Regulatory Flexibility Act Assessment-Locatable Minerals Operations, 34239-34240 [E8-13446]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 117 / Tuesday, June 17, 2008 / Proposed Rules
the same as the text of § 1.41–8T(b)(2)
through (b)(5) published elsewhere in
this issue of the Federal Register.]
*
*
*
*
*
Par. 4. Section 1.41–9 is added to read
as follows:
§ 1.41–9
Alternative simplified credit.
[The text of proposed § 1.41–9 is the
same as the text of § 1.41–9T (a) through
(d) published elsewhere in this issue of
the Federal Register.]
Steven T. Miller,
Acting Deputy Commissioner for Services and
Enforcement.
[FR Doc. 08–1363 Filed 6–13–08; 11:51am]
BILLING CODE 4830–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
36 CFR Parts 223, 228, 261, 292, and
293
Regulatory Flexibility Act
Assessment—Locatable Minerals
Operations
Forest Service, USDA.
Notice of proposed rulemaking;
request for comment.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
SUMMARY: The Forest Service published
in the Federal Register a proposed rule
to revise the regulations for locatable
minerals operations conducted on
National Forest System lands. The
proposed rule considered impacts to
small entities under Executive Order
13272 and the Small Business
Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of
1996 (SBREFA). However, the proposed
rule did not make available nor seek
comment on the small entities flexibility
assessment. This notice allows for
review and seeks comment on the
flexibility assessment.
DATES: Comments must be received, in
writing, on or before July 17, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to
Forest Service, USDA, Attn: Director,
Minerals and Geology Management
(MGM) Staff, (2810), Mail Stop 1126,
Washington, DC 20250–1125; by
electronic mail to 36cfr228a@fs.fed.us;
by fax to (703) 605–1575. If comments
are sent by electronic mail or by fax, the
public is requested not to send
duplicate written comments via regular
mail. The public may inspect comments
received on the proposed rule in the
Office of the Director, MGM Staff, 5th
Floor, Rosslyn Plaza Central, 1601 North
Kent Street, Arlington, Virginia, on
business days between the hours of 8:30
a.m. and 4 p.m. Those wishing to
inspect comments are encouraged to call
ahead at (703) 605–4646 to facilitate
entry into the building.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mike Doran, Minerals and Geology
Management Staff, (208) 373–4132.
Individuals who use telecommunication
devices for the deaf (TDD) may call the
Federal Information Relay Service
(FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339 between 8
a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Standard Time,
Monday through Friday.
Individuals who use
telecommunication devices for the deaf
(TDD) may call the Federal Information
Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339
between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern
Standard Time, Monday through Friday.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
assessment follows.
Description of Small Entities Affected
The proposed rule (73 FR 15694, Mar.
25, 2008) would directly affect all
exploration and mining companies.
There are currently approximately 1,800
exploration and mining companies
34239
operating on the National Forests.
Seventy-five percent of these companies
are considered small business with less
than 500 employees. The size of these
1,260 small businesses range from one
person to 499 employees. Total
production ranges from zero production
for exploration companies to few
thousand dollars per year for very small
mining to several million dollars per
year for the larger mining companies.
Most mining companies require at least
20–25 percent profit to survive mining’s
volatile market.
Economic Impacts on Small Entities
Increased operating costs from the
proposed rule to small exploration and
mining companies is expected to be
insignificant since the small entities are
already working under the proposed
rule through current direction and
policy spelled out in the Forest Service
manual and handbooks. The proposed
rule codifies much of the existing
direction and policy.
The most direct costs from the
proposed regulations will come from
how much time and money is spent on
filling out and filing the required notice
of intent, cessation of operations, or an
operating plan. Table #1 records the
2007 annualized burden costs for an
operator.
The United States Geological Survey
(USGS) published earnings information
pertaining to locatable mineral
operations. That information can be
found in the Mineral Commodity
Summaries 2007. The USGS disclosed
that the estimated ‘‘Average weekly
earnings of production workers’’ for
metal mining in 2006 was $979. Based
on 40 hours a week and on an 8-hour
workday, the average hourly salary in
the locatable mineral arena is about
$24.48. This rate is reflected in Table
#1.
TABLE #1.—2007 ANNUALIZED BURDEN COSTS
Number of
respondents
Information collection
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with PROPOSALS
Plan of operations ....................................
Notice of intent .........................................
Cessation of operations ...........................
319
1,396
3
Each year the Forest Service surveys
the regional offices to get an estimate of
how many Plans of Operations and
Notices of Intents were received. The
latest figures indicate that 320 Plans of
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:08 Jun 16, 2008
Jkt 214001
Response
frequency
Hour burden
per collection
1
1
1
12
2
1
Operations and 415 Notices of Intent
were received in 2007. All of these
plans and notices came from small
entities.
Total estimated 2007 costs for small
entities to comply with the information
PO 00000
Frm 00038
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
Total burden
hours
3,828
2,792
3
Annualized
costs
@$24.48/hour
$93,709
20,318
73
Cost per
respondent
$293.76
14.55
24.33
collection was $114,100. The estimated
additional information collection costs
for the proposed bonded notice are
reflected in Table #2.
E:\FR\FM\17JNP1.SGM
17JNP1
34240
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 117 / Tuesday, June 17, 2008 / Proposed Rules
TABLE #2.—2007 ANNUALIZED BURDEN COSTS FOR A BONDED NOTICE
(Proposed Rule)
Number of
respondents
Information collection
Bonded notice ..............................
100
The field units provided an initial
estimate of 100 exploration and mining
companies that would use the bonded
notice instead of a plan of operation. A
six hour burden per bonded notice was
assumed giving a total of 600 burden
hours. Annualized costs to the small
entities would be $14,688.
The economic impact on an
individual respondent would be
$114,100 + $14,688 = $128,788 divided
by 1,260 small businesses = $102.21.
Conclusion
Hour burden
per collection
Total burden
hours
Annualized
costs @$24.48/
hour
6
Response
frequency
600
$14,688
1
GENERAL SERVICES
ADMINISTRATION
48 CFR Part 501
[GSAR Case 2006–G502; Docket 2008–0007;
Sequence 5]
RIN 3090–AI53
General Services Acquisition
Regulation; GSAR Case 2006–
G502;Rewrite of GSAR Part 501;
General Services Administration
Acquisition Regulation System
Office of the Chief Acquisition
Officer, General Services
Administration (GSA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
AGENCY:
The comments will be addressed in
the final rule for locatable minerals
operations. The Forest Service has
determined that the proposed rule will
have an impact on a substantial number
of small businesses. However, the
economic impact of the proposed rule
will not be significant. Under the
proposed rule small entities will have
the option of filing a bonded notice
rather than a plan of operation for shortterm, low impact exploration proposals
rather the longer plan of operations
requiring more analysis and a longer
approval time. The Forest Service
expects the major impact from the
proposed rule to be a reduction of
paperwork burden for the small entities
which should be beneficial to small
exploration and mining companies.
The Forest Service hereby certifies
that the proposed rule will not have
significant economic impact on a
substantial number of small entities as
defined by SBRFEA.
BILLING CODE 3410–11–P
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with PROPOSALS
Dated: June 9, 2008.
Charles L. Myers,
Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest
System.
[FR Doc. E8–13446 Filed 6–16–08; 8:45 am]
SUMMARY: The General Services
Administration (GSA) is proposing to
amend the General Services Acquisition
Regulation (GSAR) to update the text
addressing the General Services
Administration Acquisition Regulation
System. This rule is a result of the
General Services Administration
Acquisition Manual (GSAM) Rewrite
Initiative undertaken by GSA to revise
the GSAM to maintain consistency with
the Federal Acquisition Regulation
(FAR), and to implement streamlined
and innovative acquisition procedures
that contractors, offerors and GSA
contracting personnel can utilize when
entering into and administering
contractual relationships. The GSAM
incorporates the GSAR as well as
internal agency acquisition policy.
GSA will rewrite each part of the
GSAR and GSAM, and as each GSAR
part is rewritten, will publish it in the
Federal Register.
This rule covers the rewrite of GSAR
Part 501, General Services
Administration Acquisition Regulation
System.
DATES:
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:08 Jun 16, 2008
Interested parties should submit
written comments to the Regulatory
Secretariat on or before August 18, 2008
to be considered in the formulation of
a final rule.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments
identified by GSAR Case 2006–G502 by
any of the following methods:
• Regulations.gov: https://
www.regulations.gov.Submit comments
via the Federal eRulemaking portal by
Jkt 214001
PO 00000
Frm 00039
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
Cost per
respondent
$146.88
inputting ‘‘GSAR Case 2006–G502’’
under the heading ‘‘Comment or
Submission’’. Select the link ‘‘Send a
Comment or Submission’’ that
corresponds with GSAR Case 2006–
G502. Follow the instructions provided
to complete the ‘‘Public Comment and
Submission Form’’. Please include your
name, company name (if any), and
‘‘GSAR Case 2006–G502’’ on your
attached document.
• Fax: 202–501–4067.
• Mail: General Services
Administration, Regulatory Secretariat
(VPR), 1800 F Street, NW, Room 4035,
ATTN: Laurieann Duarte, Washington,
DC 20405.
Instructions: Please submit comments
only and cite GSAR Case 2006–G502 in
all correspondence related to this case.
All comments received will be posted
without change to https://
www.regulations.gov, including any
personal and/or business confidential
information provided.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
clarification of content, contact Ms.
Beverly Cromer at (202) 501–1448, or by
e-mail at Beverly.Cromer@gsa.gov. For
information pertaining to the status or
publication schedules, contact the
Regulatory Secretariat (VPR), Room
4035, GS Building, Washington, DC
20405, (202) 501–4755. Please cite
GSAR Case 2006–G502.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. Background
GSA published an Advance Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) with
request for comments in the Federal
Register at 71 FR 7910, February 15,
2006, because GSA was beginning the
review and update of the General
Services Administration Acquisition
Regulation (GSAR). No public
comments were received on GSAR Part
501.
This GSAR rewrite will—
• Change ‘‘you’’ to ‘‘contracting
officer’’.
• Maintain consistency with the FAR
but eliminate duplication.
• Revise GSAR sections that are outof-date, or which imposed inappropriate
burdens on the Government or
contractors, especially small businesses.
• Streamline and simplify wherever
possible.
E:\FR\FM\17JNP1.SGM
17JNP1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 117 (Tuesday, June 17, 2008)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 34239-34240]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-13446]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
36 CFR Parts 223, 228, 261, 292, and 293
Regulatory Flexibility Act Assessment--Locatable Minerals
Operations
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking; request for comment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Forest Service published in the Federal Register a
proposed rule to revise the regulations for locatable minerals
operations conducted on National Forest System lands. The proposed rule
considered impacts to small entities under Executive Order 13272 and
the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996
(SBREFA). However, the proposed rule did not make available nor seek
comment on the small entities flexibility assessment. This notice
allows for review and seeks comment on the flexibility assessment.
DATES: Comments must be received, in writing, on or before July 17,
2008.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Forest Service, USDA, Attn:
Director, Minerals and Geology Management (MGM) Staff, (2810), Mail
Stop 1126, Washington, DC 20250-1125; by electronic mail to
36cfr228a@fs.fed.us; by fax to (703) 605-1575. If comments are sent by
electronic mail or by fax, the public is requested not to send
duplicate written comments via regular mail. The public may inspect
comments received on the proposed rule in the Office of the Director,
MGM Staff, 5th Floor, Rosslyn Plaza Central, 1601 North Kent Street,
Arlington, Virginia, on business days between the hours of 8:30 a.m.
and 4 p.m. Those wishing to inspect comments are encouraged to call
ahead at (703) 605-4646 to facilitate entry into the building.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mike Doran, Minerals and Geology
Management Staff, (208) 373-4132. Individuals who use telecommunication
devices for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay
Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern
Standard Time, Monday through Friday.
Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD)
may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339
between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, Monday through
Friday.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The assessment follows.
Description of Small Entities Affected
The proposed rule (73 FR 15694, Mar. 25, 2008) would directly
affect all exploration and mining companies. There are currently
approximately 1,800 exploration and mining companies operating on the
National Forests. Seventy-five percent of these companies are
considered small business with less than 500 employees. The size of
these 1,260 small businesses range from one person to 499 employees.
Total production ranges from zero production for exploration companies
to few thousand dollars per year for very small mining to several
million dollars per year for the larger mining companies. Most mining
companies require at least 20-25 percent profit to survive mining's
volatile market.
Economic Impacts on Small Entities
Increased operating costs from the proposed rule to small
exploration and mining companies is expected to be insignificant since
the small entities are already working under the proposed rule through
current direction and policy spelled out in the Forest Service manual
and handbooks. The proposed rule codifies much of the existing
direction and policy.
The most direct costs from the proposed regulations will come from
how much time and money is spent on filling out and filing the required
notice of intent, cessation of operations, or an operating plan. Table
1 records the 2007 annualized burden costs for an operator.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) published earnings
information pertaining to locatable mineral operations. That
information can be found in the Mineral Commodity Summaries 2007. The
USGS disclosed that the estimated ``Average weekly earnings of
production workers'' for metal mining in 2006 was $979. Based on 40
hours a week and on an 8-hour workday, the average hourly salary in the
locatable mineral arena is about $24.48. This rate is reflected in
Table 1.
Table 1.--2007 Annualized Burden Costs
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Annualized
Information collection Number of Response Hour burden Total burden costs @$24.48/ Cost per
respondents frequency per collection hours hour respondent
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Plan of operations...................................... 319 1 12 3,828 $93,709 $293.76
Notice of intent........................................ 1,396 1 2 2,792 20,318 14.55
Cessation of operations................................. 3 1 1 3 73 24.33
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Each year the Forest Service surveys the regional offices to get an
estimate of how many Plans of Operations and Notices of Intents were
received. The latest figures indicate that 320 Plans of Operations and
415 Notices of Intent were received in 2007. All of these plans and
notices came from small entities.
Total estimated 2007 costs for small entities to comply with the
information collection was $114,100. The estimated additional
information collection costs for the proposed bonded notice are
reflected in Table 2.
[[Page 34240]]
Table 2.--2007 Annualized Burden Costs for a Bonded Notice
(Proposed Rule)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Annualized
Information collection Number of Response Hour burden per Total burden costs @$24.48/ Cost per
respondents frequency collection hours hour respondent
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bonded notice..................................... 100 1 6 600 $14,688 $146.88
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The field units provided an initial estimate of 100 exploration and
mining companies that would use the bonded notice instead of a plan of
operation. A six hour burden per bonded notice was assumed giving a
total of 600 burden hours. Annualized costs to the small entities would
be $14,688.
The economic impact on an individual respondent would be $114,100 +
$14,688 = $128,788 divided by 1,260 small businesses = $102.21.
Conclusion
The comments will be addressed in the final rule for locatable
minerals operations. The Forest Service has determined that the
proposed rule will have an impact on a substantial number of small
businesses. However, the economic impact of the proposed rule will not
be significant. Under the proposed rule small entities will have the
option of filing a bonded notice rather than a plan of operation for
short-term, low impact exploration proposals rather the longer plan of
operations requiring more analysis and a longer approval time. The
Forest Service expects the major impact from the proposed rule to be a
reduction of paperwork burden for the small entities which should be
beneficial to small exploration and mining companies.
The Forest Service hereby certifies that the proposed rule will not
have significant economic impact on a substantial number of small
entities as defined by SBRFEA.
Dated: June 9, 2008.
Charles L. Myers,
Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System.
[FR Doc. E8-13446 Filed 6-16-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P
