Notice2025-14179
Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Petition Process for Designation of Federal Lands as Unsuitable for All or Certain Types of Surface Coal Mining Operations and for Termination of Previous Designations
Primary source
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Published
July 28, 2025
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentSurface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement Office
Abstract
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), are proposing to renew an information collection.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 142 (Monday, July 28, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 142 (Monday, July 28, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35556-35557]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-14179]
[[Page 35556]]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
[OMB Control Number 1029-0098; S1D1S SS08011000 SX064A000 256S180110;
S2D2S SS08011000 SX064A000 25XS501520]
Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and
Approval; Petition Process for Designation of Federal Lands as
Unsuitable for All or Certain Types of Surface Coal Mining Operations
and for Termination of Previous Designations
AGENCY: Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we,
the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), are
proposing to renew an information collection.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before
August 27, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Send your comments on this information collection request
(ICR) by mail to William Frankel, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation
and Enforcement, 1849 C Street NW, Room 4547-MIB, Washington, DC 20240,
or by email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4e39283c2f20252b220e213d233c2b60292138"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c8bfaebaa9a6a3ada488a7bba5baade6afa7be">[email protected]</span></a>. Please reference OMB Control Number
1029-0098 in the subject line of your comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William Frankel by email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#1661706477787d737a5679657b647338717960"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e0978692818e8b858ca08f938d9285ce878f96">[email protected]</span></a>, or by telephone at 202-208-0121. Individuals in the
United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a
speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access
telecommunications relay services. Individuals outside the United
States should use the relay services offered within their country to
make international calls to the point-of-contact in the United States.
You may also view the ICR at <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) and 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), we provide
the general public and other Federal agencies with an opportunity to
comment on new, proposed, revised, and continuing collections of
information. This helps us assess the impact of our information
collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. It
also helps the public understand our information collection
requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format.
A Federal Register notice with a 60-day public comment period
soliciting comments on this collection of information was published on
May 21, 2025 (90 FR 21788). No comments were received.
We are soliciting comments on the proposed ICR that is described
below. We are especially interested in public comment addressing the
following issues: (1) is the collection necessary to the proper
functions of the agency; (2) will this information be processed and
used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; (4)
how might the agency enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (5) how might the agency minimize the
burden of this collection on the respondents, including through the use
of information technology.
Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of
public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request
to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, phone
number, email address, or other personal identifying information in
your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including
your personal identifying information--may be made publicly available
at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your
personal identifying information from public review, we cannot
guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Abstract: Consistent with section 522 of the Surface Mining Control
and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA), 30 U.S.C. 1272, this part (30 CFR
part 769) establishes the minimum procedures and standards for
designating Federal lands unsuitable for certain types of surface
mining operations and for terminating designations pursuant to a
petition. The information requested will aid the regulatory authority
in the decision-making process to approve or disapprove a request.
Any person having an interest which is or may be adversely affected
has the right to petition the regulatory authority to have an area
designated as unsuitable for surface coal mining operations, or to have
an existing designation terminated. At a minimum, the regulatory
authority requires the following information:
(a) Petitioner's name, address, and telephone number are needed to
identify the individual, company, etc., requesting the designation or
termination.
(b) Identification of the area is required to determine the
location of the area, its size and relationship to the section 522
areas.
(c) Petitioner's interest is needed to determine the status of
petitioners for the validity of acceptance of the petition.
(d) Description of how mining of the area has affected, or how
mining may affect people or the environment is needed to justify the
unsuitability petition.
(e) Allegations of facts and supporting evidence are needed to
comply with requirements of section 522(a) and (b).
To terminate designations of lands as unsuitable for surface mining
operations, the regulatory authority must be provided with additional
information as follows:
(a) Where the unsuitability determination was based on State or
local land use plans, fragile or historic lands, loss of land
productivity, or lands subject to natural hazards:
(i) Discuss the nature or abundance of the protected resource
affected.
(ii) Discuss the resources or conditions not being affected by
mining operations in the surrounding area to ensure adequate protection
of resources.
(b) Where the unsuitability petition was based on a finding that
reclamation was not technologically or economically feasible, a
demonstration that reclamation is now technologically and economically
feasible. This is needed to determine the level of resources and the
basis for termination of a designation.
The regulatory authority will use this information to identify,
locate, compare, and contrast the area, resources, and conditions for
the purpose of complying with section 522.
Title of Collection: 30 CFR part 769--Petition process for
designation of Federal lands as unsuitable for all or certain types of
surface coal mining operations and for termination of previous
designations.
OMB Control Number: 1029-0098.
Form Number: None.
Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 1.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 1.
Estimated Completion Time per Response: 1,000 hours.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 1,000.
Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
Frequency of Collection: One time.
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: $0.
[[Page 35557]]
An agency may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required
to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a
currently valid OMB control number.
The authority for this action is the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).
William L. Frankel,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Office of Surface Mining
Reclamation and Enforcement.
[FR Doc. 2025-14179 Filed 7-25-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-05-P
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