Notice of Proposed Information Collection

AGENCY:

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice and request for comments.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) is announcing that the information collection request for our Permanent Regulatory Program Requirements—Standards for Certification of Blasters, has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. This information collection activity was previously approved by OMB and assigned control number 1029-0080. This information collection request describes the nature of the information collection and its expected burden.

DATES:

OMB has up to 60 days to approve or disapprove the information collection requests but may respond after 30 days. Therefore, public comments should be submitted to OMB by March 25, 2013, to be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES:

Submit comments to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Department of the Interior Desk Officer, via email at OIRA_submission@omb.eop.gov, or by facsimile to (202) 395-5806. Also, please send a copy of your comments to John Trelease, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, 1951 Constitution Ave. NW., Room 203—SIB, Washington, DC 20240, or electronically to jtrelease@osmre.gov. Please reference 1029-0080 in your correspondence.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To receive a copy of the information collection request contact John Trelease at (202) 208-2783, or electronically at jtrelease@osmre.gov. You may also review the information collection request online at http://www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to review Department of the Interior collections under review by OMB.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

OMB regulations at 5 CFR 1320, which implement provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13), require that interested members of the public and affected agencies have an opportunity to comment on information collection and recordkeeping activities [see 5 CFR 1320.8(d)]. OSM has submitted the request to OMB to renew its approval for the collection of information found at 30 CFR part 850. OSM is requesting a 3-year term of approval for this information collection activity.

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 OMB control number for this collection of information is 1029-0080, and may be found in OSM's regulations at 30 CFR 850.10. Individuals are required to respond to obtain a benefit.

As required under 5 CFR 1320.8(d), a Federal Register notice soliciting comments on this collection was published on November 15, 2012 (77 FR 68148). No comments were received. This notice provides the public with an additional 30 days in which to comment on the following information collection activity:

Title: 30 CFR Part 850—Permanent Regulatory Program Requirements—Standards for Certification of Blasters.

OMB Control Number: 1029-0080.

Summary: The information is used to identify and evaluate new blaster certification programs. Part 850 implements Section 719 of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA). Section 719 requires the Secretary of the Interior to issue regulations which provide for each State regulatory authority to train, examine and certify persons for engaging in blasting or use of explosives in surface coal mining operations. Each State that wishes to certify blasters must submit a blasters certification program to OSM for approval.

Bureau Form Numbers: None.

Frequency of Collection: Once.

Description of Respondents: State regulatory authorities and Indian tribes.

Total Annual Responses: 1.

Total Annual Burden Hours: 267 hours.

Send comments on the need for the collection of information for the performance of the functions of the agency; the accuracy of the agency's burden estimates; ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information collection; and ways to minimize the information collection burden on respondents, such as use of automated means of collection of the information, to the places listed in ADDRESSES. Please refer to control number 1029-0080 in all correspondence.

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.