Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 68 / Monday, April 10, 1995 / Proposed Rules 18043

[FR Doc. 95–8664 Filed 4–7–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4810–31–C
18044 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 68 / Monday, April 10, 1995 / Proposed Rules

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Mine Safety and Health Administration

30 CFR Chapter I

Review of Existing Regulations

AGENCY: Mine Safety and Health

Administration, Labor.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: MSHA is conducting a

comprehensive review of its existing

safety and health regulations. The

Agency invites mine operators, miners,

manufacturers, and other interested

parties to identify regulations that are

unnecessary or need to be updated.

MSHA specifically requests help in

identifying obsolete requirements and

conflicting or duplicate provisions.

DATES: Submit written comments on or

before May 1, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to

the Mine Safety and Health

Administration, Office of Standards,

Regulations, and Variances, Room 631,

4015 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington,

Virginia 22203. Commenters are

encouraged to send comments on a

computer disk along with their original

comments in hard copy.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Patricia W. Silvey, Director, Office of

Standards, Regulations, and Variances,

MSHA, phone 703–235–1910.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: MSHA is

conducting a comprehensive review of

all its existing regulations which are in

chapter I of title 30 of the Code of

Federal Regulations. The primary

purpose of this review is to improve the

effectiveness of the Agency’s existing

safety and health regulations, without

reducing the protection provided to

miners. This review is consistent with

the goals of Executive Order 12866, the

Regulatory Flexibility Act, the

Paperwork Reduction Act, and the

Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of

1977. It also is consistent with the

President’s government-wide regulatory

reform efforts to reduce overly

burdensome and paperwork intensive

requirements where possible.

In reviewing its existing regulations,

MSHA is evaluating each standard to

determine if it is unnecessary,

inaccurate, or outdated. For example,

the Agency has identified equipment

approval regulations under which no

applications have been received in

many years. MSHA also is evaluating

whether there are standards which

duplicate, are inconsistent with, or

conflict with other MSHA or Federal

requirements. For example, MSHA is

considering combining the safety and

health standards for surface and

underground metal and nonmetal mines

into a single part to eliminate

unnecessary repetition.

MSHA considers timely public

participation to be an integral part of

any process to improve the effectiveness

of its safety and health regulations. The

Agency, therefore, urges the mining

community and other interested parties

to submit their suggestions for

improving the Agency’s existing

regulations.

Dated: March 31, 1995.

J. Davitt McAteer,

Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and

Health.

[FR Doc. 95–8656 Filed 4–7–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510–43–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation

and Enforcement

30 CFR Part 901 and 924

Alabama and Mississippi Regulatory

Programs

AGENCY: Office of Surface Mining

Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM),

Interior.

ACTION: Announcement of public

comment period and opportunity for

public hearing.

SUMMARY: OSM is requesting public

comment that would be considered in

deciding how to implement in Alabama

and Mississippi underground coal mine

subsidence control and water

replacement provisions of the Surface

Mining Control and Reclamation Act of

1977 (SMCRA), the implementing

Federal regulations, and/or the

counterpart State provisions. Recent

amendments to SMCRA and the

implementing Federal regulations

require that underground coal mining

operations conducted after October 24,

1992, promptly repair or compensate for

subsidence-caused material damage to

noncommercial buildings and to

occupied dwellings and related

structures. These provisions also require

such operations to promptly replace

drinking, domestic, and residential

water supplies that have been adversely

affected by underground coal mining.

OSM must decide if the Alabama and

Mississippi’s regulatory programs

(hereinafter referred to as the ‘‘Alabama

program’’ and ‘‘Mississippi program’’)

currently have adequate counterpart

provisions in place to promptly

implement the recent amendments to

SMCRA and the Federal regulations.

After consultation with Alabama and

Mississippi and consideration of public

comments, OSM will decide whether

initial enforcement in Alabama and

Mississippi will be accomplished

through the State program amendment

process or by State enforcement, by

interim direct OSM enforcement, or by

joint State and OSM enforcement.

DATES: Written comments must be

received by 4:00 p.m., C.S.T. on April

30, 1995. If requested, OSM will hold a

public hearing on April 25, 1995,

concerning how the underground coal

mine subsidence control and water

replacement provisions of SMCRA and

the implementing Federal regulations,

or the counterpart State provisions,

should be implemented in Alabama and

Mississippi. Requests to speak at the

hearing must be received by 4:00 p.m.,

C.S.T. on April 15, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and

requests to speak at the hearing should

be mailed or hand-delivered to Jesse

Jackson, Jr., Director, Birmingham Field

Office at the address listed below. Office

of Surface Mining, 135 Gemini Circle,

Suite 215, Birmingham, Alabama 35209.

Copies of the applicable parts of the

Alabama and Mississippi programs,

SMCRA, the implementing Federal

regulations, information provided by

Alabama and Mississippi concerning

their authority to implement State

counterparts to SMCRA and the

implementing Federal regulations, 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

address listed below during normal

business hours, Monday through Friday,

excluding holidays. Jesse Jackson, Jr.,

Director, Birmingham Field Office,

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation

and Enforcement, 135 Gemini Circle,

Suite 215, Birmingham, Alabama 35209,

Telephone: (205) 290–7282.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jesse Jackson, Jr., Director, Birmingham

Field Office, Telephone: (205) 290–

7282.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

A. The Energy Policy Act

Section 2504 of the Energy Policy Act

of 1992, Pub. L. 102–486, 106 Stat. 2776

(1992) added new section 720 to

SMCRA. Section 720(a)(1) requires that

all underground coal mining operations

promptly repair or compensate for

subsidence-caused material damage to

noncommercial buildings and to

occupied residential dwellings and

related structures. Repair of damage