Notice2025-16773

Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Pattern of Violations

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
September 2, 2025

Issuing agencies

Labor Department

Abstract

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting this Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA)-sponsored information collection request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). Public comments on the ICR are invited.

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 167 (Tuesday, September 2, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 167 (Tuesday, September 2, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42447-42448]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-16773]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Pattern of Violations

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting this Mine Safety 
and Health Administration (MSHA)-sponsored information collection 
request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review 
and approval 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 the agency 
receives on or before October 2, 2025.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of 
this notice to <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>. Find this particular 
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Howell by telephone at 202-
693-6782, or by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#03474c4f5c5351425c5356414f4a4043676c6f2d646c75"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="8acec5c6d5dad8cbd5dadfc8c6c3c9caeee5e6a4ede5fc">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 
1977 (Mine Act), as amended, places the ultimate responsibility on mine 
operators for ensuring the safety and health of miners. The legislative 
history of the Mine Act emphasizes that Congress included the pattern 
of violations (POV) provision for mine operators who demonstrated a 
disregard for the safety and health of miners through a recurring 
pattern of significant and substantial (S&S) violations. MSHA was to 
use the POV provision in situations where other enforcement actions had 
been ineffective at bringing the mines into compliance with safety and 
health standards.
    This final rule will simplify the POV criteria, improve consistency 
in applying the POV criteria, and more adequately achieve the statutory 
intent. It also will encourage chronic violators to take proactive 
measures to comply with the Mine Act and MSHA's safety and health 
standards to bring their mines into compliance. This final rule 
contains a provision subject to review and approval by OMB under the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). MSHA is submitting this 
information collection package to OMB for review under 44 U.S.C. 3504, 
paragraph (h) of the PRA, as amended (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).
    The existing rule included mitigating circumstances under the 
initial screening criteria, but does not define mitigating 
circumstances. MSHA explains its intent in policy. The final rule 
incorporates the initial screening criteria into the pattern criteria 
for placing a mine in a POV status. The preamble to the final rule 
states that MSHA will consider an operator's effective implementation 
of an MSHA-approved corrective action program as a mitigating 
circumstance. MSHA expects that most mine operators, who compare their 
compliance record with the POV criteria on MSHA's website and determine 
that they are approaching a POV level, will submit a written corrective 
action program to the District Manager for approval and work to bring 
their mines into compliance to avoid being issued a POV notice, which 
could result in the temporary closure of the mine or sections of the 
mine. MSHA believes that an operator who implements a corrective action 
program is demonstrating a commitment to complying with MSHA's 
standards and regulations, and to restoring safe and healthful 
conditions for miners. For additional substantive information about 
this ICR, see the related notice published in the Federal Register on 
May 29, 2025 (90 FR 22760).
    Comments are invited on: (1) whether the collection of information 
is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the 
Department, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; (2) the accuracy of the agency's estimates of the burden and 
cost of the collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility and clarity of the information collection; and (4) ways to 
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are 
to respond, including the use of automated collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.
    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

[[Page 42448]]

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 OMB Control Number. See 5 
CFR 1320.5(a) and 1320.6.
    Agency: DOL-MSHA.
    Title of Collection: Pattern of Violations.
    OMB Control Number: 1219-0150.
    Affected Public: Private Sector.
    Number of Respondents: 15.
    Number of Responses: 21.
    Annual Burden Hours: 1,664 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Other Costs Burden: $2,801.

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

Michael Howell,
Senior Paperwork Reduction Act Analyst.
[FR Doc. 2025-16773 Filed 8-29-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-43-P


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Indexed from Federal Register on September 2, 2025.

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