Montana Regulatory Program; Reopening Comment Period

We, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), are reopening the public comment period in response to feedback received in response to a concern letter for a proposed amendment to the Montana regulatory program (hereinafter, the Montana program) under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA or the Act). Montana proposed this amendment to OSMRE, on its own initiative, following its passing of Montana House Bill 576 (2023), which amends the Montana Code Annotated (Mont. Code Ann.). Montana proposes changes to the definition of material damage and changes to permit requirements related to hydrologic information. HB 576 also adds four contingencies to the proposed amendments of the Mont. Code Ann.: a severability clause, a contingent voidness clause, an effective date clause, and a retroactive applicability clause. This document gives the times and locations that the Montana program and this revised proposed amendment to that program are available for your inspection and the comment period during which you may submit written comments on the revised amendment.