Arkansas Regulatory Program and Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Plan

We, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM), are announcing receipt of a proposed amendment to the Arkansas regulatory program (Arkansas program) and the Arkansas abandoned mine land reclamation plan (Arkansas plan) under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA or the Act). Arkansas proposes to revise substantial portions of its regulatory program and abandoned mine land reclamation plan, make grammatical changes, correct punctuation, revise dates, and delete and add citations. The proposed amendment consists of substantive changes to Arkansas's regulations regarding: Subchapter A--General; Subchapter F--Areas Unsuitable for Mining; Subchapter G--Surface Coal Mining and Reclamation Operations Permits and Coal Exploration Procedures Systems; Subchapter J--Bond and Insurance Requirements for Surface Coal Mining and Reclamation Operations; Subchapter K--State Program Performance Standards; Subchapter L--State Program Inspection and Enforcement Procedures; Subchapter M--Training Programs for Blasters and Members of Blasting Crews, and Certification Programs for Blasters; and Subchapter R-- Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation. This document provides the times and locations that the Arkansas program, Arkansas plan, and this proposed amendment are available for your review; 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.

Agency Contact: Alfred L. Clayborne, Director, Tulsa Field Office. Telephone: (918) 581-6430. Email: aclayborne@osmre.gov.