30 CFR Chapter VII, Subchapter H - SMALL OPERATOR ASSISTANCE

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) proposes to amend the regulations regarding oil and natural gas production to reduce certain unnecessary regulatory burdens imposed under the existing regulations, while correcting errors and clarifying current requirements. Accordingly, after thoroughly reexamining the current regulations, and based on experiences from the implementation process, and BSEE policy, BSEE proposes to amend, revise, or remove current regulatory provisions that create unnecessary burdens on stakeholders while maintaining or advancing the level of safety and environmental protection.

We, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), are approving an amendment to the Oklahoma regulatory program (Oklahoma program) under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA or the Act). Oklahoma proposed revisions to its regulations regarding: Permit eligibility for permits with violations on lands eligible for remining; permit suspension or rescission posting locations and appeal procedures; requiring GPS coordinates for aspects of permit maps; topsoil removal distances; blasting records requirements; annual reporting requirements; temporary cessation of operations requirements; casing and sealing temporary underground openings; right of entry requirements; surface drainage associated with auger mining; correcting reference errors; updating addresses; and correcting spelling and grammatical errors. Oklahoma intended to revise its program to be no less effective than the Federal regulations and to improve operational efficiency.

We are issuing a final decision on an amendment to the Wyoming regulatory program (the “Wyoming program”) under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (“SMCRA” or “the Act”). Our decision approves in part and disapproves in part the amendment. Wyoming proposes both revisions of and additions to its coal rules and regulations concerning ownership and control, adds a provision concerning variable topsoil depths during reclamation, and addresses four deficiencies that were identified by the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) during the review of a previous program amendment (WY-038-FOR; Docket ID No. OSM-2009-0012). Wyoming revised its program to be consistent with the corresponding Federal regulations and SMCRA, clarify ambiguities, and improve operational efficiency.

We are approving an amendment to the Kentucky regulatory program (hereinafter, the “Kentucky program”) under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA or the Act). Kentucky submitted a proposed amendment to OSMRE that includes revisions to the Kentucky Revised Statutes (KRS) as authorized by House Bill 385 (HB 385), regarding bonding of surface coal mining and reclamation operations.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration is staying the effective date of the Agency's January 23, 2017, final rule that amended standards for examination of working places in metal and nonmetal mines to June 2, 2018. MSHA also is reinstating the provisions of the working place examinations standards that were in effect as of October 1, 2017. This stay and reinstatement offers additional time for MSHA to provide stakeholders training and compliance assistance.

This final rule establishes new regulations to address the use of Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) sand, gravel, and/or shell resources for shore protection, beach restoration, or coastal wetlands restoration projects by Federal, state, or local government agencies, and for use in construction projects authorized by or funded in whole or in part by the Federal Government. The final rule describes the negotiated noncompetitive agreement process for qualifying projects and codifies new and existing procedures.

We, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), are approving an amendment to the Indiana Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation (AML) Plan (Indiana Plan) under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA or the Act). Updates to the Indiana Plan were proposed to be consistent with changes required by the 2006 amendment to SMCRA.

The Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) is repealing the Consolidated Federal Oil & Gas and Federal & Indian Coal Valuation Reform Final Rule, published July 1, 2016, and effective January 1, 2017. Simultaneously, ONRR is reinstating the valuation regulations governing the valuation of Federal oil, Federal gas, and Federal and Indian coal that were in effect before January 1, 2017.

We, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), are approving an amendment to the Pennsylvania regulatory program (Pennsylvania program) under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA or the Act). This amendment revises the Pennsylvania program to further define the implementation process for the reclamation of alternative bonding system (ABS) “Legacy Sites,” and to clearly identify the current list of Legacy Sites, as well as sites that may qualify in the future as Legacy Sites.

As specifically mandated by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017, this final rule revises the requirements contained in the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement regulations relating to maintaining a lease beyond its primary term through continuous operations by changing all of the references to the period of time before which a lease expires due to cessation of operations from “180 days” and “180th day” to a “year” and from “180-day period” to a “1-year period.”

The Mine Safety and Health Administration is delaying the effective date of the Agency's final rule that amends existing standards for examination of working places in metal and nonmetal mines. The effective date of that rule is extended to October 2, 2017. This extension offers additional time for MSHA to provide stakeholders training and compliance assistance.

In accordance with the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990 (Act), as amended by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 (2015 Act) and recent Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance, the Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) is publishing this final rule to adjust our maximum civil monetary penalty (CMP) rates for calendar year 2017. This final rule also adopts as final a 2016 interim final rule that adjusted the amount of our civil monetary penalties for inflation with initial “catch-up” adjustments under the 2015 Act.

We, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), are announcing receipt of a proposed amendment to the Alabama Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation (AMLR) Plan (hereinafter, the Plan) under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA or the Act). Alabama proposes revisions to modernize its Plan, which remains largely unchanged since its approval on May 20, 1982, and encompass the November 14, 2008, changes to the Federal regulations. This document gives the times and locations that the Alabama Plan and proposed amendment to that plan 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.

On January 23, 2017, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) published a final rule in the Federal Register amending the Agency's standards for the examination of working places in metal and nonmetal mines. The effective date of this final rule is May 23, 2017. MSHA is proposing to delay the effective date of the final rule on Examinations of Working Places in Metal and Nonmetal Mines to assure that mine operators and miners affected by the examinations final rule have the training and compliance assistance they need prior to the rule's effective date. This proposed rule would delay the effective date of the final rule to July 24, 2017. MSHA is soliciting comments on the limited issue of whether to extend the effective date to July 24, 2017, and whether this extension offers an appropriate length of time for MSHA to provide stakeholders training and compliance assistance.

We, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), are announcing receipt of a proposed amendment to the Pennsylvania program under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA or the Act). Through this proposed amendment, Pennsylvania seeks to revise its program to further define the implementation process for the reclamation of alternative bonding system (ABS) “Legacy Sites”, and to clearly identify the current list of Legacy Sites, as well as sites that may qualify in the future as Legacy Sites. This document gives the times and locations that the Pennsylvania 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.

On July 1, 2016, the Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) published the Consolidated Federal Oil & Gas and Federal & Indian Coal Valuation Final Rule (2017 Valuation Rule or Rule) in the Federal Register . On December 29, 2016, three separate petitions challenging the 2017 Valuation Rule were filed in the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming. In light of the existence and potential consequences of the pending litigation, ONRR has concluded that justice requires it to postpone the effectiveness of the 2017 Valuation Rule pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 705 of the Administrative Procedure Act, pending judicial review.