Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement 2022 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), are proposing to renew an information collection.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), are proposing to renew an information collection.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), are proposing to revise an existing information collection.

We, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), and the Department of the Interior are adopting as final the interim final rule published on January 14, 2022, making amendments to the departmental regulations governing the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund (AML Fund) to be consistent with the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which included the Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Amendments of 2021 (the 2021 amendments). The final rule adopts the changes to the regulations reflecting the extension of our statutory authority to collect reclamation fees for an additional 13 years and the 20 percent reduction in fee rates. In addition, the final rule adopts the changes to the regulations reflecting the statutory extension of the dates when moneys derived from these fees will be available for distribution to eligible States and Tribes as grants. The final rule adopts the interim final rule with two revisions to correct grammatical errors. The final rule also corrects two additional grammatical errors in the regulations which were unaffected by the interim final rule.

The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) is publishing this notice to announce that, consistent with direction from the U.S. District Court of Montana, it will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Navajo Transitional Energy Company's (NTEC) Federal mining plan modification for Federal Coal Lease MTM-94378 (the Project). With this notice, OSMRE also announces that it will hold a public scoping meeting, including a 30-day public scoping period to receive comments on the environmental issues that OSMRE should analyze in this EIS. The Spring Creek Mine (SCM) is located in Big Horn County, Montana, approximately 32 miles from Sheridan, Wyoming. The SCM started operation in 1974 and is expected to continue to operate until at least 2025 under the current approved mining plan. The proposed Project would allow 184.1 acres of additional surface disturbance and recovery of an additional 51.5 million tons (Mt) of Federal coal. Under the proposed Project, SCM would continue to mine approximately 13-18 million tons per year (Mtpy) and the production would extend for an additional 3-4 years, depending on production rates. OSMRE plans to analyze the environmental effects of an annual production rate of 18 Mtpy for 4 additional years of production, which is the maximum estimated future annual production rate. This rate is below the maximum permitted production rate of 30 Mtpy established by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ)-Air Quality Division (AQD) Air Quality Permit MAQP #1120-12.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), are proposing to renew an information collection.

We, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), are approving an amendment to the Missouri regulatory program (Missouri program) under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA or the Act). As a result of Missouri's Red Tape Reduction Initiative (Executive Order 17-03), Missouri proposes amendments and rescissions to its Missouri Coal Mining Regulations in order to reduce the volume of these regulations without reducing the program's requirements. Missouri proposed amendments to multiple sections of its regulations to incorporate by reference the corresponding Federal regulations. Missouri also proposed to rescind multiple sections of its regulations that will be incorporated by reference in the aforementioned proposed amended sections. Missouri intends these revisions to its program to remain as effective as the Federal regulations.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), are proposing to renew an information collection.

We, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), are announcing receipt of a proposed amendment to the Montana regulatory program (hereinafter, the Montana program) under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA or the Act). Montana proposes an addition to the Montana Code Annotated which requires changes and the addition of regulations in the Administrative Rules of Montana pertaining to ownership and control. These changes were required by an October 2, 2009, letter from OSMRE to Montana (hereinafter, 732 letter), and were necessitated by a Senate bill approved by the 2013 Montana Legislature. Montana also proposes other revisions to the Administrative Rules of Montana unrelated to ownership and control. This document gives the times and locations that the Montana program and this proposed amendment to that program are available for your inspection, the comment period during which you may submit written comments on the amendment, and the procedures that we will follow for the public hearing, if one is requested.