Privacy Act of 1974; As Amended; Revisions to the Existing System of Records

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement

Privacy Act of 1974; As Amended; Revisions to the Existing System

of Records

AGENCY: Office of Surface Mining, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed revisions to an existing system of records.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (5

U.S.C. 552a), the Office of Surface Mining (OSM) is issuing public

notice of its intent to modify an existing Privacy Act system of

records notice, OSM-12, ``Application for Blaster Certification in

Federal Program States and on Indian Lands-Computer Tracking System.''

The revisions will update the System Name, System Location addresses,

System Manager(s), further define the Authority for Maintenance of the

System, and clarify the Notification Procedure and Record Access

Procedures.

EFFECTIVE DATE: 5 U.S.C. 552a (e)(11) requires that the public be

provided a 30-day period in which to comment on the intended use of the

information in the system of records. The Office of Management and

Budget, in its Circular A-130, requires an additional 10-day period

(for a total of 40 days in which to make these comments. Any persons

interested in commenting on this revised system of records may do so by

submitting comments in writing to the U.S. Department of the Interior,

Office of Surface Mining, Privacy Officer, 1951 Constitution Avenue,

NW, Mail Stop 262-SIB, Washington, DC 20240. Comments received within

40 days of publication in the Federal Register will be considered. The

system will be effective as proposed at the end of the comment period,

unless comments are received which would require a contrary

determination.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to the U.S. Department of the

Interior, Office of Surface Mining, Privacy Act Officer, Mail Stop 262-

SIB, 1951 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20240. You may also

hand deliver comments to the same address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Federal Blaster Certification Program

Coordinator, Office of Surface Mining, 530 Gay Street, SW, Suite 500,

Knoxville, Tennessee 37902.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Earlier Privacy Act Compilations list the

systems of records with the prefix ``OSMRE'' (e.g., OSMRE-12) as

originally published in the Federal Register. The prefix was changed to

``OSM'' in subsequent records systems for convenience. The OSM is

proposing to update and amend the system notice for OSM-12

``Application for Blaster Certification in Federal Program States and

on Indian Lands-Computer Tracking System,'' which was previously

published in the Federal Register on August 27, 1986 (51 FR 30554), to

more accurately and clearly describe the System Name, System Location,

System manager(s) and addresses. In addition, this revision further

defines the Authority for Maintenance of the System by adding one

citation, and clarifies the Notification Procedure and Record Access

Procedures.

Accordingly, the OSM proposes to amend the ``Application for

Blaster Certification in Federal Program States and on Indian Lands-

Computer Tracking System,'' OSM-12 in its entirety to read as follows:

Robert Ewing,

Chief Information Officer, Office of Surface Mining.

INTERIOR/OSM-12

SYSTEM NAME:

Blaster Certification, OSM-12.

SYSTEM LOCATION:

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM),

Department of the Interior, Washington, DC 20240 and Field Offices in

Knoxville, Tennessee; Casper, Wyoming; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and

Tacoma, Washington. For specific addresses of Field Offices contact the

program coordinator at the address given below.

CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM:

The system contains applicants for certification as blasters in

Federal Program States and on Indian Lands. Each application will be

for one type of blaster certificate or purpose, from the following

categories; issuance, renewal, reissuance, reexamination, replacement,

or reciprocity. The application form will contain information on;

personal data, examination dates, employment history, blasting

experience, education, blaster training, blaster certification history,

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law violation history, and personal affirmation of all of the above

information.

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:

(1) Complete application information submitted by candidate; (2)

Application Status Reports listing; the number received, incomplete,

complete and not scheduled for examination, list of rejected

applications, and list of applicants scheduled for examination; (3)

Report Generation menu, contains; summary report of receipt of

applications and alphabetic directory of Federal licensed blaster; (4)

Certification Status reports contain; listing of certifications due to

expire, expired certificates and a list or revoked or suspended

certificates; (5) Query processing sub-systems to access information on

candidates by social security number, last name, and print output of

entire application information.

AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:

The Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977, 30 U.S.C.

1201 et seq., and 30 CFR 750.19, 816.61, 900, 910, 912, 921, 922, 933,

937, 939, 941, 942, 947, and 955.

ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES

OF USERS AND THE PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:

The primary uses of the records are to: (a) Review and applicant's

background, status, employment history, blasting experience and

violation status; (b) record the fact that the person is in compliance

with specific State and Federal authority and regulations; (c) maintain

adequate control and access of record information; (d) serve as a tool

for OSM to grant as blaster certificate for issuance, renewal,

reissuance and reciprocity status, administration and notification

procedure; (e) provide an adequate system of records for the

Department, and for compliance within the Department for a Federal

program; (f) enable, OSM to track appropriate actions when a blasting

violation occurs, or a discrepancy with application information and the

affirmation by the applicant; (g) verify the status of a blaster when

queried by state or mining company official; and (h) enable OSM as the

regulatory authority to effectively monitor its program requirements.

Disclosure outside the Department of the Interior may be made to:

(1) The appropriate Federal, State, local or foreign agency responsible

for obtaining information relevant to a Federal blaster for

investigating, prosecuting, enforcing or implementing a statue, rule,

regulation or order when OSM becomes aware of an indication of a

violation or potential violation of civil or criminal law or

regulation; (2) the U.S. Department of Justice or in a proceeding

before a court or adjudicative body when; (a) the United States, the

Department of the Interior, a component of the Department, or, when

represented by the government, an employee of the Department is a party

to litigation or anticipated litigation or has an interest in such

litigation, and (b) the Department of the Interior determines that the

disclosure is relevant or necessary to the litigation and is compatible

with the purpose for which the records were compiled; (3) to a

congressional office from the record of an individual in response to an

inquiry the individual has made to the congressional office; (4) to a

State or mining company officials to verify that an individual is or is

not a certified blaster under the Federal programs.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORING, RETRIEVING, ACCESSING, RETAINING,

AND DISPOSING OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:

STORAGE:

Maintained in manual form in secured file cabinets; and recorded on

computer magnetic media.

RETRIEVABILITY:

For each Field Office, information is filed and retrievable by

social security number and last name alphabetically, or date of entry.

For each Field Office, information is filed alphabetically by

applicant, candidate, or blasters, and consolidated in summary format

at the Knoxville Field Office.

SAFEGUARDS:

Maintained in locked file cabinets for manual files, standard

password files on computer and software, and accessible only by those

authorized persons. Manual records are maintained in OSM areas occupied

by OSM personnel during working hours with buildings locked off hours.

RETENTION AND DISPOSAL:

Data stored on magnetic media will be retained until it is

determined that the information is no longer needed or required. Manual

records will be retained for a minimum of 6 years to serve as

verification and backup material. ADP printout records will be updated

and disposed of periodically, when superseded or recertification of a

certified blaster occurs. Records are disposed of in accordance with

items 25 through 30 of General Records Schedule 14.

SYSTEM MANAGER(S) AND ADDRESS:

Federal Blaster Certification Program Coordinator, Office of

Surface Mining, 530 Gay Street, SW, Suite 500, Knoxville, Tennessee

37902.

NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE:

To determine whether information is maintained on you in this

system, write to the appropriate State designated OSM Field Office

Director. See 43 CFR 2.60.

RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES:

To see your records, write to the State designated OSM Field Office

Director. Describe as specifically as possible the records sought and

mark the request ``Privacy Act Request for Access.'' See 43 CFR 2.63.

CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:

A petition for amendment shall be addressed to the designated OSM

Field Office Director and meet the content requirements of 43 CFR 2.71.

RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:

(1) Application for Blaster Certification in Federal Program States

and on Indian Lands. (2) Federal Blaster Examination Test Scores and

Status. (3) State program approved certified blasters records. (4)

State and Federal criminal or law violation records.

[FR Doc. 99-8843 Filed 4-8-99; 8:45 am]

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