j151 Interior Dec. 286
<br />(Cite as: 151 Interior Dec. 286, *297, 2000 WL 1740340, **9 (D.O.I.))
<br />Page 10
<br />~Ealling water table; and "[t]he owner of the well has not made a demonstration
<br />pf injury, or that the capacity of the saturated thickness of the formation is
<br />now unable to meet historic usage."
<br />**10 By letter dated June 28, 1995, the Denver Field Office (DFO), OSM,
<br />determined, on the basis of DMG's June 6, 1995, letter and report, that DMG had
<br />taken appropriate action in response to Violation 2 of TDN No. 93-020-370-005.
<br />y letter of the same date, DFO informed the Tatums that it found DMG's actions
<br />appropriate with regard to Violation 2 and that OSM would not be conducting a
<br />ederal inspection or taking any enforcement action.
<br />In a letter dated August 12, 1995, the Tatums requested informal review of
<br />PFO's June 28, 1995, decision, pursuant to 30 C.F.R. § 842.15. By decision dated
<br />August 24, 1995, the Regional Director, Western Regional Coordinating Center,
<br />OSM, issued a decision affirming the DFO's decision.
<br />The Tatums filed a timely appeal of the Regional Director's decision. The
<br />Board docketed that appeal as IBLA 96-90.
<br />*298 II. Discussion
<br />[1] In accordance with section 503 of the Surface Mining Control and
<br />Zeclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA), 30 U.S.C. § 1253 (1994), a state with an
<br />~pproved state program has primary responsibility for enforcing SMCRA within its
<br />boundaries. However, notwithstanding the fact that a state may have been granted
<br />~rimary enforcement authority, OSM retains a significant oversight role to
<br />rnsure compliance with SMCRA's mandates. Thus, where, pursuant to a citizen's
<br />(:omplaint, OSM has reason to believe that a permittee is in violation of a state
<br />regulatory program, OSM is required to issue a TDN to the appropriate state
<br />egulatory authority. See 30 U.S.C. § 1271(a)(1) (1994); 30 C.F.R. §
<br />~42.11(b)(1) Under 30 C.F.R. § 842.11(b)(1)(ii)(B)(1), unless the state takes
<br />"appropriate action" to cause the violation to be corrected or shows "good cause
<br />~or the failure to do so" within 10 days of receiving the TDN, OSM is required
<br />So conduct an immediate Federal inspection of the surface coal mining operation.
<br />See 30 U.S.C. § 1271(a)(1) (1994); 30 C.F.R. § 842.11 (b)(1)(ii)(B)(1); Frank
<br />[ubbard, 145 IBLA 49, 52-53 (1998); Ambleside, Ltd., 135 IBLA 51, 57 (1996).
<br />The applicable regulations further provide at 30 C.F.R. §
<br />842.11 (b)(1)(ii)(B)(3), that "appropriate action" includes "enforcement or other
<br />action authorized under the State program to cause the violation to be
<br />Rorrected." At 30 C.F.R. § 642.11 (b)(1)(ii)(B)(4), the regulations list five
<br />situations which are considered to constitute "good cause" for a failure to take
<br />nforcement action. See Morgan Farm, Inc., 141 IBLA 95, 100 (1997); Ambleside,
<br />~td., supra at 58. "Good cause" is properly found when the State establishes
<br />that the violation of the State surface mining law "does not exist." 30 C.F.R. §
<br />8i42.11(b)(1)(ii)(B)(4)(i); Morgan Farm, Inc., 141 IBLA at 100.
<br />In deciding whether the State took appropriate action or demonstrated good
<br />~ause for not taking enforcement action, the State's conduct will be judged by
<br />OSM, in its oversight role, not by what OSM would have done in the
<br />lircumstances, but by whether the State acted arbitrarily or capriciously or
<br />bused its discretion under the State surface mining program law in its actions
<br />in response to the TDN. 30 C.F.R. § 842.11 (b)(1)(ii)(B)(2); Morgan Farm, Inc.,
<br />i
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