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 slight decrease in the number of new plans submitted for approval and a decrease in the number of revisions to impoundment plans. The number of active impoundments declined by 50 (from 692 to 642) impoundments primarily 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. Another aspect contributing to the declining number of active impoundments is the improvements in MSHA computer based inventory. The MSHA Impoundments and Refuse Pile Inventory (IRPI) has identified and eliminated duplicate reporting. The inventory numbers are now much more reliable with the districts providing data in a consistent format. The number of responses also decreased by 632 (from 11,054 to 10,422). Consequently, burden hours decreased by 1,502 (from 32,081 to 30,579) due to a slight reduction in the number of new impoundment plans or major revisions to existing impoundments. This burden estimate also continues to recognizing that 95 percent of the engineering work associated with impoundments and refuse pile is done by contract engineering firms. Consequently, this resulted in MSHA assessing an increase of $966,260 (from $6,816,460 to $7,782,720) 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.
2011-3593 76 FR 9376.pdf
1219-0015_Supporting_Statement_Public_Comment(20110516).doc
Refuse Piles and Impounding Structures, Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements