Ohio Regulatory Program

I. Background on the Ohio Program

On August 16, 1982, the Secretary of the Interior conditionally approved the Ohio program. You can find background information on the Ohio program, including the Secretary's findings, the disposition of comments, and the conditions of approval in the August 10, 1982, Federal Register (47 FR 34688). You can find later actions on conditions of approval and program amendments at 30 CFR 935.11, 935.15, and 935.16.

II. Description of the Proposed Amendment

By letter dated March 16, 1999 (Administrative Record No. OH-2178- 00) Ohio submitted a proposed amendment to its program concerning exemptions for coal extraction incidental to government-financed highway or other construction. Ohio submitted the proposed amendment at its own initiative, in order to incorporate into its program the expanded exemption recently promulgated in the Federal regulations at 30 CFR 707.5, as part of the ``AML Enhancement Rule.'' Under this rule, approved Title IV abandoned mine land (AML) projects under SMCRA which involve incidental coal extraction and are less than 50 percent government financed may qualify for exemption. Projects which qualify for this expanded exemption must also meet the newly promulgated requirements contained in 30 CFR 874.17. (64 FR 7470, February 12, 1999). The changes proposed by Ohio in the amendment are discussed briefly below: In the existing Ohio regulations under OAC section 1501:13-1-04(B), the subject exemption is limited to coal extraction incidental to ``government financed construction.'' ``Government financed construction'' is defined, in relevant part, as construction funded 50 percent or more by funds appropriated from a government financing agency's budget or obtained from general revenue bonds. In the amendment, the State proposes to include within the exemption coal extraction incidental to construction that is government-funded at less than 50 percent when the construction is undertaken as an approved reclamation project under Section 1513.30 (state financed projects) or 1513.37 (Federally funded AML projects) of the Revised Code. The proposed amendment also specifies requirements for approved reclamation projects with less than 50 percent government financing, such as procedures for determining whether a project qualifies for exemption, concurrence between the AML and regulatory program coordinators as to the limits and boundaries of incidental coal extraction, required documentation, and special requirements, including a requirement that projects be conducted in accordance with Ohio's approved AML program. Finally, the amendment requires a contractor to obtain a surface coal mining permit if it extracts coal beyond the limits which have been agreed upon by the AML and regulatory program coordinators.

III. Public Comment Procedures

According to the provisions of 30 CFR 732.17(h), we are seeking comments on whether the proposed amendment satisfies the applicable program approval criteria of 30 CFR 732.15. If we determine the amendment to be adequate, it will become part of the Ohio program.

Written Comments

Your written comments should be specific, pertain only to the issues proposed in this rulemaking, and include explanations in support of your recommendations. Comments received after the time indicated under DATES or at locations other than the Appalachian Regional Coordinating Center will not necessarily be considered in the final rulemaking or included in the Administrative Record.

Public Hearing

If you wish to speak at the public hearing, you should contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT by 4:00 p.m., [E.D.T.] on May 3, 1999. The location and time of the hearing will be arranged with those persons requesting the hearing. If no one requests an opportunity to speak at the public hearing, the hearing will not be held. Filing a written statement at the time of the hearing is requested as it will greatly assist the transcriber. Submission of written statements in advance of the hearing will also allow us to prepare adequate responses and appropriate questions. The public hearing will continue on the specified date until all persons scheduled to speak have been heard. Persons in the audience who have not been scheduled to speak, and who wish to do so, will be heard following those who have been scheduled. The hearing will end after all persons scheduled to speak and persons present in the audience who wish to speak have been heard. Any disabled individual who has need for a special accommodation to attend a public hearing should contact the individual listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

Public Meeting

If only one person requests an opportunity to speak at a hearing, a public meeting, rather than a public hearing, may be held. Persons wishing to meet with OSM representatives to discuss the proposed amendment may request a meeting by contacting the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. All such meetings will be open to the public and, if possible, notices of meetings will be posted at the locations listed under ADDRESSES. A written summary of each meeting will be made a part of the Administrative Record.

IV. Procedural Determinations

Executive Order 12866

This rule is exempted from review by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under Executive Order 12866 (Regulatory Planning and Review).

Executive Order 12988

The Department of the Interior has conducted the reviews required by section 3 of Executive Order 12988 (Civil Justice Reform) and has determined that, to the extent allowed by law, this rule meets the applicable standards of subsections (a) and (b) of that section. However, these standards are not applicable to the actual language of State regulatory programs and program amendments since each such program is drafted and promulgated by a specific State, not by OSM. Under sections 503 and 505 of SMCRA (30 U.S.C. 1253 and 1255) and 30 CFR 730.11, 732.15, and 732.17(h)(10), decisions on proposed State regulatory programs and program amendments submitted by the States must be based solely on a determination of whether the submittal is consistent with SMCRA and its implementing Federal regulations and whether the other requirements of 30 CFR Parts 730, 731, and 732 have been met.

National Environmental Policy Act

No environmental impact statement is required for this rule since section 702(d) of SMCRA (30 U.S.C. 1292(d)) provides that agency decisions on proposed State regulatory program provisions do not constitute major Federal actions within the meaning of section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)).

Paperwork Reduction Act

This rule does not contain information collection requirements that require approval by OMB under the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3507 et seq.).

Regulatory Flexibility Act

The Department of the Interior has determined that this rule will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.). The State submittal which is the subject of this rule is based upon counterpart Federal regulations for which an economic analysis was prepared and certification made that such regulations would not have a significant economic effect upon a substantial number of small entities. Accordingly, this rule will ensure that existing requirements previously promulgated by OSM will be implemented by the State. In making the determination as to whether this rule would have a significant economic impact, the Department relied upon the data and assumptions for the counterpart Federal regulations.

Unfunded Mandates

In accordance with the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (2 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.), this rule will not produce a Federal mandate of $100 million or greater in any year, i.e., it is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.

List of Subjects in 30 CFR 935

Intergovernmental relations, Surface mining, Underground mining.

Dated: April 9, 1999. Allen D. Klein, Regional Director, Appalachian Regional Coordinating Center. [FR Doc. 99-9619 Filed 4-15-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310-05-P