
the collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used;
<bullet> Suggest methods to enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be collected; and
<bullet> 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 <a href="https://regulations.gov">https://regulations.gov</a> 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 <a href="https://www.reginfo.gov">https://www.reginfo.gov</a>.
Jessica Senk,
Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2021-15458 Filed 7-20-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-43-P
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This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.