Requires coal mine operators to submit to MSHA annual reports and certification on refuse piles and impoundments and to keep records of the results of weekly examinations and instrumentation monitoring. Impoundments are structures that can impound water, sediment, or slurry or any combination of materials; and refuse piles are deposits of coal mine waste (other than overburden or spoil) that are removed during mining operations or separated from mined coal and deposited on the surface. The failure of these structures can have a devastating affect on a community. To avoid or minimize such disasters, standards have been promulgated for the design, construction, and maintenance of these structures; for annual certifications; for certification for hazardous refuse piles; for the frequency of inspections; and the methods of abandonment for impoundments and impounding structures.
MSHA records show a decrease in the number of respondents from 642 to 629. The number of active impoundments declined due to an industry effort to keeping existing facilities in operation longer by increasing the elevation and capacity for refuse disposal at impoundments rather than developing new sites because of the relative scarcity of suitable locations.
There was a decrease in the number of impoundment plans. In addition, there was an increase in the number of inspections. The previous submission estimated that more operators would take advantage of a reduced inspection schedule of less than every seven days. Less than 10% of the total population of impoundments, however, have requested an inspection schedule less often than every 7 days, therefore 52 inspections per year is used to reflect the actual number of plans that have been submitted requesting a reduced inspection.
The number of responses overall increased by 20,943 (from 10,422 to 31,365), and consequently, burden hours increased by 45,993 (from 30,579 to 76,572). These increases in the burden hours are due an adjustment increase in the number of inspections from 17 to 52 per year, impoundment plan revision responses, abandonment plans, and recordkeeping associated with weekly inspections and instrumentation monitoring.
This burden estimate also continues to recognize that 95 percent of the engineering work associated with impoundments and refuse pile is done by contract engineering firms. MSHA assesses a decrease of $4,325,792 (from $7,782,720 to $3,456,928) in burden cost.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
1219-0015 60-Day PUBLISHED FRN v79 p19389 4-8-14.pdf
1219-0015 Supporting Statement 2014 final.doc
Refuse Piles and Impounding Structures--Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements