---
kind: "section"
citation: "30 U.S.C. § 1244"
title: "30"
title_heading: "Mineral Lands and Mining"
number: "1244"
heading: "Remining incentives"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/30/1244"
units:
  - "Chapter 25 — Surface Mining Control and Reclamation"
  - "Subchapter IV — Abandoned Mine Reclamations"
---

# §1244. Remining incentives

- (a) **In general—** Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the [Secretary](/usc/30/1291.md?p=23) may, after opportunity for public comment, promulgate regulations that describe conditions under which amounts in the [fund](/usc/30/1291.md?p=7) may be used to provide incentives to promote remining of eligible land under [section 1234 of this title](/usc/30/1234.md) in a manner that leverages the use of amounts from the [fund](/usc/30/1291.md?p=7) to achieve more reclamation with respect to the eligible land than would be achieved without the incentives.
- (b) **Requirements—** Any regulations promulgated under [subsection (a)](#a) shall specify that the incentives shall apply only if the [Secretary](/usc/30/1291.md?p=23) determines, with the concurrence of the [State regulatory authority](/usc/30/1291.md?p=26) referred to in subchapter V, that, without the incentives, the eligible land would not be likely to be remined and reclaimed.
- (c) **Incentives—**
  - (1) **In general—** Incentives that may be considered for inclusion in the regulations promulgated under [subsection (a)](#a) include, but are not limited to—
    - (A) a rebate or waiver of the reclamation fees required under [section 1232(a) of this title](/usc/30/1232.md?p=a); and
    - (B) the use of amounts in the [fund](/usc/30/1291.md?p=7) to provide financial assurance for remining operations in lieu of all or a portion of the performance bonds required under [section 1259 of this title](/usc/30/1259.md).
  - (2) **Limitations—**
    - (A) **Use—** A rebate or waiver under [paragraph (1)(A)](#c-1-A) shall be used only for operations that—
      - (i) remove or reprocess abandoned coal mine waste; or
      - (ii) conduct remining activities that meet the priorities specified in paragraph (1) or (2) of [section 1233(a) of this title](/usc/30/1233.md?p=a).
    - (B) **Amount—** The amount of a rebate or waiver provided as an incentive under [paragraph (1)(A)](#c-1-A) to remine or reclaim eligible land shall not exceed the estimated cost of reclaiming the eligible land under this section.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 95–87, title IV, § 415, as added Pub. L. 109–432, div. C, title II, § 207, Dec. 20, 2006, 120 Stat. 3018.)