Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 15 / Friday, January 24, 2025 / Notices 8161 

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 

§§ 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 if not 

properly maintained and operated. For 

additional substantive information 

about this ICR, see the related notice 

published in the Federal Register on 

October 9, 2024 (89 FR 81942). 

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 

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: Ventilation Plans, 

Tests, and Examinations in 

Underground Coal Mines. 

OMB Control Number: 1219–0088. 

Affected Public: Businesses or other 

for-profits. 

Number of Respondents: 225. 

Frequency: On occasion. 

Number of Responses: 1,910,978. 

Annual Burden Hours: 150,674 hours. 

Total Estimated Annual Other Costs 

Burden: $69,865. 

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

Michael Howell, 

Senior Paperwork Reduction Act Analyst. 

[FR Doc. 2025–01523 Filed 1–23–25; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4510–43–P 

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 

Mine Safety and Health Administration 

Petition for Modification of Application 

of Existing Mandatory Safety 

Standards 

AGENCY: Mine Safety and Health 

Administration, Labor. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: This notice is a summary of 

a petition for modification submitted to 

the Mine Safety and Health 

Administration (MSHA) by Canyon Fuel 

Company, LLC. 

DATES: All comments on the petition 

must be received by MSHA’s Office of 

Standards, Regulations, and Variances 

on or before February 24, 2025. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

identified by Docket No. MSHA–2025– 

0012 by any of the following methods: 

1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: 

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

instructions for submitting comments 

for MSHA–2025–0012. 

2. Fax: 202–693–9441. 

3. Email: petitioncomments@dol.gov. 

4. Regular Mail or Hand Delivery: 

MSHA, Office of Standards, 

Regulations, and Variances, Room 

C3522, 200 Constitution Ave. NW, 

Washington, DC 20210. 

Attention: S. Aromie Noe, Director, 

Office of Standards, Regulations, and 

Variances. Persons delivering 

documents are required to check in at 

the receptionist’s desk. Individuals may 

inspect copies of the petition and 

comments during normal business 

hours at the address listed above. Before 

visiting MSHA in person, call 202–693– 

9455 to make an appointment. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: S. 

Aromie Noe, Office of Standards, 

Regulations, and Variances at 202–693– 

9440 (voice), Petitionsformodification@

dol.gov (email), or 202–693–9441 (fax). 

[These are not toll-free numbers.] 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 

101(c) of the Federal Mine Safety and 

Health Act of 1977 and Title 30 of the 

Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 

44 govern the application, processing, 

and disposition of petitions for 

modification. 

I. Background 

Section 101(c) of the Federal Mine 

Safety and Health Act of 1977 (Mine 

Act) allows the mine operator or 

representative of miners to file a 

petition to modify the application of any 

mandatory safety standard to a coal or 

other mine if the Secretary of Labor 

determines that: 

1. An alternative method of achieving 

the result of such standard exists which 

will at all times guarantee no less than 

the same measure of protection afforded 

the miners of such mine by such 

standard; or 

2. The application of such standard to 

such mine will result in a diminution of 

safety to the miners in such mine. 

In addition, sections 44.10 and 44.11 

of 30 CFR establish the requirements for 

filing petitions for modification. 

II. Petition for Modification 

Docket Number: M–2025–010–C. 

Petitioner: Canyon Fuel Company, 

LLC, 597 South SR 24, Salina, Utah 

84654. 

Mine: Sufco Mine, MSHA ID No. 42– 

00089, located in Sevier County, Utah. 

Regulation Affected: 30 CFR 

75.500(d), Permissible electric 

equipment. 

Modification Request: The petitioner 

requests a modification of 30 CFR 

75.500(d) to permit an alternate method 

of compliance for respiratory protection. 

Specifically, the petitioner proposes to 

use the Drager X-plore 8000 powered air 

purifying respirator (PAPR) to protect 

miners from potential exposure to 

respirable dust during normal mining 

conditions, in or inby the last open 

crosscut. 

The petitioner states that: 

(a) Sufco Mine is proposing to use the 

Drager X-plore 8000 PAPR in 

conjunction with the 3M Versa Flo units 

that have been approved for use. The 

3M Versa Flo unit is highly used in the 

medical field which causes shortage and 

backorders of filters and other parts of 

the unit. Sufco feels that the Drager 

PAPR would help relieve the issues of 

storages and backorders for the 3M 

Versa Flo unit filters and other parts, 

and so that miners will still be provided 

a method that provides a direct 

reduction of miners’ exposure to 

respirable dust, thus reducing their 

health risks. 

(b) The Drager X-plore 8000 PAPR 

provides a constant flow of filtered air 

to the miners, which provides a direct 

reduction of miners’ exposure to 

respirable dust, thus reducing their 


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8162 Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 15 / Friday, January 24, 2025 / Notices 

health risks. There are no other MSHAapproved units. 

(c) The Drager X-plore 8000 PAPRs 

are ergonomically designed for greater 

movement in tight workspaces. This 

respirator has the following features: 

helps protect against certain airborne 

contaminates; is easy to use and 

maintain; has interchangeable 

components, which will enable Sufco to 

customize the PAPR system to help 

meet the needs of our specific 

application; is intrinsically safe; has 

audible and visual alarms; has a multispeed blower; and the battery offers long 

run time and charges quickly. 

(d) The Drager X-plore 8000 is 

intrinsically safe and certified by UL 

under the ANSI/UL 60079–11:13 

standard to be used in hazardous 

locations. 

(e) The alternative method will 

provide no less than the same measure 

of protection afforded the miners under 

the existing standard. 

The petitioner proposes the following 

alternative method: 

(a) The batteries for the PAPRs shall 

be charged outby the last open crosscut 

when not in operation. 

(b) The batteries shall be charged by 

the following products: Drager battery 

Charger for the X-plore 8000 standard 

charger. 

(c) The Drager X-plore 8000 PAPR 

shall only use the Drager X-plore 8700 

battery. 

(d) Affected miners shall be trained in 

the proper use and care of the PAPR 

units in accordance with manufacturers’ 

instructions. 

(e) The instrument shall be checked 

for physical damage and the integrity of 

the case. 

(f) If methane is detected in 

concentrations of 1.0 percent or more, 

procedures in accordance with 30 CFR 

75.323 shall be followed. 

(g) There are no representatives of 

miners at Canyon Fuel Company, LLC, 

Sufco Mine. A copy of this petition has 

been posted on the bulletin board on 

December 29, 2024. 

In support of the proposed alternative 

method, the petitioner has also 

submitted manufacturer spec sheets for 

the Drager X-plore PAPR and certificates 

of compliance from CSAGroup. 

The petitioner asserts that the 

alternative method will guarantee no 

less than the same measure of protection 

afforded the miners under the 

mandatory standard. 

Song-ae Aromie Noe, 

Director, Office of Standards, Regulations, 

and Variances. 

[FR Doc. 2025–01648 Filed 1–23–25; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4520–43–P 

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION 

Request for Comments on the National 

Science Foundation’s Proposed 

Intellectual Property Options 

AGENCY: National Science Foundation. 

ACTION: Request for comments. 

Extension of comment period. 

SUMMARY: On December 12, 2024, the 

National Science Foundation (NSF) 

published in the Federal Register a 

document entitled ‘‘Request for 

Comments on NSF’s Proposed 

Intellectual Property Options.’’ In 

response to requests by prospective 

commenters that they would benefit 

from additional time to adequately 

consider and respond to the RFC, NSF 

has determined that an extension of the 

comment period until Friday, February 

21, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. (eastern), is 

appropriate. NSF also is adding 

language to clarify the intent for 

intellectual property options. 

DATES: The end of the comment period 

for the document entitled ‘‘Request for 

Comments on NSF’s Proposed 

Intellectual Property Options’’ 

published on December 12, 2024 (89 FR 

101641), is extended from January 24, 

2025, until February 21, 2025. 

ADDRESSES: To respond to this Request 

for Comments, please use the official 

submission form available at: https://

airtable.com/app9KPUhqR2lAb4Zf/ 

pag9d0QhLcOXkGlud/form. 

Respondents only need to provide 

feedback on one or more questions of 

interest or relevance to them. Each 

question is voluntary and optional. The 

response to each question has a 4,000- 

character limit including spaces. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

further information, please direct 

questions to Allen Walker through email 

at NSF-IPOptions-RFC@nsf.gov, phone 

at 703–292–2291, or mail at National 

Science Foundation, ATTN: Allen 

Walker, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, 

Alexandria, VA 22314, USA. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

National Science Foundation (NSF) 

seeks public comments to inform the 

proposed implementation of new 

intellectual property (IP) provision 

options for use in NSF public-private 

partnerships, particularly those 

advancing research and development, 

that include co-funding of awards by 

private partners. NSF is committed to 

fostering innovation and promoting the 

translation of research into practical 

applications. To enhance the 

effectiveness of public-private 

partnerships, NSF seeks to implement a 

set of options for IP provisions that 

provide greater flexibility and balance 

the interests of both academia and 

industry. 

Please note that the intellectual 

property options discussed herein apply 

only to NSF awards that stem from 

direct partnerships between NSF and 

industry partners prior to issuance of 

the grant. These types of awards 

currently represent a small percentage 

of NSF’s overall funding portfolio. NSF 

defines a direct partnership as an 

explicit agreement between NSF and 

one or more other organizations to 

jointly resource (i.e., via dollars and/or 

in-kind offerings) a funding 

opportunity. 

These IP options do not apply to the 

rest of the NSF award portfolio. NSF 

maintains a consistent policy of not 

claiming or retaining any intellectual 

property rights resulting from its 

awards, including those made through 

the Small Business Innovation Research 

(SBIR)/Small Business Technology 

Transfer (STTR) awards. NSF shall 

neither enforce nor participate in any 

such negotiations between awardees 

and industry partners. These IP options 

also do not apply to downstream 

partnerships, such as those developed 

by NSF awardees for additional nonNSF resources (financial and/or inkind), thereby enhancing the activities 

of the original award. 

Recent engagements, including the 

2023 NSF-Industry Partnership Summit 

and subsequent listening sessions, have 

highlighted the need for optional IP 

strategies that can adapt to the unique 

requirements of various funded projects. 

NSF intends to incorporate these IP 

options into partnership agreements 

involving industry and/or non-profit 

organizations for funding opportunities 

whose funded awards may result in the 

generation of IP. 

Through this Request for Comments 

(RFC), NSF invites input from a wide 

range of stakeholders, including 

industry, academia, non-profit 

organizations, other government 

agencies, and other interested parties. 

The 2023 NSF-Industry Partnership 

Summit and subsequent engagements 

revealed differing viewpoints in 

stakeholders’ perspectives regarding 

NSF’s existing IP terms. In response, the 

Directorate for Technology, Innovation 

and Partnerships (TIP) has developed a 

series of IP grant-of-rights options to 

address these concerns. These options 

are informed by the Bayh-Dole Act and 

aim to promote the practical application 

and commercialization of federally 

funded research while preserving 

potential access to the IP for the U.S. 

Government. 


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