Department Hearings and Appeals Procedures

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of Hearings and Appeals

43 CFR Part 4

RIN 1090-AA63

Department Hearings and Appeals Procedures

AGENCY: Office of Hearings and Appeals, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: This action extends the comment period an additional 60 days

on the Department of the Interior's Office of Hearings and Appeals'

proposal to amend its rules to provide that, except as otherwise

provided by law or other regulation, a decision will be stayed, if it

is appealed, until there is a dispositive decision on the appeal.

DATES: Comments are due to the agency on or before December 2, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Director, Office of Hearings and

Appeals, U.S. Department of the Interior, 4015 Wilson Blvd., Arlington,

VA 22203. Comments received will be available for inspection during

regular business hours (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) in the Office of the

Director, Office of Hearings and Appeals, 11th Floor, 4015 Wilson

Blvd., Arlington, VA. Persons wishing to inspect comments are requested

to call in advance at 703-235-3810 to make an appointment.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James L. Byrnes, Chief Administrative

Judge, Interior Board of Land Appeals, Office of Hearings and Appeals,

U.S. Department of the Interior, 4015 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA

22203. Telephone: 703-235-3750.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 19, 1997, the Department of the

Interior proposed to amend the regulation contained at 43 CFR 4.21

(August 28, 1997, 62 FR 45606.) Comments to this proposed rule were to

be received on or before September 29, 1997.

In a letter dated September 4, 1997, from the National Mining

Association (NMA) to the Director of the Office of Hearings and Appeals

(OHA), U.S. Department of the Interior, the NMA requested a 60-day

extension of the comment period for this proposed amendment because the

existing comment period did not allow adequate opportunity for comment,

and it needed more time to present the views of its member companies.

Also, in a letter dated September 12, 1997, from the Rocky Mountain Oil

and Gas Association (RMOGA) to the Director, OHA, that organization

requested a 60-day extension of the comment period. The RMOGA stated

that the current 30-day comment period would not allow the industry

adequate time to carefully analyze the proposed rule to determine the

potential effects, if any, on oil and gas activities on public lands.

The OHA has determined that an extension of time to obtain the

comments on the proposed rule from NMA and RMOGA is warranted and

therefore, the requested extension is granted. This notice announces

that 60-day extension of the comment period.

Dated: September 24, 1997.

Brooks B. Yeager,

Acting Assistant Secretary--Policy, Management and Budget.

[FR Doc. 97-26200 Filed 10-2-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-RK-M