Refuse Piles and Impoundment Structures, Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements
Extension without change of a currently approved collection
No
Regular
01/19/2021
Requested
Previously Approved
36 Months From Approved
02/28/2021
28,047
31,414
68,692
76,863
1,509,202
2,034,585
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.
US Code:
30 USC 813(h)
Name of Law: Federal Mine Safety & Health of 1977
US Code:
30 USC 811
Name of Law: Federal Mine Safety & Health of 1977
MSHA records show a decrease in the number of respondents from 632 to 548. The number of active impoundments decreased by 84. The number of responses overall decreased by 3,367 (from 31,414 to 28,047), and consequently, burden hours decreased by 8,171 (from 76,863 to 68,692). These decreases in responses and burden hours are due to the decrease in the number of active impoundments. There was a decrease of $525,383 (from $2,034,585 to $1,509,202) in burden cost also due to the decrease in the number of impoundments.
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.
30-day FRN (1219-0015) published.pdf
1219-0015 Supporting Statement.docx
Refuse Piles and Impoundment Structures, Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements