Proposed Information Collection Request Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations; Preparation and Maintenance of Accurate and Up-to-date Certified Mine Maps for Surface and Underground Coal Mines; Submittal of Underground Mine Closure Maps; and Notification of MSHA Prior To Opening New Mines or the Reopening of Inactive or Abandoned Mines, 61844-61845 [05-21358]
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61844
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 206 / Wednesday, October 26, 2005 / Notices
• 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.
Agency: Employment and Training
Administration (ETA).
Type of Review: Extension of
currently approved collection.
Title: Labor Certification for the
Temporary Employment of
Nonimmigrant Aliens in Agriculture in
the United States: Administrative
Measures to Improve Program
Performance.
OMB Number: 1205–0404.
Frequency: On occasion.
Affected Public: Businesses or other
for-profits, Farms.
Type of Response: Reporting.
Number of Respondents: 335.
Annual Responses: 335.
Average Response time: 15 minutes.
Total Annual Burden Hours: 84.
Total Annualized Capital/Startup
Costs: 0.
Total Annual Costs (operating/
maintaining systems or purchasing
services): 0.
Description: 20 CFR 655.106(e)
required employers of nonimmigrant
foreign (H–2A) workers in agriculture in
the United States to notify their State
Workforce Agency if such an employee
departs prior to or remains after a
scheduled departure date.
Ira L. Mills,
Departmental Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 05–21360 Filed 10–25–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510–30–P
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Mine Safety and Health Administration
Proposed Information Collection
Request Submitted for Public
Comment and Recommendations;
Preparation and Maintenance of
Accurate and Up-to-date Certified Mine
Maps for Surface and Underground
Coal Mines; Submittal of Underground
Mine Closure Maps; and Notification of
MSHA Prior To Opening New Mines or
the Reopening of Inactive or
Abandoned Mines
ACTION:
Notice.
SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as
part of its continuing effort to reduce
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:26 Oct 25, 2005
Jkt 208001
paperwork and respondent burden
conducts a preclearance consultation
program to provide the general public
and Federal agencies with an
opportunity to comment on proposed
and/or continuing collections of
information in accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(PRA95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. 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.
DATES: Submit comments on or before
December 27, 2005.
ADDRESSES: Send comments to U.S.
Department of Labor, Mine Safety and
Health Administration, John Rowlett,
Director, Management Services
Division, 1100 Wilson Boulevard, Room
2134, Arlington, VA 22209–3939.
Commenters are encouraged to send
their comments on a computer disk, or
via Internet E-mail to
Rowlett.John@dol.gov, along with an
original printed copy. Mr. Rowlett can
be reached at (202) 693–9827 (voice), or
(202) 693–9801 (facsimile).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Contact the employee listed in the
ADDRESSES section of this notice.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Title 30 CFR 75.1200, 75.1200–1,
75.1201, 75.1202, 75.1202–1, and
75.1203 require underground coal mine
operators to have in a fireproof
repository in an area on the surface of
the mine chosen by the mine operator
to minimize the danger of destruction
by fire or other hazards, an accurate and
up-to-date map of such mine drawn on
scale. These standards specify the
information which must be shown, the
range of acceptable scale, the surveying
technique or equivalent accuracy
required of the surveying which must be
used to prepare the map, that the maps
must be certified as accurate by a
registered engineer or surveyor, that the
maps must be kept continuously up-todate by temporary notations and must
be revised and supplemented to include
the temporary notations at intervals not
more than 6 months. In addition, the
mine operator must provide the MSHA
District Manager a copy of the certified
mine map annually during the operating
life of the mine. These maps are
essential to the planning and safe
operation of the mine. In addition, these
maps provide a graphic presentation of
the locations of working sections and
PO 00000
Frm 00068
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
the locations of fixed surface and
underground mine facilities and
equipment, escapeway routes, coal
haulage and man and materials haulage
entries and other information essential
to mine rescue or mine fire fighting
activities in the event of mine fire,
explosion or inundations of gas or
water. The information is essential to
the safe operation of adjacent mines and
mines approaching the worked out areas
of active or abandoned mines. Section
75.372 requires underground mine
operators to submit three copies of an
up-to-date mine map to the District
Manager at intervals not exceeding 12
months.
Title 30 CFR 75.1204 and 75.1204–1
require that whenever an underground
coal mine operator permanently closes
or abandons a coal mine, or temporarily
closes a coal mine for a period of 90
days, the operator shall file with MSHA
a copy of the mine map revised and
supplemented to the date of closure.
Maps are retained in a repository and
are made available to mine operators of
adjacent properties. The maps are
necessary to provide an accurate record
of underground areas that have been
mined to help prevent active mine
operators from mining into abandoned
areas that may contain water or harmful
gases.
Title 30 CFR 77.1200, 77.1201 and
77.1202 require surface coal mine
operators to maintain an accurate and
up-to-date map of the mine and
specified the information to be shown
on the map, the acceptable range of map
scales, that the map be certified a
registered engineer or surveyor, that the
map be available for inspection by the
Secretary or his authorized
representative. These maps are essential
for the safe operation of the mine and
provide essential information to
operators of adjacent surface and
underground mine operators. Properly
prepared effectively utilized surface
mine maps can prevent outbursts of
water impounded in underground mine
workings and/or inundations of
underground mines by surface
impounded water or water and/or gases
impounded in surface auger mining
worked out areas.
Title 30 75.373 and 75.1721 require
that after a mine is abandoned or
declared inactive and before it is
reopened, mine operations shall not
begin until MSHA has been notified and
has completed an inspection. Standard
75.1721 specifies that the notification be
in writing and lists specific information,
preliminary arrangements and mine
plans which must be submitted to the
MSHA District Manager.
E:\FR\FM\26OCN1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 206 / Wednesday, October 26, 2005 / Notices
II. Desired Focus of Comments
Currently, the Mine Safety and Health
Administration (MSHA) is soliciting
comments concerning the proposed
extension of the information collection
related to the Record of Mine Closure
addressed in 30 CFR 75.1204 and
75.1204–1; the inclusion of standards
requiring MSHA notification and
inspection prior to mining when
opening a new mine or reopening an
inactive or abandoned mine addressed
in 30 CFR 75.373 and 75.1721; and, the
inclusion of standards requiring
underground and surface mine
operators to prepare and maintain
accurate and up-to-date mine maps
addressed in 30 CFR 75.1200, 75.1200–
1, 75.1201, 75.1202, 75.1202–1, 75.1203,
75,372, 77.1200, 77.1201 and 77.1202.
MSHA is particularly interested in
comments that:
• Evaluate whether the proposed
collection of information is necessary
for the proper performance of the
functions of the agency, including
whether the information will have
practical utility;
• Evaluate the accuracy of the
agency’s estimate of the burden of the
proposed collection of information,
including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used;
• 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 submissions
of responses.
A copy of the proposed information
collection request can be obtained by
contacting the employee listed in the
ADDRESES section of this notice, or
viewed on the Internet by accessing the
MSHA home page (https://
www.msha.gov) and then choosing
‘‘Statutory and Regulatory Information’’
and ‘‘Federal Register Documents.’’
III. Current Actions
Mine operators are required to
conduct surveying such that mine maps
are maintained accurate and up-to-date,
the maps must be revised every 6
months and certified accurate by a
registered engineer or surveyor and to
submit copies of the certified
underground maps to MSHA annually
and an up-to-date and revised mine
closure map whenever an operator
permanently closes or abandons a coal
mine, or temporarily closes a coal mine
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:26 Oct 25, 2005
Jkt 208001
for a period of more than 90 days, he or
she shall promptly notify the Secretary
of such closure.
In addition, mine operators must
notify MSHA so that an inspection can
be conducted whenever a new mine is
opened or a previously abandoned or
inactive mine is reopened. The
information required to be gathered and
recorded on mine maps is essential to
the safe operation of the mine and
essential to the effectiveness of
mandatory inspections and mandated
mine plan approval by MSHA. Such
information cannot be replaced by any
other source and anything less than
continuously updated and accurate
information would place miner’s safety
at risk.
The information collected through the
submittal of mine closure maps is used
by operators of adjacent coal mines
when approaching abandoned
underground mines. The abandoned
mine could be flooded with water or
contain explosive amounts of methane
or harmful gases. If the operator were to
mine into such an area, unaware of the
hazards, miners could be killed or
seriously injured. In addition, it is in the
public interest to maintain permanent
records of the locations, extent of
workings and potential hazards
associated with abandoned mines. The
public safety can be adversely affected
by future land usage where such
hazards are not known or inaccurately
assessed. MSHA collects the closure
maps and provides those documents to
the Office of Surface Mining,
Reclamation & Enforcement for
inclusion in a repository of abandoned
mine maps. Therefore, MSHA is
continuing the certification and
application of 30 CFR 75.1204 to assure
the required information remains
available for the protection of miner’s
and public safety. In addition, MSHA
has added the burden hours and cost
estimates for standards which address
the preparation and maintenance of
certified mine maps for surface and
underground coal mines and the
notification of MSHA prior to the
opening of new coal mines or the
reopening of inactive or abandoned
mines.
Type of Review: Extension.
Agency: Mine Safety and Health
Administration.
Title: Preparation and Maintenance of
Accurate and Up-to-date Certified Mine
Maps for Surface and Underground Coal
Mines; Submittal of Underground Mine
Closure Maps; and Notification of
MSHA Prior to Opening New Mines or
the Reopening of Inactive or Abandoned
Mines.
OMB Number: 1219–0073.
PO 00000
Frm 00069
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
61845
Recordkeeping: Annual or on
occasion.
Affected Public: Business or other forprofit.
Number of Responses: 1,586.
Number of Respondents: 1,586.
Total Burden Hours: 15,936.
Total Burden Cost (capital/startup):
None.
Total Burden Cost (operating/
maintaining): $18,292,611.
Comments submitted in response to
this notice will be summarized and/or
included in the request for Office of
Management and Budget approval of the
information collection request; they will
also become a matter of public record.
Dated at Arlington, Virginia, this 18th day
of October, 2005.
David L. Meyer,
Director of Administration and Management.
[FR Doc. 05–21358 Filed 10–25–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510–43–P
MERIT SYSTEMS PROTECTION
BOARD
[MSPB Docket No. DA–1221–05–0320–W–1]
Opportunity To File Amicus Briefs in
William A. Wilcox v. International
Boundary and Water Commission
AGENCY:
Merit Systems Protection
Board.
The Merit Systems Protection
Board is providing interested parties
with an opportunity to submit amicus
briefs on whether the Board has
jurisdiction to review an individual
right of action (IRA) appeal from an
employee, former employee, or
applicant for employment of the
International Boundary and Water
Commission.
ACTION:
SUMMARY:
Background
The appellant in Wilcox v.
International Boundary and Water
Commission, MSPB Docket No. DA–
1221–05–0320–W–1, filed an IRA
appeal alleging that the agency
retaliated against him for protected
disclosures he made while employed as
Legal Advisor/General Counsel, GG–15,
with the agency. The administrative
judge dismissed the appeal for lack of
jurisdiction. She found that the U.S.
Section of the agency is a subdivision of
an international organization and that
its hiring authority derives from a 1944
Treaty, not from the provisions of U.S.C.
Title 5. She found that the right to bring
an IRA appeal derives from 5 U.S.C.
1221(a). She thus concluded that the
appellant was not an employee entitled
E:\FR\FM\26OCN1.SGM
26OCN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 206 (Wednesday, October 26, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61844-61845]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-21358]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Mine Safety and Health Administration
Proposed Information Collection Request Submitted for Public
Comment and Recommendations; Preparation and Maintenance of Accurate
and Up-to-date Certified Mine Maps for Surface and Underground Coal
Mines; Submittal of Underground Mine Closure Maps; and Notification of
MSHA Prior To Opening New Mines or the Reopening of Inactive or
Abandoned Mines
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to
reduce paperwork and respondent burden conducts a preclearance
consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies
with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing
collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995 (PRA95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. 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.
DATES: Submit comments on or before December 27, 2005.
ADDRESSES: Send comments to U.S. Department of Labor, Mine Safety and
Health Administration, John Rowlett, Director, Management Services
Division, 1100 Wilson Boulevard, Room 2134, Arlington, VA 22209-3939.
Commenters are encouraged to send their comments on a computer disk, or
via Internet E-mail to Rowlett.John@dol.gov, along with an original
printed copy. Mr. Rowlett can be reached at (202) 693-9827 (voice), or
(202) 693-9801 (facsimile).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact the employee listed in the
ADDRESSES section of this notice.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Title 30 CFR 75.1200, 75.1200-1, 75.1201, 75.1202, 75.1202-1, and
75.1203 require underground coal mine operators to have in a fireproof
repository in an area on the surface of the mine chosen by the mine
operator to minimize the danger of destruction by fire or other
hazards, an accurate and up-to-date map of such mine drawn on scale.
These standards specify the information which must be shown, the range
of acceptable scale, the surveying technique or equivalent accuracy
required of the surveying which must be used to prepare the map, that
the maps must be certified as accurate by a registered engineer or
surveyor, that the maps must be kept continuously up-to-date by
temporary notations and must be revised and supplemented to include the
temporary notations at intervals not more than 6 months. In addition,
the mine operator must provide the MSHA District Manager a copy of the
certified mine map annually during the operating life of the mine.
These maps are essential to the planning and safe operation of the
mine. In addition, these maps provide a graphic presentation of the
locations of working sections and the locations of fixed surface and
underground mine facilities and equipment, escapeway routes, coal
haulage and man and materials haulage entries and other information
essential to mine rescue or mine fire fighting activities in the event
of mine fire, explosion or inundations of gas or water. The information
is essential to the safe operation of adjacent mines and mines
approaching the worked out areas of active or abandoned mines. Section
75.372 requires underground mine operators to submit three copies of an
up-to-date mine map to the District Manager at intervals not exceeding
12 months.
Title 30 CFR 75.1204 and 75.1204-1 require that whenever an
underground coal mine operator permanently closes or abandons a coal
mine, or temporarily closes a coal mine for a period of 90 days, the
operator shall file with MSHA a copy of the mine map revised and
supplemented to the date of closure. Maps are retained in a repository
and are made available to mine operators of adjacent properties. The
maps are necessary to provide an accurate record of underground areas
that have been mined to help prevent active mine operators from mining
into abandoned areas that may contain water or harmful gases.
Title 30 CFR 77.1200, 77.1201 and 77.1202 require surface coal mine
operators to maintain an accurate and up-to-date map of the mine and
specified the information to be shown on the map, the acceptable range
of map scales, that the map be certified a registered engineer or
surveyor, that the map be available for inspection by the Secretary or
his authorized representative. These maps are essential for the safe
operation of the mine and provide essential information to operators of
adjacent surface and underground mine operators. Properly prepared
effectively utilized surface mine maps can prevent outbursts of water
impounded in underground mine workings and/or inundations of
underground mines by surface impounded water or water and/or gases
impounded in surface auger mining worked out areas.
Title 30 75.373 and 75.1721 require that after a mine is abandoned
or declared inactive and before it is reopened, mine operations shall
not begin until MSHA has been notified and has completed an inspection.
Standard 75.1721 specifies that the notification be in writing and
lists specific information, preliminary arrangements and mine plans
which must be submitted to the MSHA District Manager.
[[Page 61845]]
II. Desired Focus of Comments
Currently, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is
soliciting comments concerning the proposed extension of the
information collection related to the Record of Mine Closure addressed
in 30 CFR 75.1204 and 75.1204-1; the inclusion of standards requiring
MSHA notification and inspection prior to mining when opening a new
mine or reopening an inactive or abandoned mine addressed in 30 CFR
75.373 and 75.1721; and, the inclusion of standards requiring
underground and surface mine operators to prepare and maintain accurate
and up-to-date mine maps addressed in 30 CFR 75.1200, 75.1200-1,
75.1201, 75.1202, 75.1202-1, 75.1203, 75,372, 77.1200, 77.1201 and
77.1202. MSHA is particularly interested in comments that:
Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency,
including whether the information will have practical utility;
Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the
burden of the proposed collection of information, including the
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
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 submissions of responses.
A copy of the proposed information collection request can be
obtained by contacting the employee listed in the ADDRESES section of
this notice, or viewed on the Internet by accessing the MSHA home page
(https://www.msha.gov) and then choosing ``Statutory and Regulatory
Information'' and ``Federal Register Documents.''
III. Current Actions
Mine operators are required to conduct surveying such that mine
maps are maintained accurate and up-to-date, the maps must be revised
every 6 months and certified accurate by a registered engineer or
surveyor and to submit copies of the certified underground maps to MSHA
annually and an up-to-date and revised mine closure map whenever an
operator permanently closes or abandons a coal mine, or temporarily
closes a coal mine for a period of more than 90 days, he or she shall
promptly notify the Secretary of such closure.
In addition, mine operators must notify MSHA so that an inspection
can be conducted whenever a new mine is opened or a previously
abandoned or inactive mine is reopened. The information required to be
gathered and recorded on mine maps is essential to the safe operation
of the mine and essential to the effectiveness of mandatory inspections
and mandated mine plan approval by MSHA. Such information cannot be
replaced by any other source and anything less than continuously
updated and accurate information would place miner's safety at risk.
The information collected through the submittal of mine closure
maps is used by operators of adjacent coal mines when approaching
abandoned underground mines. The abandoned mine could be flooded with
water or contain explosive amounts of methane or harmful gases. If the
operator were to mine into such an area, unaware of the hazards, miners
could be killed or seriously injured. In addition, it is in the public
interest to maintain permanent records of the locations, extent of
workings and potential hazards associated with abandoned mines. The
public safety can be adversely affected by future land usage where such
hazards are not known or inaccurately assessed. MSHA collects the
closure maps and provides those documents to the Office of Surface
Mining, Reclamation & Enforcement for inclusion in a repository of
abandoned mine maps. Therefore, MSHA is continuing the certification
and application of 30 CFR 75.1204 to assure the required information
remains available for the protection of miner's and public safety. In
addition, MSHA has added the burden hours and cost estimates for
standards which address the preparation and maintenance of certified
mine maps for surface and underground coal mines and the notification
of MSHA prior to the opening of new coal mines or the reopening of
inactive or abandoned mines.
Type of Review: Extension.
Agency: Mine Safety and Health Administration.
Title: Preparation and Maintenance of Accurate and Up-to-date
Certified Mine Maps for Surface and Underground Coal Mines; Submittal
of Underground Mine Closure Maps; and Notification of MSHA Prior to
Opening New Mines or the Reopening of Inactive or Abandoned Mines.
OMB Number: 1219-0073.
Recordkeeping: Annual or on occasion.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
Number of Responses: 1,586.
Number of Respondents: 1,586.
Total Burden Hours: 15,936.
Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): None.
Total Burden Cost (operating/maintaining): $18,292,611.
Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized
and/or included in the request for Office of Management and Budget
approval of the information collection request; they will also become a
matter of public record.
Dated at Arlington, Virginia, this 18th day of October, 2005.
David L. Meyer,
Director of Administration and Management.
[FR Doc. 05-21358 Filed 10-25-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-43-P
