[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 237 (Wednesday, December 10, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 65044-65046]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-32222]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement

30 CFR Part 917

[KY-217-FOR]


Kentucky Regulatory Program

AGENCY: Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM), 
Interior.


[[Page 65045]]


ACTION: Proposed rule; public comment period and opportunity for public 
hearing.

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SUMMARY: OSM is announcing receipt of a proposed amendment to the 
Kentucky regulatory program (hereinafter the ``Kentucky program'') 
under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA). 
Kentucky submitted a letter requesting the removal of an amendment at 
30 CFR 917.17(a) which required that it maintain a staffing level of 
156 field inspectors and, in the same letter, provided justification 
for its request. The amendment is intended to revise the Kentucky 
program to be consistent with the corresponding Federal regulations.

DATES: Written comments must be received by 4:00 p.m., [E.S.T.], 
January 9, 1998. If requested, a public hearing on the proposed 
amendment will be held on January 5, 1998. Requests to speak at the 
hearing must be received by 4:00 p.m., [E.S.T.], on December 29, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and requests to speak at the hearing should 
be mailed or hand delivered to William J. Kovacic, Director, at the 
address listed below.
    Copies of the Kentucky program, the proposed amendment, a listing 
of any scheduled public hearings, and all written comments received in 
response to this document will be available for public review at the 
addresses listed below during normal business hours, Monday through 
Friday, excluding holidays. Each requester may receive one free copy of 
the proposed amendment by contacting OSM's Lexington Field Office.
William J. Kovacic, Director, Lexington Field Office, Office of Surface 
Mining Reclamation Enforcement, 2675 Regency Road, Lexington, Kentucky 
40503. Telephone: (606) 233-2896.
Department of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, 2 Hudson 
Hollow Complex, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601, Telephone: (502) 564-6940.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William J. Kovacic, Director, 
Lexington Field Office, Telephone: (606) 233-2896.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background on the Kentucky Program

    On May 18, 1982, the Secretary of the Interior conditionally 
approved the Kentucky program. Background information on the Kentucky 
program, including the Secretary's findings, the disposition of 
comments, and the conditions of approval can be found in the May 18, 
1982, Federal Register (47 FR 21404). Subsequent actions concerning the 
conditions of approval and program amendments can be found at 30 CFR 
917.11, 917.13, 917.15, 917.16, and 917.17.

II. Description of the Proposed Amendment

    By letter dated November 3, 1997 (Administrative Record No. KY-
1418), Kentucky submitted a proposed amendment to its program 
requesting the removal of an amendment at 30 CFR 917.17(a) requiring 
that Kentucky maintain a staffing level of 156 field inspectors. In the 
same letter, Kentucky provided the following justification for its 
request:
    1. Field inspector staffing levels are no longer based on 1984 
inspection numbers and budgetary needs.
    2. A study performed during the National Wildlife Federation 
Settlement Agreement determined that a cap of 24 inspectable units per 
field inspector should be established.
    3. OSM has accepted the limits set by the study in determining 
inspection staff levels as indicated by the approval of Title V 
administrative and enforcement grants.
    4. OSM's annual reports indicate that Kentucky's Title V regulatory 
program consistently meets high inspection frequency levels.
    Kentucky also maintains that using a fixed number of field 
inspectors fails to provide the latitude necessary to adapt its 
inspection force to changing conditions in the coal industry. Further, 
the number of inspectors Kentucky maintains is based on the current and 
ever-changing number of inspectable units.

III. Public Comment Procedures

    In accordance with the provisions of 30 CFR 732.17(h), OSM is 
seeking comments on whether the proposed amendment satisfies the 
applicable program approval criteria of 30 CFR 732.15. If the amendment 
is deemed adequate, it will become part of the Kentucky program.

Written Comments

    Written comments should be specific, pertain only to the issues 
proposed in this rulemaking, and include explanations in support of the 
commenter's recommendations. Comments received after the time indicated 
under ``DATES'' or at locations other than the Lexington Field Office 
will not necessarily be considered in the final rulemaking or included 
in the Administrative Record.

Public Hearing

    Persons wishing to speak at the public hearing should contact the 
person listed under ``FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT'' by 4:00 p.m., 
[E.S.T.] on December 29, 1997. The location and time of the hearing 
will be arranged with those persons requesting the hearing. If no one 
requests an opportunity to speak at the public hearing, the hearing 
will not be held.
    Filing of a written statement at the time of the hearing is 
requested as it will greatly assist the transcriber. Submission of 
written statements in advance of the hearing will allow OSM officials 
to prepare adequate responses and appropriate questions.
    The public hearing will continue on the specified date until all 
persons scheduled to speak have been heard. Persons in the audience who 
have not been scheduled to speak, and who wish to do so, will be heard 
following those who have been scheduled. The hearing will end after all 
persons scheduled to speak and persons present in the audience who wish 
to speak have been heard.
    Any disabled individual who has need for a special accommodation to 
attend a public hearing should contact the individual listed under 
``FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.''

Public Meeting

    If only one person requests an opportunity to speak at a hearing, a 
public meeting, rather than a public hearing, may be held. Persons 
wishing to meet with OSM representatives to discuss the proposed 
amendment may request a meeting by contacting the person listed under 
``FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.'' All such meetings will be open to 
the public and, if possible, notices of meetings will be posted at the 
locations listed under ``ADDRESSES.'' A written summary of each meeting 
will be made a part of the Administrative Record.

IV. Procedural Determinations

Executive Order 12866

    This rule is exempted from review by the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) under Executive Order 12866 (Regulatory Planning and 
Review).

Executive Order 12988

    The Department of the Interior has conducted the reviews required 
by section 3 of Executive Order 12988 (Civil Justice Reform) and has 
determined that,to the extent allowed by law, this rule meets the 
applicable standards of subsections (a) and (b) of that section. 
However, these standards

[[Page 65046]]

are not applicable to the actual language of State regulatory programs 
and program amendments since each such program is drafted and 
promulgated by a specific State, not by OSM. Under sections 503 and 505 
of SMCRA (30 U.S.C. 1253 and 1255) and 30 CFR 730.11, 732.15, and 
732.17(h)(10), decisions on proposed State regulatory programs and 
program amendments submitted by the States must be based solely on a 
determination of whether the submittal is consistent with SMCRA and its 
implementing Federal regulations and whether the other requirements of 
30 CFR Parts 730, 731, and 732 have been met.

National Environmental Policy Act

    No environmental impact statement is required for this rule since 
section 702(d) of SMCRA (30 U.S.C. 1292(d)) provides that agency 
decisions on proposed State regulatory program provisions do not 
constitute major Federal actions within the meaning of section 
102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 
4332(2)(C)),

Paperwork Reduction Act

    This rule does not contain information collection requirements that 
require approval by OMB under the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 
3507 et seq.).

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    The Department of the Interior has determined that this rule will 
not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small 
entities under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.). 
The State submittal which is the subject of this rule is based upon 
counterpart Federal regulations for which an economic analysis was 
prepared and certification made that such regulations would not have a 
significant economic effect upon a substantial number of small 
entities. Accordingly, this rule will ensure that existing requirements 
previously promulgated by OSM will be implemented by the State. In 
making the determination as to whether this rule would have a 
significant economic impact, the department relied upon the data and 
assumptions for the counterpart Federal regulations.

Unfunded Mandates

    This rule will not impose a cost of $100 million or more in any 
given year on any governmental entity or the private sector.

List of Subjects in 30 CFR Part 917

    Intergovernmental relations, Surface mining, Underground mining.

    Dated: December 2, 1997.
Michael K. Robinson,
Acting Regional Director, Appalachian Regional Coordinating Center.
[FR Doc. 97-32222 Filed 12-9-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-05-M