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16734 Federal Register /Vol. 60, No: G2 /Friday, Mazch 31, 1995 /Rules and
<br />
<br />'::-`Ininilt~Szation would cost morR~than costs,.is mal
<br />' ,fejiaik, t75M believes It has nift'igatetl, the iagulato
<br />?... r........::mnhinl fnv vnrcasOnlb1Y"'' '. . . PC,TnitteC 1D
<br />amended by the Energy Policy A'ia. !s iu SYTa21(c), such damage has tv bn '
<br />8
<br />... provide lor,gviall subsldeiice_damage~'.. ..:..,
<br />minunizationrequirementsfhattrack~ _•- repaired. ~Tha requirement 1s not
<br />liitended.to.discoutagethe use of
<br />:. the pratecdons oftnred'by~the Fnwrp!-+ ~ ~planned':and [ontrollnci s+.lbs{rianra nr to n
<br />. ~'~;PolicyActcohcemingsubsidenceiron! ~-require'undergroundactivitiesnot s
<br />u
<br />'
<br />other forms of underground ~minirig: '' ~
<br />Although the Energy Policy Act:does : ,
<br />~ ch
<br />normally associated with s
<br />operations. OSM does intend, however,
<br />uire reasonable
<br />ill re
<br />l
<br />h
<br />not spedflcally address a minimizaCion .
<br />' ~ standard For longwall mining, it q
<br />e w
<br />is ru
<br />that t
<br />measures to be taken on [he surface to
<br />demonstrates Congress' intent w ~
<br />spel:ifically requ#e subsidence damage protectaccupied rvssidendal dwellings
<br />and related'structurra and non-
<br />l
<br />repair or compensadon only for the ~ - ~
<br />1 structures listed m sec6ort720. ., .., _ _ . ~ commercial buildings from materia
<br />.damage..OSM believes that the
<br />. TheraFore,, the final rule limits Che . ` .
<br />.,' ~....
<br />-
<br />t
<br />u subsidence control policy outlined in
<br />.. an video,
<br />the Consolidation Coal Comp y
<br />o
<br />res
<br />requirement.[o take meas
<br />rltinimizematerlaldamage resstilting ~' "" 'presented to OSM during an on-site tour .
<br />,.from longwall subsidence to those .... _ . of coal fields, and available in the
<br />administrative record Cor this
<br />'structures protected in the energy ..: ..
<br />Policy Act. This is not a. pr'evention'- ~-" ' ~rulemaking; illustrates the kinds of ,,
<br />t
<br />standard, so a planned subsidence :.
<br />eration will not bo required to meet -.
<br />;' ~~ o measures that would adequately mee
<br />ehc. needs oY she homeowner and the
<br />,
<br />p
<br />the same~5ubsidence contrdi~standard. ~ pormittee 1n deciding when and what
<br />
<br />:.,.
<br />' that applies to an operation not using types of measures should be taken an
<br />planned subsidence. The.additlon cf a_.__
<br />limited requirement [hat longwall mine . the surface to minimize damage.
<br />Further; this videotape demonstrates the
<br />o stators "mtnimt~P ' damage in certain
<br />dprcimtstances is no[ inconsistent with -~i'easonableness of using such
<br />minimization techniques.
<br />. the SMCRA prpvisign at secnan
<br />longwsll.__._._
<br />whichexempts
<br />516(b)
<br />(IJ roisionrthat the ro Deed ~1! dl~
<br />_P P P
<br />.
<br />.
<br />.
<br />' ~ munng from the requirement to prevent
<br />material damage. Authority far the ~. ~ performance standards are mandatory
<br />~ un]e~s [he lanrinwner cnncenis.
<br />' ~ mittinii~tion.stendard derives from....
<br />troth section 516(b) (1) and section 720 of ...Commenters state that requiting .
<br />. measures to, be taken to protect
<br />SMCRA. OSM recognizes that Congress
<br />expressly staced'in the Energy Policy .structures and faciliues unless the
<br />owns[' consents, raises a numcer of
<br />d
<br />~.'ACt tha[nothing 1n thestatuteregardrrig
<br />A
<br />b ~-"issues with~regard to exactly when an
<br />epermitteeis ~.
<br />for what ptirpv;es
<br />:
<br />.
<br />e
<br />~~~ ~surfaceownerprotectidns'sha
<br />~~. wruvyc+l to p,ulIIwlt or ltltcrrupc ''~ '
<br />i .
<br />.
<br />required to obtain the owner's conacnt. '•'<
<br />if the permiCtee finds Chat
<br />pot example
<br />ons.
<br />underground coal mining operat
<br />OSM 4elieves that the F1ne1 rule which ,
<br />certain measures ate not Prudent or
<br />rnnrains a limited requirement for e~iblo aim st the ermittee sti1110btain
<br />P
<br />longwall operadons to minimize
<br />subsidence damage in certain the awnei s written consent? Also, if an
<br />circumstances is consistent with owner were to steadfastly refuse to
<br />consent to an atherwlx (lawless
<br />i longress' guidance con[ained in [ne
<br />poh Act
<br />En~,ggyy planned subsidence operation,
<br />~~
<br />OSM belie es that, by requiring only commenters opined that the
<br />uirement to obtain the owner's
<br />re
<br />surfocc mew^trree tv minimize
<br />subsidence damage to noncommercial q
<br />consent could be considered an
<br />'
<br />buildings and occupied residential S
<br />uncompensated taking of We permittee
<br />'
<br />dwellings and related structures, and property righC.
<br />The oblrganon to take necessary and
<br />only when it is technologically and
<br />ecanomiplly feasible, the final rule prudent measures'on the surface
<br />establishes reasonable subsidence wnsistent with the mining method
<br />con[TOl meaSUreS that are also COtlslSCenL employed, SD minlml9e material damage
<br />with Congress' intent to support end to occupied residential dwellings and
<br />lated structrres and non-commercial
<br />encourage the use of planned and
<br />' controlled subsidence. Punher, by also re
<br />huildLigs to Ilia pdent technologically
<br />d economically feasible, except when
<br />providing that the requirement does not an
<br />if the perrnit[ea demonstrates, that minimization'COStsroould exceed repair
<br />l
<br />'
<br />a
<br />y
<br /><:~
<br />pp
<br />0Z 39Gd
<br />3.
<br />Wflltll WIP
<br />~ review ana oojecr tot anu wmcl,:; ,
<br />,Gtluirly Urn approval cP the regulatory
<br />uthority. The consent provisidn~allows '
<br />the permitCee to negotlate an ~. ' '
<br />rrnngement with an nwnrr of a
<br />tntcture or facility to waive the ;'. _
<br />protection otherwise afforded by '~
<br />paragraph $17.121(a) (2). Such a wr!¢an '
<br />waiver would have to waive expressly'
<br />the regulatory protecdon provided by. . '
<br />the proposed rule and therefore could.:'
<br />not ba a document whlch.predetes:'."•`
<br />adoption of the final rule. OSM notes'., I
<br />thaz such a waiver would no[ be ~' 111
<br />effecdve to waive any'requirement~,
<br />putstianttoparagraph817121(c)tn ~ '~
<br />repair'damage from subsidences I'ii"' -_ -
<br />addlcion to the waiver provision; the
<br />final rule includes a provision theta. ... .. ~.
<br />petmittee will ^otbe required to. take ..
<br />measures to minimize:subsiden~.~: .
<br />damage upon s demanstratron that the ..
<br />costs of such aeasures'would.exceed '.
<br />the r+apatr costs for the damage. In bo[h
<br />cases, the pertnittee could allow the. .... .
<br />damage to occur, and repair it pursuant
<br />topaiagraph817:121(c)i "` "'
<br />One commenter alleges that damage
<br />mk>lirilzation measures fur ivPgwall
<br />mining cannot be $miced w surface ..., _.
<br />measures. because the 5MCRA
<br />legislative history lndirates that ~ ' '
<br />.Congress contemplated underground
<br />nrPVenev2 measures such as ~ '
<br />are
<br />They
<br />95th
<br />Wltl, this characterization of the cited
<br />Hotue.Report, t?Slyl~believes the cited ..
<br />House Report materials discuss damage
<br />prevention and minimization measures
<br />appropriate For convendonal toom•and-
<br />pillar minrr,g: there is no specific. -
<br />,~afe,el,ue to lu„gwall ,lw,l,tg. Fur ~
<br />example, the referenced portion of the
<br />report states that: ,
<br />flee characteristic of sl.thsirienrv, :,' .
<br />which disrupts surface land uses is; its. .
<br />unpredictable occurrence in terms af..
<br />both dma and location. Suhside'ricey,t::'-'
<br />occurs, seemingly vn a random basis: at'
<br />least up to fi0 years after mining and:.. '.....:.:
<br />even in those areas it is still occurring.
<br />H. Asp. Nu, 218,.95th Cong.,'lst mesa: .....
<br />126.(1977). Such problems are not"
<br />characteristic of longwall mining.
<br />. Tlacrcforc, it ;:: unlikely Congress had
<br />longwall mining in mind when it....
<br />discussed appropriate prevention , ~f„
<br />> ~ 1`'.'r
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