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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 29 (Thursday, February 13, 2025)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 9516]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-02592]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement

30 CFR Parts 926 and 950

[SATS No. WY-049-FOR; Docket ID: OSM-2021-0003; SATS No. MT-042-FOR; 
Docket ID: OSM-2023-0007 S1D1S SS08011000 SX064A000 256S180110; S2D2S 
SS08011000 SX064A000 25XS501520]

Wyoming Regulatory Program and Montana Regulatory Program

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

ACTION: Final rule; delay of effective dates.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Presidential Memorandum of January 20, 
2025, titled ``Regulatory Freeze Pending Review,'' this action 
temporarily delays the effective date of the Wyoming and Montana 
Regulatory Program amendments.

DATES: The effective date of the rule published on January 13, 2025, at 
90 FR 2614 (Wyoming Regulatory Program amendment) is delayed until 
March 21, 2025, and the rule published on January 15, 2025, at 90 FR 
3673 (Montana Regulatory Program amendment) is delayed until March 21, 
2025.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeffrey Fleischman, Field Office 
Director, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, 100 
East B Street, Casper, Wyoming 82606, Telephone: (307) 261-6550, Email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Wyoming Regulatory Program

    On January 13, 2025, OSMRE published a rule approving an amendment 
to the Wyoming Regulatory Program. The amendment proposed rules that 
would facilitate the disposal of inert decommission wind turbine blades 
and towers as backfill in end walls or the final pit voids in surface 
coal mining operations. The State also made changes to its regulations 
to provide consistency with the Wyoming Secretary of State's Rules on 
Rules, as well as correct grammatical errors.

Montana Regulatory Program

    On January 15, 2025, OSMRE published a rule partially approving and 
partially not approving an amendment to the Montana Regulatory Program. 
The amendment concerned changes to the definition of material damage 
and changes to permit requirements related to hydrologic information.
    On January 20, 2025, the White House issued a memorandum 
instructing Federal agencies to consider postponing the effective date 
of any regulations that have published in the Federal Register but not 
yet taken effect for 60 days from date of the memorandum ``for the 
purpose of reviewing any questions of fact, law, and policy that the 
rules may arise.'' After consideration, OSMRE is delaying the effective 
date of the Wyoming and Montana Regulatory Program amendments published 
on January 13, 2025 (90 FR 2614) and January 15, 2025 (90 FR 3673), 
respectively.
    OSMRE is taking this action to extend the effective date without 
opportunity for public comment and with an immediate effective date 
based on the good cause exemptions in 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(4)(B). Seeking 
public comment on the effective date extension is impracticable, 
unnecessary, and contrary to the public interest. The temporary delay 
in effective date is necessary to give Department officials the 
opportunity for further review and consideration of new regulations, 
consistent with the memorandum of the President, dated January 20, 
2025. Given the imminence of the original effective date of these two 
amendments, seeking prior public comment on this temporary delay is 
impractical, and contrary to the public interest in the orderly 
promulgation and implementation of regulations. For the foregoing 
reasons, the good cause exception in 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3) also applies to 
OSMRE's decision to make this action to extend the effective date 
effective immediately.

David Berry,
Regional Director, Unified Regions 5, 7-11.
[FR Doc. 2025-02592 Filed 2-11-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-05-P
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