Recreation and Public Purposes Act; Solid Waste Disposal

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) amends a procedural regulation pertaining to the issuance of patents for public lands leased on or before November 9, 1988, for solid waste disposal or related purposes. The existing regulation requires the express approval of the Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) before the lessee may receive a patent to such lands. In 1992, when the regulation was promulgated, most of the BLM's employees with the necessary expertise were centralized in the BLM's headquarters in Washington, DC, and express approval by the Director was deemed necessary. This is no longer the case, since employees with the necessary expertise are now located in State Offices of the BLM. Consistent with Department of the Interior policy to delegate responsibility to the lowest appropriate organizational levels, this rule removes the requirement for express approval by the Director. As this administrative final rule amends an internal agency procedure, it is exempt from the usual requirement for notice and an opportunity for public comment, under the Administrative Procedure Act.