Kansas Regulatory Program and Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Plan

OSM is approving a proposed amendment to the Kansas regulatory program and abandoned mine land reclamation plan (hereinafter referred to as the ``Kansas program'') under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA). Kansas proposed revisions to and additions of regulations pertaining to communications, petitions to initiate rulemaking, notice of citizen suits, preparation and submission of reports by the permittee, definitions, permit applications, administrative hearing procedures, civil penalties, permit review, permit revision, permit renewals, permit transfers, assignments, and sales, permit conditions, permit suspension or revocation, termination of jurisdiction, exemption for coal extraction incident to government-financed highway or other construction, exemption for coal extraction incidental to the extraction of other minerals, coal exploration, bonding procedures, performance standards, revegetation, interim performance standards, underground mining, small operator assistance program, lands unsuitable for surface mining, training, certification, and responsibilities of blasters and operators, employee financial interests, inspection and enforcement, eligible lands and water, reclamation project evaluation, consent to entry, liens, appraisals, contractor responsibility, exclusion of certain noncoal reclamation sites, and abandoned mine land reclamation plan reports. The amendment is intended to revise the Kansas program to be consistent with the corresponding Federal regulations.