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SUPPORTING STATEMENT FOR REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

OF 30 CFR PART 769

Introduction

This information collection clearance package is being submitted by the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) to request permission to continue to collect information under 30 CFR Part 769 of the OSM permanent regulatory program. The regulations govern information regarding designation of Federal lands as unsuitable for certain types of surface coal mining operations. The information is needed to meet the requirements of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA). The information collection for 30 CFR Part 769 was previously approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and assigned clearance number 1029-0098.

Sections 769.13 and 769.15 contain information collection requirements. However, section 769.15, authorizing individual interventions into the process, is non-standardized and is, therefore, not considered an information collection activity. This section was previously removed from consideration in this collection.

Supporting Statement for Reporting Requirements

Contained in Section 769.13

General Instructions

A Supporting Statement, including the text of the notice to the public required by 5 CFR 1320.5(a)(i)(iv) and its actual or estimated date of publication in the Federal Register, must accompany each request for approval of a collection of information. The Supporting Statement must be prepared in the format described below, and must contain the information specified in Section A below. If an item is not applicable, provide a brief explanation. When Item 17 of the OMB Form 83-I is checked "Yes", Section B of the Supporting Statement must be completed. OMB reserves the right to require the submission of additional information with respect to any request for approval.

Specific Instructions

A. Justification

1. Explain the circumstances that make the collection of information necessary. Identify any legal or administrative requirements that necessitate the collection. Attach a copy of the appropriate section of each statute and regulation mandating or authorizing the collection of information.

Section 769.13(a) requires the regulatory authority to determine what information must be provided by the petitioner to have an area designated as unsuitable for surface coal mining operations.

Section 769.13(b) requires the regulatory authority to determine the information required to terminate designations of lands unsuitable for surface mining.

These two requirements implement the provisions of section 522(c) of the Act.

2. Indicate how, by whom, and for what purpose the information is to be used. Except for a new collection, indicate the actual use the agency has made of the information received from the current collection. [Be specific. If this collection is a form or a questionnaire, every question needs to be justified.]

Any person having an interest which is or may be adversely affected has the right to petition the regulatory authority to have an area designated as unsuitable for surface coal mining operations, or to have an existing designation terminated. At a minimum, the regulatory authority requires the following information:

(a) Petitioner's name, address, and telephone number are needed to identify individual, company, etc., requesting the designation or termination.

(b) Identification of the area is required to determine the location of the area, its size and relationship to the section 522 areas.

(c) Petitioner’s interest is needed to determine the status of petitioners for the validity of acceptance of the petition.

(d) Description of how mining of the area has affected, or how mining may affect people or the environment is needed to justify the unsuitability petition.

(e) Allegations of facts and supporting evidence are needed to comply with requirements of section 522(a) & (b).

To terminate designations of lands as unsuitable for surface mining operations the regulatory authority must be provided additional information as follows:

(a) Where the unsuitability determination was based on State or local land use plans, fragile or historic lands, loss of land productivity, or lands subject to natural hazards:

1. Discuss the nature or abundance of the protected resource affected.

2. Discuss the resources or conditions not being affected by mining operations in the surrounding area to ensure adequate protection of resources.

(b) Where the unsuitability petition was based on a finding that reclamation was not technologically or economically feasible, a demonstration that reclamation is now technologically and economically feasible. This is needed to determine the level of resources and the basis for termination of a designation.

The regulatory authority will use this information to identify, locate, compare and contrast the area, resources and conditions for the purpose of complying with section 522.

3. Describe whether, and to what extent, the collection of information involves the use of automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses, and the basis for the decision for adopting this means of collection. Also describe any consideration of using information technology to reduce burden [and specifically how this collection meets GPEA requirements.].

Use of automated methods to collect the information required under 30 CFR Part 769 generally is not practical because collections are not repetitive, they do not involve use of a standard form, and the required information does not consist of numerical data or responses to multiple-choice questions. Persons may submit responses electronically at the discretion of the receiving agency to the extent that submission of copies of legal documents is not required.

4. Describe efforts to identify duplication. Show specifically why any similar information already available cannot be used or modified for use for the purposes described in Item 2 above.

The information requested under 30 CFR Part 769 is unique to each person or site. Since it is collected infrequently (generally only at the time that a person requests the designation of lands to be unsuitable for surface coal mining operations on Federal lands), duplication is minimal to nonexistent. OSM is not aware of any other Federal agency that collects this information. OSM is the only Federal agency charged with implementation of section 522(c).

5. If the collection of information impacts small businesses or other small entities (Item 5 of OMB Form 83-I), describe any methods used to minimize burden.

There are no special provisions for small businesses or other small entities. Special provisions are not appropriate because the requested information is the minimum needed to petition the regulatory authority to designate Federal lands unsuitable for surface coal mining operations, or to terminate such designation.

6. Describe the consequence to Federal program or policy activities if the collection is not conducted or is conducted less frequently, as well as any technical or legal obstacles to reducing burden.

Failure to collect the information requested under 30 CFR Part 769 would impair the ability of OSM and state regulatory authorities to ensure that surface coal mining operations in the areas listed in section 522(c) of the Act are conducted only under the circumstances set forth in the Act.

7. Explain any special circumstances that would cause an information collection to be conducted in a manner:

* requiring respondents to report information to the agency more often than quarterly;

* requiring respondents to prepare a written response to a collection of information in fewer than 30 days after receipt of it;

* requiring respondents to submit more than an original and two copies of any document;

* requiring respondents to retain records, other than health, medical, government contract, grant-in-aid, or tax records, for more than three years;

* in connection with a statistical survey, that is not designed to produce valid and reliable results that can be generalized to the universe of study;

* requiring the use of a statistical data classification that has not been reviewed and approved by OMB;

* that includes a pledge of confidentiality that is not supported by authority established in statute or regulation, that is not supported by disclosure and data security policies that are consistent with the pledge, or which unnecessarily impedes sharing of data with other agencies for compatible confidential use; or

* requiring respondents to submit proprietary trade secrets, or other confidential information unless the agency can demonstrate that it has instituted procedures to protect the information's confidentiality to the extent permitted by law.

No collection of information under 30 CFR Part 769 is inconsistent with the guidelines at 5 CFR 1320.5(d)(2) as summarized in the instructions for this item of the supporting statement.

8. If applicable, provide a copy and identify the date and page number of publication in the Federal Register of the agency's notice, required by 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting comments on the information collection prior to submission to OMB. Summarize public comments received in response to that notice [and in response to the PRA statement associated with the collection over the past three years] and describe actions taken by the agency in response to these comments. Specifically address comments received on cost and hour burden.

Describe efforts to consult with persons outside the agency to obtain their views on the availability of data, frequency of collection, the clarity of instructions and record-keeping, disclosure, or reporting format (if any), and on the data elements to be recorded, disclosed, or reported. [Please list the names, titles, addresses, and phone numbers of persons contacted.]

Consultation with representatives of those from whom information is to be obtained or those who must compile records should occur at least once every 3 years — even if the collection of information activity is the same as in prior periods. There may be circumstances that may preclude consultation in a specific situation. These circumstances should be explained.

Section 522 of SMCRA establishes a process through which mining may be limited or prohibited where other values are found to be more important than mining and specifies certain areas as unsuitable for mining. Part 769 provides for the petition process for designation of lands as unsuitable for all or certain types of surface coal mining operations and for terminating such designations. Section 769.13 describes information required for designation of a petition and for the termination of a petition.

In June 2006, OSM field offices were contacted and identified that over the last three years, one new petition to designate federal lands unsuitable for surface coal mining operations was received. The following people who were part of a team involved in preparing the petition were contacted:

Vanessa Morel , Program Coordinator

National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA)

Southeast Region

706 Walnut Street 
Suite 200
Knoxville, TN 37902
Phone: 865-329-2424
Fax: 865-329-2422

Joe Schiller

Warioto Chapter

National Audobon Society

Clarksville, TN 37040.

931-221-7249

Deborah Murray

Attorney

Southern Environmental Law Center

201 W. Main Street, Suite 14

Charlottesville, VA 22901

434-977-4090

They reported a combined total of 3,000 hours as an estimate of their time spent in preparing the petition. There were a couple of concerns noted; one was that the submitted petition was determined to be incomplete, and there was some uncertainty as to additional work needed to correct that determination. There was also a concern about formatting of specific sections of the material submitted, for which there seemed to be no clear instructions. A Statement of Reasons was prepared by OSM’s Knoxville Field Office which identified each category of the petition which had been incomplete or erroneous as directed by the regulations. This document was submitted to the petitioners.

On August 11, 2006, OSM published in the Federal Register (71 FR 46240) a notice requesting comments from the public regarding the need for the collection of information, the accuracy of the burden estimate, ways to enhance the information collection, and ways to minimize the burden on respondents. This notice gave the public 60 days in which to comment. However, no comments were received.

9. Explain any decision to provide any payment or gift to respondents, other than remuneration of contractors or grantees.

Not applicable. OSM provides no payments or gifts to respondents.

10. Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents and the basis for the issurance in statute, regulation, or agency policy.

Not applicable. No confidential information is solicited.

11. Provide additional justification for any questions of a sensitive nature, such as sexual behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs, and other matters that are commonly considered private. This justification should include the reasons why the agency considers the questions necessary, the specific uses to be made of the information, the explanation to be given to persons from whom the information is requested, and any steps to be taken to obtain their consent.

Not applicable. There are no questions of a sensitive nature.

12. Provide estimates of the hour burden of the collection of information. The statement should:

* Indicate the number of respondents, frequency of response, annual hour burden, and an explanation of how the burden was estimated. Unless directed to do so, agencies should not conduct special surveys to obtain information on which to base hour burden estimates. Consultation with a sample (fewer than 10) of potential respondents is desirable. If the hour burden on respondents is expected to vary widely because of differences in activity, size, or complexity, show the range of estimated hour burden, and explain the reasons for the variance. Generally, estimates should not include burden hours for customary and usual business practices.

* If this request for approval covers more than one form, provide separate hour burden estimates for each form and aggregate the hour burdens in Item 13 of OMB Form 83-I.

* Provide estimates of annualized cost to respondents for the hour burdens for collections of information, identifying and using appropriate wage rate categories. The cost of contracting out or paying outside parties for information collection activities should not be included here. Instead, this cost should be included in Item 14.

a. Burden Hour Estimates for Respondents:

Based on the available information obtained from the individuals identified in section 8 above, we estimate that preparing the required documentation for filing a complete unsuitability petition of the type most recently submitted to designate Federal lands as unsuitable for surface coal mining, can require 3,000 or more hours. Assuming that OSM will receive one petition every 3 years, and considering that the most recent petition was determined to be incomplete in part, OSM anticipates that most petitions will take on average 3,200 hours/3years = 1,067 hours to complete.

b. Estimated Annual Wage Costs to Respondents

At $60/hour, the annual cost for each respondent would be 1,067 x $60 = $64,020. The total cost for all respondents would be $64,020.

13. Provide an estimate of the total annual [non-hour] cost burden to respondents or recordkeepers resulting from the collection of information. (Do not include the cost of any hour burden shown in Items 12 and 14).

* The cost estimate should be split into two components: (a) a total capital and start-up cost component (annualized over its expected useful life) and (b) a total operation and maintenance and purchase of services component. The estimates should take into account costs associated with generating, maintaining, and disclosing or providing the information [including filing fees paid]. Include descriptions of methods used to estimate major cost factors including system and technology acquisition, expected useful life of capital equipment, the discount rate(s), and the time period over which costs will be incurred. Capital and start-up costs include, among other items, preparations for collecting information such as purchasing computers and software; monitoring, sampling, drilling and testing equipment; and record storage facilities.

* If cost estimates are expected to vary widely, agencies should present ranges of cost burdens and explain the reasons for the variance. The cost of purchasing or contracting out information collection services should be a part of this cost burden estimate. In developing cost burden estimates, agencies may consult with a sample of respondents (fewer than 10), utilize the 60-day pre-OMB submission public comment process and use existing economic or regulatory impact analysis associated with the rulemaking containing the information collection, as appropriate.

* Generally, estimates should not include purchases of equipment or services, or portions thereof, made: (1) prior to October 1, 1995, (2) to achieve regulatory compliance with requirements not associated with the information collection, (3) for reasons other than to provide information or keep records for the government, or (4) as part of customary and usual business or private practices.

a. Annualized Capital and Start-Up Costs

There are no annual capital or start-up costs associated with this collection of information, other than the newspaper notice required by 30 CFR 769.13.

b. Operation and Maintenance Costs

There are no significant or distinct non-wage operations or maintenance costs associated with compliance with the information collection requirements of 30 CFR 769.13.

14. Provide estimates of annualized cost to the Federal government. Also, provide a description of the method used to estimate cost, which should include quantification of hours, operational expenses (such as equipment, overhead, printing, and support staff), and any other expense that would not have been incurred without this collection of information. Agencies also may aggregate cost estimates from Items 12, 13, and 14 in a single table.

We estimate that OSM would require an average of 480 hours to review a petition. Assuming that OSM receives one petition every three years, we estimate that it will require an average of 160 hours per year to review (480/3). The annual cost to the Federal government for this activity is an estimated $7,200 (160 hours x $45 per hour).

15. Explain the reasons for any program changes or adjustments reported in Items 13 or 14 of the OMB Form 83-I.

The burden hour estimates are based on information received from an environmental organization who submitted an unsuitability petition in 2005 and OSM field staff.

This request represents an increase in the estimated burden currently approved by OMB.

Summary of Burden Hours:

950 Hours currently approved by OMB

+ 117 Hours increase due to a reestimate

1,067 Hours requested on OMB 83-I

16. For collections of information whose results will be published, outline plans for tabulation and publication. Address any complex analytical techniques that will be used. Provide the time schedule for the entire project, including beginning and ending dates of the collection of information, completion of report, publication dates, and other actions.

Not applicable. OSM has no plans to publish the information collected.

17. If seeking approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of the information collection, explain the reasons that display would be inappropriate.

Not applicable. OSM is not seeking a waiver from the requirement to display the expiration date of the OMB approval of the information collection.

18. Explain each exception to the certification statement identified in Item 19, "Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions," of OMB Form 83-I.

Not applicable. There are no exceptions to the certification statement in Item 19 of OMB Form 83-I.

B. Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods

The agency should be prepared to justify its decision not to use statistical methods in any case where such methods might reduce burden or improve accuracy of results. When Item 17 on the OMB Form 83-I is checked "Yes", the following documentation should be included in the Supporting Statement to the extent that it applies to the methods proposed:

1. Describe (including a numerical estimate) the potential respondent universe and any sampling or other respondent selection method to be used. Data on the number of entities (e.g., establishments, State and local government units, households, or persons) in the universe covered by the collection and in the corresponding sample are to be provided in tabular form for the universe as a whole and for each of the strata in the proposed sample. Indicate expected response rates for the collection as a whole. If the collection had been conducted previously, include the actual response rate achieved during the last collection.

2. Describe the procedures for the collection of information including:

* Statistical methodology for stratification and sample selection,

* Estimation procedure,

* Degree of accuracy needed for the purpose described in the justification,

* Unusual problems requiring specialized sampling procedures, and

* Any use of periodic (less frequent than annual) data collection cycles to reduce burden.

3. Describe methods to maximize response rates and to deal with issues of non-response. The accuracy and reliability of information collected must be shown to be adequate for intended uses. For collections based on sampling, a special justification must be provided for any collection that will not yield "reliable" data that can be generalized to the universe studied.

4. Describe any tests of procedures or methods to be undertaken. Testing is encouraged as an effective means of refining collections of information to minimize burden and improve utility. Tests must be approved if they call for answers to identical questions from 10 or more respondents. A proposed test or set of tests may be submitted for approval separately or in combination with the main collection of information.

5. Provide the name and telephone number of individuals consulted on statistical aspects of the design and the name of the agency unit, contractor(s), grantee(s), or other person(s) who will actually collect and/or analyze the information for the agency.

Statistical methods are not appropriate for collection of the information required under 30 CFR Part 769.

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