33252 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 137 / Tuesday, July 17, 2018 / Notices 

agencies/ebsa/about-ebsa/about-us/ 

erisa-advisory-council. 

Organizations or members of the 

public wishing to submit a written 

statement may do so by submitting 40 

copies on or before August 7, 2018, to 

Larry Good, Executive Secretary, ERISA 

Advisory Council, U.S. Department of 

Labor, Suite N–5623, 200 Constitution 

Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20210. 

Statements also may be submitted as 

email attachments in word processing or 

pdf format transmitted to good.larry@

dol.gov. It is requested that statements 

not be included in the body of the 

email. Statements deemed relevant by 

the Advisory Council and received on or 

before August 7 will be included in the 

record of the meeting and made 

available through the EBSA Public 

Disclosure Room, along with witness 

statements. Do not include any 

personally identifiable information 

(such as name, address, or other contact 

information) or confidential business 

information that you do not want 

publicly disclosed. Written statements 

submitted by invited witnesses will be 

posted on the Advisory Council page of 

the EBSA website, without change, and 

can be retrieved by most internet search 

engines. 

Individuals or representatives of 

organizations wishing to address the 

Advisory Council should forward their 

requests to the Executive Secretary or 

telephone (202) 693–8668. Oral 

presentations will be limited to 10 

minutes, time permitting, but an 

extended statement may be submitted 

for the record. Individuals with 

disabilities who need special 

accommodations should contact the 

Executive Secretary by August 7. 

Signed at Washington, DC, this 9th day of 

July 2018. 

Preston Rutledge, 

Assistant Secretary, Employee Benefits 

Security Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2018–15207 Filed 7–16–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4510–29–P 

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 

Mine Safety and Health Administration 

[OMB Control No. 1219–0088] 

Proposed Extension of Information 

Collection; Ventilation Plans, Tests, 

and Examinations in Underground 

Coal Mines 

AGENCY: Mine Safety and Health 

Administration, Labor. 

ACTION: Request for public comments. 

SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as 

part of its continuing effort to reduce 

paperwork and respondent burden, 

conducts a pre-clearance consultation 

program 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 program 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 Ventilation 

Plans, Tests, and Examinations in 

Underground Coal Mines. 

DATES: All comments must be received 

on or before September 17, 2018. 

ADDRESSES: Comments concerning the 

information collection requirements of 

this notice may be sent by any of the 

methods listed below. 

• Federal E-Rulemaking Portal: 

http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

on-line instructions for submitting 

comments for docket number MSHA– 

2018–0025. 

• Regular Mail: Send comments to 

USDOL–MSHA, Office of Standards, 

Regulations, and Variances, 201 12th 

Street South, Suite 4E401, Arlington, 

VA 22202–5452. 

• Hand Delivery: USDOL-Mine Safety 

and Health Administration, 201 12th 

Street South, Suite 4E401, Arlington, 

VA 22202–5452. Sign in at the 

receptionist’s desk on the 4th floor via 

the East elevator. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Sheila McConnell, Director, Office of 

Standards, Regulations, and Variances, 

MSHA, at 

MSHA.information.collections@dol.gov 

(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. Under 

Section 101(a) of the Federal Mine 

Safety and Health Act of 1977 (Mine 

Act), the Secretary of Labor (Secretary) 

may by rule in accordance with 

procedures set forth in this section and 

in accordance with section 553 of Title 

5, United States Code (without regard to 

any reference in such section to sections 

556 and 557 of such title), 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. In 

addition, section 303 requires that all 

underground coal mines be ventilated 

by mechanical ventilation equipment 

installed and operated in a manner 

approved by an authorized 

representative of the Secretary and such 

equipment be examined daily and a 

record be kept of such examination. 

Underground coal mines usually 

present harsh and hostile working 

environments. The ventilation system is 

the most vital life support system in 

underground mining and a properly 

operating ventilation system is essential 

for maintaining a safe and healthful 

working environment. Lack of adequate 

ventilation in underground mines has 

resulted in fatalities from asphyxiation 

and explosions. 

An underground mine is a maze of 

tunnels that must be adequately 

ventilated with fresh air to provide a 

safe environment for miners. Methane is 

liberated from the strata, and noxious 

gases and dusts from blasting and other 

mining activities may be present. The 

explosive and noxious gases and dusts 

must be diluted, rendered harmless, and 

carried to the surface by the ventilating 

currents. Sufficient air must be provided 

to maintain the level of respirable dust 

at or below specific exposure limits and 

air quality must be maintained in 

accordance with MSHA standards. 

Mechanical ventilation equipment of 

sufficient capacity must operate at all 

times while miners are in the mine. 

Ground conditions are subject to 

frequent changes, thus sufficient tests 

and examinations are necessary to 

ensure the integrity of the ventilation 

system and to detect any changes that 

may require adjustments in the system. 

Records of tests and examinations are 

necessary to ensure that the ventilation 

system is being maintained and that 

changes which could adversely affect 

the integrity of the system or the safety 

of the miners are not occurring. These 

examination, reporting and 

recordkeeping requirements of sections 

75.310, 75.312, 75.342, 75.351, 75.360 

through 75.364, 75.370, 75.371, and 

75.382 also incorporate examinations of 

other critical aspects of the underground 

work environment such as roof 

conditions and electrical equipment 

which have historically caused 

numerous fatalities when not properly 

maintained and operated. 

Section 75.362, On-shift 

Examinations, was revised at subsection 

75.362 (a)(2) and (g)(2)-(4) by MSHA’s 

rule titled ‘‘Lowering Miners’ Exposure 

to Respirable Coal Mine Dust, Including 


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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 137 / Tuesday, July 17, 2018 / Notices 33253 

Continuous Personal Dust Monitors, ’’ 

published May 1, 2014. This rule also 

revised subsection 75.371(f) and (j). 

Subsection 75.362(a)(2) requires that a 

person designated by the operator 

conduct an examination and record the 

results and the corrective actions taken 

to assure compliance with the respirable 

dust control parameters specified in the 

approved mine ventilation plan. 

Under subsection 75.362(g)(2)(i), the 

certified person directing the on-shift 

examination must certify by initials, 

date, and time on a board maintained at 

the section load out or similar location 

showing that the examination was made 

prior to resuming production. No 

increased burden is estimated for 

section 75.362(g)(2)(i) in this 

Information Collection Request (ICR) 

because MSHA does not expect the 

burden to be different from the burden 

in existing section 75.362(g)(2)). 

Under section 75.362(g)(2)(ii), the 

certified person directing the on-shift 

examination must verify, by initials, 

date and time, the record of the results 

of the examination required under 

section 75.362(a)(2) to assure 

compliance with the respirable dust 

control parameters specified in the mine 

ventilation plan. Further, section 

75.362(g)(3) requires a mine foreman or 

equivalent mine official to countersign 

each examination record required under 

section 75.362(a)(2) after it is verified by 

the certified person under section 

75.362(g)(2)(ii), and no later than the 

end of the mine foreman’s or equivalent 

mine official’s next regularly scheduled 

working shift. Section 75.362(g)(2)(ii) 

and (g)(3) are additional burdens that 

are accounted for in this ICR and 

75.362(g)(2)(ii)(4) requires the records 

be retained at a surface location at the 

mine for at least 1 year and shall be 

made available for inspection by 

authorized representatives of the 

Secretary and the representative of 

miners. 

Paragraph (a)(2) in section 75.370 

(Mine ventilation plan; submission and 

approval) contains the burden for 

underground coal mine operators to 

submit mine ventilation plan revisions 

for District Manager approval. Each 

mine ventilation plan must include 

information that is specified by section 

75.371 (Mine ventilation plan; 

contents). 

Section 75.371(f) adds the following 

information that a mine operator must 

include in the mine ventilation plan: the 

minimum quantity of air that will be 

delivered to the working section for 

each mechanized mining unit (MMU), 

and the identification by make and 

model, of each different dust 

suppression system used on equipment 

on each working section, including: (1) 

The number, types, location, 

orientation, operating pressure, and 

flow rate of operating water sprays; (2) 

the maximum distance that ventilation 

control devices will be installed from 

each working face when mining or 

installing roof bolts in entries and 

crosscuts; (3) procedures for 

maintaining the roof bolter dust 

collection system in approved 

condition; and (4) recommended best 

work practices for equipment operators 

to minimize dust exposure. 

Section 75.371(j) adds a requirement 

that for machine mounted dust 

collectors, the ventilation plan must 

include the type and size of dust 

collector screens used and a description 

of the procedures to be followed to 

properly maintain dust collectors used 

on the equipment. 

Section 75.370(a)(2) requires all 

underground coal mine operators to 

submit revisions for mine ventilation 

plans to MSHA. The burden to submit 

the additional information required by 

section 75.371(f) and (j) as proposed 

revisions to the plan is accounted for in 

this package under section 75.370(a)(2). 

In addition, section 75.370(a)(3)(i) 

requires underground coal mine 

operators to notify the miners’ 

representative at least 5 days prior to 

submission of mine ventilation plan 

revisions and, if requested, provide a 

copy of the revisions to the miners’ 

representative at the time of 

notification. Section 75.370(a)(3)(iii) 

and (f)(3) require the operator to post a 

copy of the plan revisions, and section 

75.370(f)(1) requires that the operator 

provide a copy of the revisions to the 

miners’ representative, if requested. 

MSHA assumes that a copy of the 

revisions will be requested. The burdens 

for notification, providing requested 

copies, and posting associated with 

mine ventilation plan revisions 

resulting from section 75.371(f) and (j) 

are accounted for in this package under 

section 75.370(a)(3)(i), (f)(1), (a)(3)(iii), 

and (f)(3) respectively. 

II. Desired Focus of Comments 

MSHA is soliciting comments 

concerning the proposed information 

collection related to Ventilation Plans, 

Tests, and Examinations in 

Underground Coal Mines. MSHA is 

particularly interested in comments 

that: 

• 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; 

• Evaluate the accuracy of MSHA’s 

estimate of the burden of the collection 

of information, including the validity of 

the methodology and assumptions used; 

• Suggest methods to enhance the 

quality, utility, and clarity of the 

information to be collected; and 

• 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. 

The information collection request 

will be available on http://

www.regulations.gov. MSHA cautions 

the commenter against providing any 

information in the submission that 

should not be publicly disclosed. Full 

comments, including personal 

information provided, will be made 

available on www.regulations.gov and 

www.reginfo.gov. 

The public may also examine publicly 

available documents at USDOL-Mine 

Safety and Health Administration, 201 

12th South, Suite 4E401, Arlington, VA 

22202–5452. Sign in at the receptionist’s 

desk on the 4th floor via the East 

elevator. 

Questions about the information 

collection requirements may be directed 

to the person listed in the FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT section of this 

notice. 

III. Current Actions 

This request for collection of 

information contains provisions for 

Ventilation Plans, Tests, and 

Examinations in Underground Coal 

Mines. MSHA has updated the data 

with respect to the number of 

respondents, responses, burden hours, 

and burden costs supporting this 

information collection request. 

Type of Review: Extension, without 

change, of a currently approved 

collection. 

Agency: Mine Safety and Health 

Administration. 

OMB Number: 1219–0088. 

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit. 

Number of Respondents: 255. 

Frequency: On occasion. 

Number of Responses: 1,164,908. 

Annual Burden Hours: 142,550 hours. 

Annual Respondent or Recordkeeper 

Cost: $91,870. 

Comments submitted in response to 

this notice will be summarized and 

included in the request for Office of 

Management and Budget approval of the 


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33254 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 137 / Tuesday, July 17, 2018 / Notices 

information collection request; they will 

also become a matter of public record. 

Sheila McConnell, 

Certifying Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2018–15217 Filed 7–16–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4510–43–P 

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 

Mine Safety and Health Administration 

[OMB Control No. 1219–0121] 

Proposed Extension of Information 

Collection; Safety Standards for Roof 

Bolts in Metal and Nonmetal Mines and 

Underground Coal Mines 

AGENCY: Mine Safety and Health 

Administration, Labor. 

ACTION: Request for public comments. 

SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as 

part of its continuing effort to reduce 

paperwork and respondent burden, 

conducts a pre-clearance consultation 

program 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 program 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 Safety 

Standards for Roof Bolts in Metal and 

Nonmetal Mines and Underground Coal 

Mines. 

DATES: All comments must be received 

on or before September 17, 2018. 

ADDRESSES: Comments concerning the 

information collection requirements of 

this notice may be sent by any of the 

methods listed below. 

• Federal E-Rulemaking Portal: 

http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

on-line instructions for submitting 

comments for docket number MSHA– 

2018–0027. 

• Regular Mail: Send comments to 

USDOL–MSHA, Office of Standards, 

Regulations, and Variances, 201 12th 

Street South, Suite 4E401, Arlington, 

VA 22202–5452. 

• Hand Delivery: USDOL-Mine Safety 

and Health Administration, 201 12th 

Street South, Suite 4E401, Arlington, 

VA 22202–5452. Sign in at the 

receptionist’s desk on the 4th floor via 

the East elevator. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Sheila McConnell, Director, Office of 

Standards, Regulations, and Variances, 

MSHA, at 

MSHA.information.collections@dol.gov 

(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 and metal and nonmetal 

mines. 

Accidents involving falls of roof, face, 

and rib in underground mines or falls of 

highwall in surface mines, historically, 

have been among the leading causes of 

injuries and deaths. Prevention or 

control of falls of roof, face, and rib is 

uniquely difficult because of the variety 

of conditions encountered in mines that 

can affect the stability of various types 

of strata and the changing nature of the 

forces affecting ground stability at any 

given operation and time. Roof and rock 

bolts and accessories are an integral part 

of ground control systems and are used 

to prevent the fall of roof, face, and rib. 

Advancements in technology of roof and 

rock bolts and accessories have aided in 

reducing the hazards associated with 

falls of roof, face, and rib. 

The American Society for Testing and 

Materials (ASTM) publication 

‘‘Standard Specification for Roof and 

Rock Bolts and Accessories’’ is a 

consensus standard used throughout the 

United States. It contains specifications 

for the chemical, mechanical, and 

dimensional requirements for roof and 

rock bolts and accessories used for 

ground support systems. The ASTM 

standard for roof and rock bolts and 

accessories is updated periodically to 

reflect advances in technology. 

Title 30 Code of Federal Regulations, 

Parts 56 and 57 Subpart B-Ground 

Control, section 56.3203 and section 

57.3203, and Part 75 Subpart C-Roof 

Support, section 75.204, address the 

quality of roof and rock bolts and 

accessories and their installation. 

MSHA’s objective in these regulations is 

to ensure the quality and effectiveness 

of roof and rock bolts and accessories 

and, as technology evolves, to allow for 

the use of new materials which are 

proven to be reliable and effective in 

controlling the mine roof, face, and rib. 

Title 30 CFR 56.3203(a), 57.3203(a), 

and 75.204(a) require: (1) That mine 

operators obtain a certification from the 

manufacturer that roof and rock bolts 

and accessories are manufactured and 

tested in accordance with the applicable 

ASTM specifications, and (2) that the 

manufacturer’s certification is made 

available to an authorized representative 

of the Secretary. 

Title 30 CFR 56.3203(h) and 

57.3203(h) require that if the mine 

operator uses other tensioned and 

nontensioned fixtures and accessories 

for ground control that are not 

addressed by the applicable ASTM 

standard listed in sections 56.3203(a) 

and 57.3203(a), test methods must be 

established by the mine operator and 

used to verify their ground control 

effectiveness. Title 30 CFR 56.3203(i) 

and 57.3203(i) require that the mine 

operator certify that the tests developed 

under sections 56.3203(h) and 

57.3203(h) were conducted and such 

certifications be made available to an 

authorized representative of the 

Secretary. 

Title 30 CFR 75.204(f)(6) requires that 

the mine operator or a person 

designated by the operator certify by 

signature and date the measurements 

required by paragraph (f)(5) of this 

section have been made. Paragraph (f)(5) 

requires that in working places from 

which coal is produced during any 

portion of a 24-hour period, the actual 

torque or tension on at least one out of 

every ten previously installed 

mechanically anchored tensioned roof 

bolts is measured from the outby corner 

of the last open crosscut to the face in 

each advancing section. This 

certification shall be maintained for at 

least one year and shall be made 

available to an authorized representative 

of the Secretary and representatives of 

the miners. 

MSHA has found that the certification 

requirements have been successful in 

maintaining compliance with 

requirements for roof and rock bolts and 

accessories. 

II. Desired Focus of Comments 

MSHA is soliciting comments 

concerning the proposed information 

collection related to Safety Standards 

for Roof Bolts in Metal and Nonmetal 

Mines and Underground Coal Mines. 

MSHA is particularly interested in 

comments that: 

• 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; 


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