§661. Short title; definitions — Inbound Citations
30 U.S.C. § 661
Cited by 565 provisions in release 119-102.
Citations to §661(b)(1)
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The Secretary of the Interior, acting through the United States Bureau of Mines, is authorized and directed to establish, equip, and maintain a research laboratory in the anthracite region of Pennsylvania to conduct researches and investigations on the mining, preparation, and utilization of anthracite coal and to develop new scientific, chemical, and technical uses and new and extended markets and outlets for anthracite coal and its products. Such laboratory shall be planned as a center for information and assistance in matters pertaining to conserving resources for national defense; to the more efficient mining, preparation, and utilization of anthracite coal; and pertaining to safety, health, and sanitation in mining operations and other matters relating to problems of the anthracite industry.
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The Congress declares that it is the continuing policy of the Federal Government in the national interest to foster and encourage private enterprise in (1) the development of economically sound and stable domestic mining, minerals, metal and mineral reclamation industries, (2) the orderly and economic development of domestic mineral resources, reserves, and reclamation of metals and minerals to help assure satisfaction of industrial, security and environmental needs, (3) mining, mineral, and metallurgical research, including the use and recycling of scrap to promote the wise and efficient use of our natural and reclaimable mineral resources, and (4) the study and development of methods for the disposal, control, and reclamation of mineral waste products, and the reclamation of mined land, so as to lessen any adverse impact of mineral extraction and processing upon the physical environment that may result from mining or mineral activities.
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The Secretary of the Interior, acting through the United States Bureau of Mines, is authorized and directed to establish, equip, and maintain a research laboratory in the lignite-consuming region of North Dakota to conduct researches and investigations on the mining, preparation, and utilization of lignite coal and to develop new scientific, chemical, and technical uses and new and extended markets and outlets for lignite coal and its products. Such laboratory shall be planned as a center for information and assistance in matters pertaining to conserving lignite coal resources for national defense and security; to the more efficient mining, preparation, and utilization of lignite coal; and pertaining to safety, health, and sanitation in mining operations and other matters relating to problems of the lignite industry.
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The Secretary of the Interior, acting through the United States Bureau of Mines, is authorized and directed to establish, equip, and maintain a research laboratory at Reno, Nevada, for research, investigation, and as a center for information and assistance in matters pertaining to the mining, preparation, metallurgy, use, and conservation of the rare and precious metals of the Sierra Nevada mining region, and pertaining to other problems affecting the mining industry of that region.
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(a) to conduct surveys, investigations, and research relating to the causes and extent of outcrop and underground fires in coal formations and the methods for control or extinguishment of such fires; to publish the results of any such surveys, investigations, and researches; and to disseminate information concerning such method; and
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(1) develop through research, new and more efficient methods of mining, preparing, and utilizing coal;
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Research authorized by this chapter may be conducted wherever suitable personnel and facilities are available.
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No research shall be carried out, contracted for, sponsored, cosponsored, or authorized under authority of this chapter, unless all information, uses, products, processes, patents, and other developments resulting from such research will (with such exceptions and limitations, if any, as the Secretary may find to be necessary in the interest of national defense) be available to the general public. Whenever in the estimation of the Secretary the purposes of this chapter would be furthered through the use of patented processes or equipment, the Secretary is authorized to enter into such agreements as he deems necessary for the acquisition or use of such patents on reasonable terms and conditions.
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(g) it is the purpose of this chapter (1) to establish interim mandatory health and safety standards and to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Labor to develop and promulgate improved mandatory health or safety standards to protect the health and safety of the Nation’s coal or other miners; (2) to require that each operator of a coal or other mine and every miner in such mine comply with such standards; (3) to cooperate with, and provide assistance to, the States in the development and enforcement of effective State coal or other mine health and safety programs; and (4) to improve and expand, in cooperation with the States and the coal or other mining industry, research and development and training programs aimed at preventing coal or other mine accidents and occupationally caused diseases in the industry.
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(1) Whenever the Secretary, upon the basis of information submitted to him in writing by an interested person, a representative of any organization of employers or employees, a nationally recognized standards-producing organization, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, or a State or political subdivision, or on the basis of information developed by the Secretary or otherwise available to him, determines that a rule should be promulgated in order to serve the objectives of this chapter, the Secretary may request the recommendation of an advisory committee appointed under section 812(c) of this title. The Secretary shall provide such an advisory committee with any proposals of his own or of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, together with all pertinent factual information developed by the Secretary or the Secretary of Health and Human Services, or otherwise available, including the results of research, demonstrations, and experiments. An advisory committee shall submit to the Secretary its recommendations regarding the rule to be promulgated within 60 days from the date of its appointment or within such longer or shorter period as may be prescribed by the Secretary, but in no event for a period which is longer than 180 days. When the Secretary receives a recommendation, accompanied by appropriate criteria, from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health that a rule be promulgated, modified, or revoked, the Secretary must, within 60 days after receipt thereof, refer such recommendation to an advisory committee pursuant to this paragraph, or publish such as a proposed rule pursuant to paragraph (2), or publish in the Federal Register his determination not to do so, and his reasons therefor. The Secretary shall be required to request the recommendations of an advisory committee appointed under section 812(c) of this title if the rule to be promulgated is, in the discretion of the Secretary which shall be final, new in effect or application and has significant economic impact.
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(A) The Secretary, in promulgating mandatory standards dealing with toxic materials or harmful physical agents under this subsection, shall set standards which most adequately assure on the basis of the best available evidence that no miner will suffer material impairment of health or functional capacity even if such miner has regular exposure to the hazards dealt with by such standard for the period of his working life. Development of mandatory standards under this subsection shall be based upon research, demonstrations, experiments, and such other information as may be appropriate. In addition to the attainment of the highest degree of health and safety protection for the miner, other considerations shall be the latest available scientific data in the field, the feasibility of the standards, and experience gained under this and other health and safety laws. Whenever practicable, the mandatory health or safety standard promulgated shall be expressed in terms of objective criteria and of the performance desired.
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(7) Any mandatory health or safety standard promulgated under this subsection shall prescribe the use of labels or other appropriate forms of warning as are necessary to insure that miners are apprised of all hazards to which they are exposed, relevant symptoms and appropriate emergency treatment, and proper conditions and precautions of safe use or exposure. Where appropriate, such mandatory standard shall also prescribe suitable protective equipment and control or technological procedures to be used in connection with such hazards and shall provide for monitoring or measuring miner exposure at such locations and intervals, and in such manner so as to assure the maximum protection of miners. In addition, where appropriate, any such mandatory standard shall prescribe the type and frequency of medical examinations or other tests which shall be made available, by the operator at his cost, to miners exposed to such hazards in order to most effectively determine whether the health of such miners is adversely affected by such exposure. Where appropriate, the mandatory standard shall provide that where a determination is made that a miner may suffer material impairment of health or functional capacity by reason of exposure to the hazard covered by such mandatory standard, that miner shall be removed from such exposure and reassigned. Any miner transferred as a result of such exposure shall continue to receive compensation for such work at no less than the regular rate of pay for miners in the classification such miner held immediately prior to his transfer. In the event of the transfer of a miner pursuant to the preceding sentence, increases in wages of the transferred miner shall be based upon the new work classification. In the event such medical examinations are in the nature of research, as determined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, such examinations may be furnished at the expense of the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The results of examinations or tests made pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be furnished only to the Secretary or the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and, at the request of the miner, to his designated physician.
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(1) The Secretary of the Interior shall appoint an advisory committee on coal or other mine safety research composed of—(A) the Director of the Office of Science and Technology or his delegate, with the consent of the Director;(B) the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of Commerce, or his delegate, with the consent of the Director;(C) the Director of the National Science Foundation, or his delegate, with the consent of the Director; and(D) such other persons as the Secretary of the Interior may appoint who are knowledgeable in the field of coal or other mine safety research.The Secretary of the Interior shall designate the chairman of the committee.
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(D) such other persons as the Secretary of the Interior may appoint who are knowledgeable in the field of coal or other mine safety research.
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(2) The advisory committee shall consult with, and make recommendations to, the Secretary of the Interior on matters involving or relating to coal or other mine safety research. The Secretary of the Interior shall consult with, and consider the recommendations of, such committee in the conduct of such research, the making of any grants, and the entering into of contracts for such research.
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(1) The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall appoint an advisory committee on coal or other mine health research composed of—(A) the Director, United States Bureau of Mines, or his delegate, with the consent of the Director;(B) the Director of the National Science Foundation, or his delegate, with the consent of the Director;(C) the Director of the National Institutes of Health, or his delegate, with the consent of the Director; and(D) such other persons as the Secretary of Health and Human Services may appoint who are knowledgeable in the field of coal or other mine health research.The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall designate the chairman of the committee.
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(D) such other persons as the Secretary of Health and Human Services may appoint who are knowledgeable in the field of coal or other mine health research.
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(2) The advisory committee shall consult with, and make recommendations to, the Secretary of Health and Human Services on matters involving or relating to coal or other mine health research. The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall consult with, and consider the recommendations of, such committee in the conduct of such research, the making of any grants, and the entering into of contracts for such research.
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(b) The purpose of this subchapter is to provide for the immediate application of mandatory safety standards developed on the basis of experience and advances in technology and to prevent newly created hazards resulting from new technology in coal mining. The Secretary of the Interior in coordination with the Secretary shall immediately initiate studies, investigations, and research to further upgrade such standards and to develop and promulgate new and improved standards promptly that will provide increased protection to the miners, particularly in connection with hazards from trolley wires, trolley feeder wires, and signal wires, the splicing and use of trailing cables, and in connection with improvements in vulcanizing of electric conductors, improvement in roof control measures, methane drainage in advance of mining, improved methods of measuring methane and other explosive gases and oxygen concentrations, and the use of improved underground equipment and other sources of power for such equipment.
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(ii) reflect the most recent credible scientific research;
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(b) The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall initiate research within the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and is authorized to make research grants to public and private agencies and organizations and individuals for the purpose of devising simple and effective tests to measure, detect, and treat respiratory and pulmonary impairments in active and inactive coal miners. Any grant made pursuant to this subsection shall be conditioned upon all information, uses, products, processes, patents, and other developments resulting from such research being available to the general public, except to the extent of such exceptions and limitations as the Secretary of Health and Human Services may deem necessary in the public interest.
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(a) The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, as appropriate, shall conduct such studies, research, experiments, and demonstrations as may be appropriate—(1) to improve working conditions and practices in coal or other mines, and to prevent accidents and occupational diseases originating in the coal or other mining industry;(2) to develop new or improved methods of recovering persons in coal or other mines after an accident;(3) to develop new or improved means and methods of communication from the surface to the underground area of a coal or other mine;(4) to develop new or improved means and methods of reducing concentrations of respirable dust in the mine atmosphere of active workings of the coal or other mine;(5) to develop epidemiological information to (A) identify and define positive factors involved in occupational diseases of miners, (B) provide information on the incidence and prevalence of pneumoconiosis and other respiratory ailments of miners, and (C) improve mandatory health standards;(6) to develop techniques for the prevention and control of occupational diseases of miners, including tests for hypersusceptibility and early detection;(7) to evaluate the effect on bodily impairment and occupational disability of miners afflicted with an occupational disease;(8) to prepare and publish from time to time, reports on all significant aspects of occupational diseases of miners as well as on the medical aspects of injuries, other than diseases, which are revealed by the research carried on pursuant to this subsection;(9) to study the relationship between coal or other mine environments and occupational diseases of miners;(10) to develop new and improved underground equipment and other sources of power for such equipment which will provide greater safety;(11) to determine, upon the written request by any operator or authorized representative of miners, specifying with reasonable particularity the grounds upon which such request is made, whether any substance normally found in a coal or other mine has potentially toxic effects in the concentrations normally found in the coal or other mine or whether any physical agents or equipment found or used in a coal or other mine has potentially hazardous effects, and shall submit such determinations to both the operators and miners as soon as possible; and(12) for such other purposes as they deem necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter.
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(c) In carrying out the provisions for research, demonstrations, experiments, studies, training, and education under this section and sections 861(b) and 952(a) of this title, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Health and Human Services in coordination with the Secretary may enter into contracts with, and make grants to, public and private agencies and organizations and individuals. No research, demonstrations, or experiments shall be carried out, contracted for, sponsored, cosponsored, or authorized under authority of this chapter, unless all information, uses, products, processes, patents, and other developments resulting from such research, demonstrations, or experiments will (with such exception and limitation, if any, as the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Health and Human Services in coordination with the Secretary may find to be necessary in the public interest) be available to the general public.
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(d) The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall also conduct studies and research into matters involving the protection of life and the prevention of diseases in connection with persons, who although not miners, work with, or around the products of, coal or other mines in areas outside of such mines and under conditions which may adversely affect the health and well-being of such persons.
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(2) The Plan shall identify the goals and objectives of the Health, Safety, and Mining Technology program of the Bureau of Mines, and shall guide research and technology development under such program, over each 5-year period.
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(3) In preparing the proposed Plan referred to in paragraph (1), the Director shall solicit suggestions, comments and proposals for research and technology development projects from the mining industry, labor, academia and other concerned groups and individuals.
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(b) For the purposes of section 951(b) of this title, as amended, activities in the field of coal or other mine health under such section shall also be carried out by the Secretary of the Interior acting through the Director of the Bureau of Mines. Nothing in this subsection is intended to preclude or duplicate the ongoing research activities of the Bureau of Mines on health hazards safety technology or research conducted by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health on coal mine safety and health effects.
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(3) The Secretary of the Interior shall conduct his safety research responsibilities under section 951 of this title in coordination with the Secretary of Labor, and the Secretaries of Labor and the Interior are authorized to enter into contractual or other agreements for the performance of such safety related research.
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(2) provides research and planning studies to carry out plans designed to improve State workmen’s compensation and occupational disease laws and programs, as they relate to compensation to miners for occupationally caused diseases and injuries arising out of employment in any coal or other mine;
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(1) Under the program under subsection (a), the Secretary may award scholarships to fully or partially pay the tuition costs of eligible individuals enrolled in undergraduate bachelor’s degree, masters degree, and Ph.D. degree programs at accredited colleges or universities that provide the skills needed to augment and advance research in mine safety and to broaden, improve, and expand the universe of candidates for mine safety inspector and other regulatory positions in the Mine Safety and Health Administration.
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(2) As part of the monitoring program required by paragraph (1), the Secretary shall establish a research program to collect and assess data on the geothermal resources within units of the National Park System with significant thermal features. Such program shall be carried out by the National Park Service in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey and shall begin with the collection and assessment of data for significant thermal features near current or proposed geothermal development and shall also include such features near areas of potential geothermal development.
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(l) stimulate, sponsor, provide for and/or supplement present programs for the conduct of research investigations, experiments, and demonstrations, in the exploration, extraction, processing, development, and production of minerals and the training of mineral engineers and scientists in the field of mining, minerals resources, and technology, and the establishment of an appropriate research and training center in various States; and
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(5) administer the surface mining and reclamation research and demonstration project authority provided for in this chapter;
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(11) monitor all Federal and State research programs dealing with coal extraction and use and recommend to Congress the research and demonstration projects and necessary changes in public policy which are designated to (A) improve feasibility of underground coal mining, and (B) improve surface mining and reclamation techniques directed at eliminating adverse environmental and social impacts;
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(1) There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of the Interior (hereafter in this subchapter referred to as the “Secretary”) funds adequate to provide for each participating State $400,000 for each of the fiscal years ending September 30, 1990, through September 30, 1994, to assist the States in carrying on the work of a competent and qualified mining and mineral resources research institute or center (hereafter in this subchapter referred to as the “institute”) at one public college or university in the State which meets the eligibility criteria established in section 1230 of this title.
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(C) Where a State does not have a public college or university eligible under section 1230 of this title, the Committee on Mining and Mineral Resources Research established in section 1229 of this title (hereafter in this subchapter referred to as the “Committee”) may allocate the State’s allotment to one private college or university which it determines to be eligible under such section.
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(b) It shall be the duty of each institute to plan and conduct, or arrange for a component or components of the college or university with which it is affiliated to conduct research, investigations, demonstrations, and experiments of either, or both, a basic or practical nature in relation to mining and mineral resources, and to provide for the training of mineral engineers and scientists through such research, investigations, demonstrations, and experiments. The subject of such research, investigation, demonstration, experiment, and training may include exploration; extraction; processing; development; production of fuel and nonfuel mineral resources; mining and mineral technology; supply and demand for minerals; conservation and best use of available supplies of minerals; the economic, legal, social, engineering, recreational, biological, geographic, ecological, and other aspects of mining, mineral resources, and mineral reclamation. Such research, investigation, demonstration, experiment and training shall consider the interrelationship with the natural environment, the varying conditions and needs of the respective States, and mining and mineral resources research projects being conducted by agencies of the Federal and State governments and other institutes.
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(2) research into any aspects of mining and mineral resources problems related to the mission of the Department of the Interior, which are deemed by the Committee to be desirable and are not otherwise being studied.
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(b) Each application for funds under subsection (a) of this section shall state, among other things, the nature of the project to be undertaken; the period during which it will be pursued; the qualifications of the personnel who will direct and conduct it; the estimated costs; the importance of the project to the Nation, region, or State concerned; its relation to other known research projects theretofore pursued or being pursued; the extent to which the proposed project will provide opportunity for the training of mining and mineral engineers and scientists; and the extent of participation by nongovernmental sources in the project.
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(c) The Committee shall review all such funding applications and recommend to the Secretary the use of the institutes, insofar as practicable, to perform special research. Recommendations shall be made without regard to the race, religion, or sex of the personnel who will conduct and direct the research, and on the basis of the facilities available in relation to the particular needs of the research project; special geographic, geologic, or climatic conditions within the immediate vicinity of the institute; any other special requirements of the research project; and the extent to which such project will provide an opportunity for training individuals as mineral engineers and scientists. The Committee shall recommend to the Secretary the designation and utilization of such portions of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this section as it deems appropriate for the purpose of providing scholarships, graduate fellowships, and postdoctoral fellowships.
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(b) The institutes are authorized and encouraged to plan and conduct programs under this subchapter in cooperation with each other and with such other agencies and individuals as may contribute to the solution of the mining and mineral resources problems involved. Moneys appropriated pursuant to this subchapter shall be available for paying the necessary expenses of planning, coordinating, and conducting such cooperative research.
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(a) The Secretary, acting through the Director of the United States Bureau of Mines, shall administer this subchapter and, after full consultation with other interested Federal agencies, shall prescribe such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out its provisions. The Secretary shall furnish such advice and assistance as will best promote the purposes of this subchapter, shall participate in coordinating research initiated under this subchapter by the institutes, shall indicate to them such lines of inquiry that seem most important, and shall encourage and assist in the establishment and maintenance of cooperation by and between the institutes and between them and other research organizations, the United States Department of the Interior, and other Federal establishments.
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(a) The Secretary shall obtain the continuing advice and cooperation of all agencies of the Federal Government concerned with mining and mineral resources, of State and local governments, and of private institutions and individuals to assure that the programs authorized by this subchapter will supplement and not be redundant with respect to established mining and minerals research programs, and to stimulate research in otherwise neglected areas, and to contribute to a comprehensive nationwide program of mining and minerals research, with due regard for the protection and conservation of the environment. The Secretary shall make generally available information and reports on projects completed, in progress, or planned under the provisions of this subchapter, in addition to any direct publication of information by the institutes themselves.
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(b) Nothing in this subchapter is intended to give or shall be construed as giving the Secretary any authority over mining and mineral resources research conducted by any agency of the Federal Government, or as repealing or diminishing existing authorities or responsibilities of any agency of the Federal Government to plan and conduct, contract for, or assist in research in its area of responsibility and concern with regard to mining and mineral resources.
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(c) No research, demonstration, or experiment shall be carried out under this subchapter by an institute financed by grants under this subchapter, unless all uses, products, processes, patents, and other developments resulting therefrom, with such exception or limitation, if any, as the Secretary may find necessary in the public interest, are made available promptly to the general public. Patentable inventions shall be governed by the provisions of Public Law 96–517. Nothing contained in this section shall deprive the owner of any background patent relating to any such activities of any rights which that owner may have under that patent.
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The Secretary shall establish a center for cataloging current and projected scientific research in all fields of mining and mineral resources. Each Federal agency doing mining and mineral resources research shall cooperate by providing the cataloging center with information on work underway or scheduled by it. The cataloging center shall classify and maintain for public use a catalog of mining and mineral resources research and investigation projects in progress or scheduled by all Federal agencies and by such non-Federal agencies of government, colleges, universities, private institutions, firms, and individuals as may make such information available.
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(1) continuing review of the adequacy of the Government-wide program in mining and mineral resources research;
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(3) identification of technical needs in various mining and mineral resources research categories;
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(5) review of technical manpower needs, and findings concerning management policies to improve the quality of the Government-wide research effort; and
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(1) the Assistant Secretary of the Interior responsible for minerals and mining research, or his delegate;(2) the Director, United States Bureau of Mines, or his delegate;(3) the Director, United States Geological Survey, or his delegate;(4) the Director of the National Science Foundation, or his delegate;(5) the President, National Academy of Sciences, or his delegate;(6) the President, National Academy of Engineering, or his delegate; and(7) not more than 7 other persons who are knowledgeable in the fields of mining and mineral resources research, including two university administrators involved in the conduct of programs authorized by this subchapter, 3 representatives from the mining industry, a working miner, and a representative from the conservation community. In making these 7 appointments, the Secretary shall consult with interested groups.
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(7) not more than 7 other persons who are knowledgeable in the fields of mining and mineral resources research, including two university administrators involved in the conduct of programs authorized by this subchapter, 3 representatives from the mining industry, a working miner, and a representative from the conservation community. In making these 7 appointments, the Secretary shall consult with interested groups.
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(b) The Committee shall consult with, and make recommendations to, the Secretary on all matters relating to mining and mineral resources research and the determinations that are required to be made under this subchapter. The Secretary shall consult with, and consider recommendations of, such Committee in such matters.
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(e) The Committee shall develop a national plan for research in mining and mineral resources, considering ongoing efforts in the universities, the Federal Government, and the private sector, and shall formulate and recommend a program to implement the plan utilizing resources provided for under this subchapter. The Committee shall submit such plan to the Secretary, the President, and the Congress on or before March 1, 1986, and shall submit an annual update of such plan by January 15 of each calendar year.
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(a) The Committee shall determine the eligibility of a college or university to participate as a mining and mineral resources research institute under this subchapter using criteria which include—(1) the presence of a substantial program of graduate instruction and research in mining or mineral extraction or closely related fields which has a demonstrated history of achievement;(2) evidence of institutional commitment for the purposes of this subchapter;(3) evidence that such institution has or can obtain significant industrial cooperation in activities within the scope of this subchapter; and(4) the presence of an engineering program in mining or minerals extraction that is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, or evidence of equivalent institutional capability as determined by the Committee.
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(1) the presence of a substantial program of graduate instruction and research in mining or mineral extraction or closely related fields which has a demonstrated history of achievement;
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(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a), those colleges or universities which, on October 12, 1988, have a mining or mineral resources research institute program which has been found to be eligible pursuant to this subchapter shall continue to be eligible subject to review at least once during the period authorized by the Mining and Mineral Resources Research Institute Amendments of 1988, under the provisions of subsection (a). The results of such review shall be submitted by January 15, 1992, pursuant to section 11(a)(2) of the Mining and Mineral Resources Research Institute Amendments of 1988.
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(2) Generic mineral technology centers established by the Secretary under this subchapter are to be composed of institutes eligible pursuant to subsection (a). Existing generic mineral technology centers shall continue to be eligible under this subchapter subject to at least one review prior to January 15, 1992, pursuant to section 11(a)(3) of the Mining and Mineral Resources Research Institute Amendments of 1988.
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(3) has expertise in materials and advanced processing research; and
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(5) in the case of proposed research and demonstration projects, a description of the specific techniques to be evaluated or objective to be attained;
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(31) the term “coal laboratory”, as used in subchapter VIII, means a university coal research laboratory established and operated pursuant to a designation made under section 1311 of this title;
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The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement is authorized to conduct studies, research and demonstration projects relating to the implementation of, and compliance with, subchapter V of this chapter, and provide technical assistance to states1 for that purpose. Prior to approving any such studies, research or demonstration projects the Director, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, shall first consult with the Director, Bureau of Mines, and obtain a determination from such Director that the Bureau of Mines is not already conducting like or similar studies, research or demonstration projects. Studies, research and demonstration projects for the purposes of subchapter IV of this chapter shall only be conducted in accordance with section 1231(c)(6)2 of this title.
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(a) The Secretary of Energy, after consultation with the National Academy of Engineering, shall designate thirteen institutions of higher education at which university coal research laboratories will be established and operated. Ten such designations shall be made as provided in subsection (e) and the remaining three shall be made in fiscal year 1980.
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(2) The institution of higher education shall have experience in coal research, expertise in several areas of coal research, and potential or currently active, outstanding programs in coal research.
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(1) describe the facilities to be established for coal energy resources and conversion research and research on related environmental problems including facilities for interdisciplinary academic research projects by the combined efforts of specialists such as mining engineers, mineral engineers, geochemists, mineralogists, mineral economists, fuel scientists, combustion engineers, mineral preparation engineers, coal petrographers, geologists, chemical engineers, civil engineers, mechanical engineers, and ecologists;
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(3) set forth a program for providing research and development activities for students engaged in advanced study in any discipline which is related to the development of adequate energy supplies in the United States. The research laboratory shall be associated with an ongoing educational and research program on extraction and utilization of coal.
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(a) No institutions of higher education may receive more than $4,000,000 for the construction of its coal research laboratory, including initially installed fixed equipment, nor may it receive more than $1,500,000 for initially installed movable equipment, nor may it receive more than $500,000 for new program startup expenses.
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(b) The Federal share of operating expenses for any fiscal year shall not exceed 50 per centum of the cost of the operation of a coal research laboratory.
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(a) There is established an Advisory Council on Coal Research which shall be composed of—(1) the Secretary of Energy, who shall be Chairman;(2) the Director of the United States Bureau of Mines of the Department of the Interior;(3) the President of the National Academy of Sciences;(4) the President of the National Academy of Engineering;(5) the Director of the United States Geological Survey; and(6) six members appointed by the Secretary of Energy from among individuals who, by virtue of experience or training, are knowledgeable in the field of coal research and mining, and who are representatives of institutions of higher education, industrial users of coal and coal-derived fuels, the coal industry, mine workers, nonindustrial consumer groups, and institutions concerned with the preservation of the environment.
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(6) six members appointed by the Secretary of Energy from among individuals who, by virtue of experience or training, are knowledgeable in the field of coal research and mining, and who are representatives of institutions of higher education, industrial users of coal and coal-derived fuels, the coal industry, mine workers, nonindustrial consumer groups, and institutions concerned with the preservation of the environment.
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(a) The Secretary of Energy is authorized to award under the provisions of this subchapter not to exceed one thousand fellowships for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1979, and each of the five succeeding fiscal years. Fellowships shall be awarded under the provisions of this subchapter for graduate study and research in those areas of applied science and engineering that are related to the production, conservation, and utilization of fuels and energy. Fellowships shall be awarded to students in programs leading to master’s degrees. Such fellowships may be awarded for graduate study and research at any institution of higher education, library, archive, or any other research center approved by the Secretary of Energy after consultation with the Secretary of Education.
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(c) In addition to the number of fellowships authorized to be awarded by subsection (a) of this section, the Secretary of Energy is authorized to award fellowships equal to the number previously awarded during any fiscal year under this subchapter but vacated prior to the end of the period for which they were awarded; except that each fellowship awarded under this subsection shall be for such period of graduate work or research, not in excess of the remainder of the period for which the fellowship which it replaces was awarded as the Secretary of Energy may determine.
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In awarding fellowships under the provisions of this subchapter, the Secretary of Energy shall endeavor to provide equitable distribution of such fellowships throughout the Nation, except that the Secretary of Energy shall give special attention to institutions of higher education, libraries, archives, or other research centers which have a demonstrated capacity to offer courses of study or research in the field of energy resources and conservation and conversion and related disciplines. In carrying out his responsibilities under this section, the Secretary of Energy shall take into consideration the projected need for highly trained engineers and scientists in the field of energy sources.
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(a) A person awarded a fellowship under the provisions of this subchapter shall continue to receive the payments provided in section 1324(a) of this title only during such periods as the Secretary of Energy finds that he is maintaining satisfactory proficiency in, and devoting essentially full time to, study or research in the field in which such fellowship was awarded, in an institution of higher education, and is not engaging in gainful employment other than part-time employment in teaching, research, or similar activities, approved by the Secretary of Energy.
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(b) The Secretary of Energy shall require reports containing such information in such forms and to be filed at such times as he determines necessary from each person awarded a fellowship under the provisions of this subchapter. Such reports shall be accompanied by a certificate from an appropriate official at the institution of higher education, library, archive, or other research center approved by the Secretary of Energy, stating that such person is making satisfactory progress in, and is devoting essentially full time to the research for which the fellowship was awarded.
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(a) The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to conduct and promote the coordination and acceleration of, research, studies, surveys, experiments, demonstration projects, and training relating to—(1) the development and application of coal mining technologies which provide alternatives to surface disturbance and which maximize the recovery of available coal resources, including the improvement of present underground mining methods, methods for the return of underground mining wastes to the mine void, methods for the underground mining of thick coal seams and very deep seams; and(2) safety and health in the application of such technologies, methods, and means.
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(d) At least sixty days before any funds are obligated for any research studies, surveys, experiments or demonstration projects to be conducted or financed under this chapter in any fiscal year, the Secretary of the Interior in consultation with the heads of other Federal agencies having the authority to conduct or finance such projects, shall determine and publish such determinations in the Federal Register that such projects are not being conducted or financed by any other Federal agency. On December 31 of each calendar year, the Secretary shall report to the Congress on the research studies, surveys, experiments or demonstration projects, conducted or financed under this chapter, including, but not limited to, a statement of the nature and purpose of each project, the Federal cost thereof, the identity and affiliation of the persons engaged in such projects, the expected completion date of the projects and the relationship of the projects to other such projects of a similar nature.
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(e) Subject to the patent provisions of section 306(d) of this Act,1 all information and data resulting from any research studies, surveys, experiments, or demonstration projects conducted or financed under this chapter shall be promptly made available to the public.
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(A) Scientific research, including that concerning hard mineral resources.
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(2) The Administrator also shall conduct a continuing program of ocean research to support environmental assessment activity through the period of exploration and commercial recovery authorized by this chapter. The program shall include the development, acceleration, and expansion, as appropriate, of studies of the ecological, geological, and physical aspects of the deep seabed in general areas of the ocean where exploration and commercial development under the authority of this chapter are likely to occur, including, but not limited to—(A) natural diversity of the deep seabed biota;(B) life histories of major benthic, midwater, and surface organisms most likely to be affected by commercial recovery activities;(C) long- and short-term effects of commercial recovery on the deep seabed biota; and(D) assessment of the effects of seabased processing activities.Within 160 days after June 28, 1980, the Administrator shall prepare a plan to carry out the program described in this subsection, including necessary funding levels for the next five fiscal years, and shall submit the plan to the Congress.
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(4) promote a vigorous, comprehensive, and coordinated program of materials research and development consistent with the policies and priorities set forth in the National Science and Technology Policy, Organization, and Priorities Act of 1976 (42 U.S.C. 6601 et seq.);
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(A) educational and research capabilities at not lower than the secondary school level; and
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(2) support basic and applied research and development to provide for, among other objectives—(A) advanced science and technology for the exploration, discovery, and recovery of nonfuel materials;(B) enhanced methods or processes for the more efficient production and use of renewable and nonrenewable resources;(C) improved methods for the extraction, processing, use, recovery, and recycling of materials which encourage the conservation of materials, energy, and the environment; and(D) improved understanding of current and new materials performance, processing, substitution, and adaptability in engineering designs;
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(4) assess the need for and make recommendations concerning the availability and adequacy of supply of technically trained personnel necessary for materials research, development, extraction, harvest and industrial practice, paying particular regard to the problem of attracting and maintaining high quality materials professionals in the Federal service;
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(2) increase the level of mining and metallurgical research by the United States Geological Survey in critical and strategic minerals; and
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(1) The Secretary of Energy (referred to in this subsection as the “Secretary”) shall conduct a program (referred to in this subsection as the “program”) of research, development, demonstration, and commercialization—(A) to develop alternatives to critical materials that do not occur in significant abundance in the United States;(B) to promote the efficient production, use, and recycling of critical materials, with special consideration for domestic critical materials, throughout the supply chain;(C) to ensure the long-term, secure, and sustainable supply of critical materials; and(D) to prioritize work in areas that the private sector by itself is not likely to undertake due to financial or technical limitations.
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(H) advanced theoretical, computational, and experimental tools necessary to support the crosscutting research and development needs of diverse critical minerals stakeholders.
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(i) the research and development activities to be carried out under the program during the subsequent 2 years;
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(A) Not later than 1 year after December 27, 2020, the Secretary shall establish and operate a Critical Materials Consortium (referred to in this paragraph as the “Consortium”) for the purpose of supporting the program by providing, to the maximum extent practicable, a centralized entity for multidisciplinary, collaborative, critical materials research and development.
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(B) shall provide an integrated, rapidly reconfigurable research platform.
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(D) assist scientists and engineers in making the fullest possible use of the relevant data holdings of the Departments, including the scientific and technical data generated by the research and development activities funded under subsection (g);
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(1) Not later than 1 year and 300 days after December 27, 2020, the Secretary of Labor (in consultation with the Secretary, the Director of the National Science Foundation, institutions of higher education with substantial expertise in mining, institutions of higher education with significant expertise in minerals research, including fundamental research into alternatives, and employers in the critical minerals sector) shall submit to Congress an assessment of the domestic availability of technically trained personnel necessary for critical mineral exploration, development, assessment, production, manufacturing, recycling, analysis, forecasting, education, and research, including an analysis of—(A) skills that are in the shortest supply as of the date of the assessment;(B) skills that are projected to be in short supply in the future;(C) the demographics of the critical minerals industry and how the demographics will evolve under the influence of factors such as an aging workforce;(D) the effectiveness of training and education programs in addressing skills shortages;(E) opportunities to hire locally for new and existing critical mineral activities;(F) the sufficiency of personnel within relevant areas of the Federal Government for achieving the policies described in section 1602 of this title; and(G) the potential need for new training programs to have a measurable effect on the supply of trained workers in the critical minerals industry.
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(i) to design an interdisciplinary program on critical minerals that will support the critical mineral supply chain and improve the ability of the United States to increase domestic, critical mineral exploration, development, production, manufacturing, research, including fundamental research into alternatives, and recycling;
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(ii) to address undergraduate and graduate education, especially to assist in the development of graduate level programs of research and instruction that lead to advanced degrees with an emphasis on the critical mineral supply chain or other positions that will increase domestic, critical mineral exploration, development, production, manufacturing, research, including fundamental research into alternatives, and recycling;
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(iii) to develop guidelines for proposals from institutions of higher education with substantial capabilities in the required disciplines for activities to improve the critical mineral supply chain and advance the capacity of the United States to increase domestic, critical mineral exploration, research, development, production, manufacturing, and recycling; and
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(i) startup costs for newly designated faculty positions in integrated critical mineral education, research, innovation, training, and workforce development programs consistent with paragraph (2);
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(iv) research of critical minerals and their applications, particularly concerning the manufacture of critical components vital to national security.
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(A) a research or educational entity chartered or incorporated under Federal or State law;
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(a) The Secretary shall establish and carry out a program of research on marine mineral resources.
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(1) promote research, identification, assessment, and exploration of marine mineral resources in an environmentally responsible manner;
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(3) coordinate and promote the use of technologies developed with Federal assistance, and the use of available Federal assets, for research, identification, assessment, exploration, and development of marine mineral resources; and
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(4) encourage academia and industry to conduct basic and applied research, on a joint basis, through grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts with the Federal Government.
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(1) promote and coordinate partnerships between industry, government, and academia to research, identify, assess, and explore marine mineral resources in an environmentally sound manner;
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(3) identify, and promote cooperation among agency programs that are developing, technologies developed by other Federal programs that may hold promise for facilitating undersea applications related to marine mineral resources, including technologies related to vessels and other platforms, underwater vehicles, survey and mapping systems, remote power sources, data collection and transmission systems, and various seabed research systems; and
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(4) foster communication and coordination between Federal and State agencies, universities, and private entities concerning marine mineral research on seabeds of the continental shelf, ocean basins, and arctic and cold water areas.
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(1) The Secretary shall award grants or contracts to, or enter into cooperative agreements with, eligible entities to support research for the development or utilization of—(A) methods, equipment, systems, and components necessary for the identification, assessment, and exploration of marine mineral resources in an environmentally responsible manner;(B) methods of detecting, monitoring, and predicting the presence of adverse environmental effects in the marine environment and remediating the environmental effects of marine mineral resource exploration, development, and production; and(C) education and training material in marine mineral research and resource management.
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(C) education and training material in marine mineral research and resource management.
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(B) the research methodology and costs of the proposal;
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(F) in the case of a noncommercial entity, the existence of a cooperative agreement with a commercial entity that provides for collaboration in the proposed research;
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(1) describes project activities, implications of the project, the significance of the project to marine mineral research, identification, assessment, and exploration, and potential commercial and economic benefits and effects of the project; and
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(b) One center shall concentrate primarily on research in the continental shelf regions of the United States, 1 center shall concentrate primarily on research in deep seabed and near-shore environments of islands, and 1 center shall concentrate primarily on research in arctic and cold water regions.
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(1) administers a federally funded center for marine minerals research;
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(3) engage in research, training, and education transfer associated with the characterization and utilization of marine mineral resources; and
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(5) The term “industrial enterprise” means a private, nongovernmental enterprise that has an expertise or capability that relates to methane hydrate research and development.
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(1) Not later than 90 days after August 8, 2005, the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Interior, and the Director, shall commence a program of methane hydrate research and development in accordance with this section.
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(B) coordinate interagency research and partnership efforts in carrying out the program.
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(1) In carrying out the program of methane hydrate research and development authorized by this section, the Secretary may award grants to, or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with, institutions of higher education, oceanographic institutions, and industrial enterprises to—(A) conduct basic and applied research to identify, explore, assess, and develop methane hydrate as a commercially viable source of energy;(B) identify methane hydrate resources through remote sensing;(C) acquire and reprocess seismic data suitable for characterizing methane hydrate accumulations;(D) assist in developing technologies required for efficient and environmentally sound development of methane hydrate resources;(E) promote education and training in methane hydrate resource research and resource development through fellowships or other means for graduate education and training;(F) conduct basic and applied research to assess and mitigate the environmental impact of hydrate degassing (including both natural degassing and degassing associated with commercial development);(G) develop technologies to reduce the risks of drilling through methane hydrates; and(H) conduct exploratory drilling, well testing, and production testing operations on permafrost and non-permafrost gas hydrates in support of the activities authorized by this paragraph, including drilling of one or more full-scale production test wells.
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(A) conduct basic and applied research to identify, explore, assess, and develop methane hydrate as a commercially viable source of energy;
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(E) promote education and training in methane hydrate resource research and resource development through fellowships or other means for graduate education and training;
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(F) conduct basic and applied research to assess and mitigate the environmental impact of hydrate degassing (including both natural degassing and degassing associated with commercial development);
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(2) Funds made available under paragraph (1) shall be made available based on a competitive process using external scientific peer review of proposed research.
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(A) assist in developing recommendations and broad programmatic priorities for the methane hydrate research and development program carried out under subsection (a)(1);
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(i) an assessment of the methane hydrate research program; and
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(ii) an assessment of the 5-year research plan of the Department of Energy.
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(1) facilitate and develop partnerships among government, industrial enterprises, and institutions of higher education to research, identify, assess, and explore methane hydrate resources;
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(a) The Secretary shall offer to enter into an agreement with the National Research Council under which the National Research Council shall—(1) conduct a study of the progress made under the methane hydrate research and development program implemented under this chapter; and(2) make recommendations for future methane hydrate research and development needs.
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(1) conduct a study of the progress made under the methane hydrate research and development program implemented under this chapter; and
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(2) make recommendations for future methane hydrate research and development needs.
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The Secretary shall provide to the Committee on Science of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate copies of any report or study that the Department of Energy prepares at the direction of any committee of Congress relating to the methane hydrate research and development program implemented under this chapter.
Citations to §661(b)(2)
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There is hereby established in the Department of the Interior a bureau of mining, metallurgy, and mineral technology, to be designated the United States Bureau of Mines, and there shall be a director of said bureau, who shall be thoroughly equipped for the duties of said office by technical education and experience and who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate; and there shall also be in the said bureau such experts and other employees, to be appointed by the Secretary of the Interior, as may be required to carry out the purposes of sections 1, 3, and 5 to 7 of this title in accordance with the appropriations made from time to time by Congress for such purposes.
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On and after July 1, 1916, in the absence of the Director of the United States Bureau of Mines the assistant director of said bureau shall perform the duties of the director during the latter’s absence, and in the absence of the Director and of the Assistant Director of the United States Bureau of Mines the Secretary of the Interior may designate some officer of said bureau to perform the duties of the director during his absence.
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It shall be the province and duty of the United States Bureau of Mines, subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Interior, to conduct inquiries and scientific and technologic investigations concerning mining, and the preparation, treatment, and utilization of mineral substances with a view to improving health conditions, and increasing safety, efficiency, economic development, and conserving resources through the prevention of waste in the mining, quarrying, metallurgical, and other mineral industries; to inquire into the economic conditions affecting these industries; to investigate explosives and peat; and on behalf of the Government to investigate the mineral fuels and unfinished mineral products belonging to, or for the use of, the United States, with a view to their most efficient mining, preparation, treatment, and use; and to disseminate information concerning these subjects in such manner as will best carry out the purposes of the provisions of sections 1, 3, and 5 to 7 of this title.
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The Secretary of the Interior is authorized and directed to make experiments and investigations, through the United States Bureau of Mines, of lignite coals and peat, to determine the commercial and economic practicability of their utilization in producing fuel oil, gasoline substitutes, ammonia, tar, solid fuels, gas for power, and other purposes. The Secretary of the Interior is authorized and directed subject to applicable regulations under chapters 1 to 11 of title 40 and division C (except sections 3302, 3306(f), 3307(e), 3501(b), 3509, 3906, 4104, 4710, and 4711) of subtitle I of title 41 to sell or otherwise dispose of any property, plant, or machinery purchased or acquired under the provisions of this section, as soon as the experiments and investigations authorized have been concluded, and report the results of such experiments and investigations to Congress.
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The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce jointly are hereby authorized, within their discretion, to cooperate under formal agreement with individuals, associations, corporations, States, and municipalities, educational institutions, or other bodies, for the purposes of this section: Provided, That before undertaking drilling operations upon any tract or tracts of land, the mineral deposits of which are not the property of the United States, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce jointly shall enter into a contract or contracts with the owners or lessees, or both, of the mineral rights therein, and the aforesaid contract or contracts shall provide, among other things, that, if deposits of potash minerals or oil shall be discovered in pursuance of operations under said contract or contracts and if and when said mineral deposits shall be mined and sold, the owners or lessees, or both, of said mineral rights shall pay to the Government and its cooperators a royalty of not less than 2½ per centum of the sale value of any potash minerals and oil therefrom, said payments to continue until such time as the total amount derived from said royalty is equal to not more than the cost of the exploration, as may be determined by the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce jointly: Provided further, That all Federal claims for reimbursement under this section shall automatically expire twenty years from the date of approval of the contracts entered into, in accordance with the provisions thereof, unless sooner terminated by agreement between the owners or lessees of the potash mineral rights and oil and the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce jointly: Provided further, That said contract or contracts shall not restrict the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce jointly in the choice of drilling locations within the property or in the conduct of the exploratory operations, so long as such selection or conduct do not interfere unreasonably with the surface of the land or with the improvements thereof, and said contract or contracts shall provide that the United States shall not be liable for damages on account of such reasonable use of the surface as may be necessary in the proper conduct of the work.
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The United States Bureau of Mines, under the general direction of the Secretary of the Interior, is authorized to conduct investigations, studies, and experiments on its own initiative and in cooperation with individuals, State institutions, laboratories, and other organizations, with a view to (1) the development of a commercially practicable carbonization method of processing sub-bituminous and lignite coal so as to convert such coal into an all-purpose fuel, to provide fertilizers, and obtain such other byproducts thereof as may be commercially valuable; (2) the development of efficient methods, equipment, and devices for burning lignite or char therefrom; and (3) determining and developing methods for more efficient utilization of such sub-bituminous and lignite coal for purposes of generating electric power.
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The United States Bureau of Mines is further authorized, under the general direction of the Secretary of the Interior, to erect such plants, construct and purchase such machinery and equipment, and to take such other steps as it may deem necessary and proper to effectuate the purposes of section 4c of this title.
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The Director of the United States Bureau of Mines shall prepare and publish, subject to the direction of the Secretary of the Interior, under the appropriations made from time to time by Congress, reports of inquiries and investigations, with appropriate recommendations of the bureau, concerning the nature, causes, and prevention of accidents, and the improvement of conditions, methods, and equipment, with special reference to health, safety, and prevention of waste in the mining, quarrying, metallurgical, and other mineral industries; the use of explosives and electricity, safety methods and appliances, and rescue and first-aid work in said industries; the causes and prevention of mine fires; and other subjects included under the provisions of sections 1, 3, and 5 to 7 of this title.
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For tests or investigations authorized by the Secretary of the Interior under the provisions of sections 1, 3, and 5 to 7 of this title, except those performed for the Government of the United States or State governments within the United States, a fee sufficient in each case to compensate the United States Bureau of Mines for the entire cost of the services rendered shall be charged, according to a schedule prepared by the Director of the United States Bureau of Mines and approved by the Secretary of the Interior, who shall prescribe rules and regulations under which such tests and investigations may be made. All moneys received from such sources shall be paid into the Treasury to the credit of miscellaneous receipts.
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The Secretary of the Interior is hereby authorized and directed to establish and maintain in the several important mining regions of the United States and the Territory of Alaska, as Congress may appropriate for the necessary employees and other expenses, under the United States Bureau of Mines and in accordance with the provisions of sections 1, 3, and 5 to 7 of this title, ten mining experiment stations and seven mine safety stations, movable or stationary, in addition to those established prior to March 3, 1915, the province and duty of which shall be to make investigations and disseminate information with a view to improving conditions in the mining, quarrying, metallurgical, and other mineral industries, safeguarding life among employees, preventing unnecessary waste of resources, and otherwise contributing to the advancement of these industries. Not more than three mining experiment stations and mine safety stations authorized in this section shall be established in any one fiscal year under the appropriations made therefor.
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The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to accept lands, buildings, or other contributions from the several States offering to cooperate in carrying out the purposes of section 8 of this title.
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The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to accept any suitable land or lands, buildings, or improvements that may be donated for the headquarters of mine rescue cars and construction of necessary railway sidings and housing for the same, or as the site of an experimental mine and plant for studying explosives, and to enter into leases for periods not exceeding ten years, subject to annual appropriations by Congress.
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The Secretary of the Interior, acting through the United States Bureau of Mines, is authorized and directed to establish, equip, and maintain a research laboratory in the anthracite region of Pennsylvania to conduct researches and investigations on the mining, preparation, and utilization of anthracite coal and to develop new scientific, chemical, and technical uses and new and extended markets and outlets for anthracite coal and its products. Such laboratory shall be planned as a center for information and assistance in matters pertaining to conserving resources for national defense; to the more efficient mining, preparation, and utilization of anthracite coal; and pertaining to safety, health, and sanitation in mining operations and other matters relating to problems of the anthracite industry.
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For the purpose of sections 13 to 16 of this title the Secretary, acting through the United States Bureau of Mines, is authorized to acquire land and interests therein, and to accept in the name of the United States donations of any property, real or personal, and to utilize voluntary or uncompensated services at such laboratory. The Secretary is authorized and directed to cooperate with other departments or agencies of the Federal Government, States, and State agencies and institutions, counties, municipalities, business or other organizations, corporations, associations, universities, scientific societies, and individuals, upon such terms and conditions as he may prescribe.
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The Secretary of the Interior, acting through the United States Bureau of Mines, may, in his discretion, create and establish an advisory committee composed of not more than six members to exercise consultative functions, when required by the Secretary, in connection with the administration of sections 13 to 16 of this title. The said committee shall be composed of representatives of anthracite coal mine owners, of representatives of anthracite coal mine workers and the public in equal number. The members of said committee shall be appointed by the Secretary of the Interior without regard to the civil-service laws.
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The Congress declares that it is the continuing policy of the Federal Government in the national interest to foster and encourage private enterprise in (1) the development of economically sound and stable domestic mining, minerals, metal and mineral reclamation industries, (2) the orderly and economic development of domestic mineral resources, reserves, and reclamation of metals and minerals to help assure satisfaction of industrial, security and environmental needs, (3) mining, mineral, and metallurgical research, including the use and recycling of scrap to promote the wise and efficient use of our natural and reclaimable mineral resources, and (4) the study and development of methods for the disposal, control, and reclamation of mineral waste products, and the reclamation of mined land, so as to lessen any adverse impact of mineral extraction and processing upon the physical environment that may result from mining or mineral activities.
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The performance of not less than $100 worth of labor or the making of improvements aggregating such amount, which labor or improvements are required under the provisions of section 28 of this title to be made during each year, may be deferred by the Secretary of the Interior as to any mining claim or group of claims in the United States upon the submission by the claimant of evidence satisfactory to the Secretary that such mining claim or group of claims is surrounded by lands over which a right-of-way for the performance of such assessment work has been denied or is in litigation or is in the process of acquisition under State law or that other legal impediments exist which affect the right of the claimant to enter upon the surface of such claim or group of claims or to gain access to the boundaries thereof.
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Claimant shall file or record or cause to be filed or recorded in the office where the notice or certificate of location of such claim or group of claims is filed or recorded, a notice to the public of claimant’s petition to the Secretary of the Interior for deferment under sections 28b to 28e of this title, and of the order or decision disposing of such petition.
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(1) The holder of each unpatented lode mining claim, mill site, or tunnel site, located pursuant to the mining laws of the United States before, on, or after August 10, 1993, shall pay to the Secretary of the Interior, on or before September 1 of each year, to the extent provided in advance in appropriations Acts, a claim maintenance fee of $100 per claim or site, respectively. Such claim maintenance fee shall be in lieu of the assessment work requirement contained in the Mining Law of 1872 (30 U.S.C. 28–28e))1 and the related filing requirements contained in section 1744(a) and (c) of title 43.
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(2) The holder of each unpatented placer mining claim located pursuant to the mining laws of the United States before, on, or after August 10, 1993, shall pay to the Secretary of the Interior, on or before September 1 of each year, the claim maintenance fee described in subsection (a)(1), for each 20 acres of the placer claim or portion thereof. Such claim maintenance fee shall be in lieu of the assessment work requirement contained in the Mining Law of 1872 (30 U.S.C. 28 to 28e)1 and the related filing requirements contained in section 1744(a) and (c) of title 43.
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(1) The claim maintenance fee required under this section may be waived for a claimant who certifies in writing to the Secretary that on the date the payment was due, the claimant and all related parties—(A) held not more than 10 mining claims, mill sites, or tunnel sites, or any combination thereof, on public lands; and(B) have performed assessment work required under the Mining Law of 1872 (30 U.S.C. 28–28e))1 to maintain the mining claims held by the claimant and such related parties for the assessment year ending on noon of September 1 of the calendar year in which payment of the claim maintenance fee was due.
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Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for every unpatented mining claim, mill or tunnel site located after August 10, 1993, to the extent provided in advance in Appropriations Acts, pursuant to the Mining Laws of the United States, the locator shall, at the time the location notice is recorded with the Bureau of Land Management, pay to the Secretary of the Interior a location fee, in addition to the claim maintenance fee required by section 28f of this title, of $25.00 per claim.
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(1) The Secretary of the Interior shall adjust the fees required by sections 28f to 28k of this title to reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor every 5 years after August 10, 1993, or more frequently if the Secretary determines an adjustment to be reasonable.
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(2) The Secretary shall provide claimants notice of any adjustment made under this subsection not later than July 1 of any year in which the adjustment is made.
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The laws of the United States relating to mining claims, mineral locations, and rights incident thereto are extended to the Territory of Alaska: Provided, That, subject only to the laws enacted by Congress for the protection and preservation of the navigable waters of the United States, and to the laws for the protection of fish and game, and subject also to such general rules and regulations as the Secretary of the Interior may prescribe for the preservation of order and the prevention of injury to the fish and game, all land below the line of ordinary high tide on tidal waters and all land below the line of ordinary high-water mark on nontidal water navigable in fact, within the jurisdiction of the United States, shall be subject to exploration and mining for gold and other precious metals, and in the Chilkat River, and its tributaries, within two and three-tenths miles of United States survey numbered 991 for all metals, by citizens of the United States, or persons who have legally declared their intentions to become such, under such reasonable rules and regulations as the miners in organized mining districts may have heretofore made or may hereafter make governing the temporary possession thereof for exploration and mining purposes until otherwise provided by law: Provided further, That the rules and regulations established by the miners shall not be in conflict with the mining laws of the United States; and no exclusive permit shall be granted by the Secretary of the Interior authorizing any person or persons, corporation, or company to excavate or mine under any of said waters, and if such exclusive permit has been granted it is revoked and declared null and void. The rules and regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior under this section shall not, however, deprive miners on the beach of the right given to dump tailings into or pump from the sea opposite their claims, except where such dumping would actually obstruct navigation or impair the fish and game, and the reservation of a roadway sixty feet wide under section 687a–21 of title 43, shall not apply to mineral lands or town sites. No person shall acquire by virtue of this section any title to any land below the line of ordinary high tide or the line of ordinary high-water mark, as the case may be, of the waters described in this section. Any rights or privileges acquired hereunder with respect to mining operations in land, title to which is transferred to a future State upon its admission to the Union and which is situated within its boundaries, shall be terminable by such State, and the said mining operations shall be subject to the laws of such State.
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The Secretary of the Interior is authorized and directed in cases where patents for public lands have been issued to entrymen under the provisions of sections 81 and 83 to 85 of this title, reserving to the United States all coal deposits therein, and lands so patented are subsequently classified as noncoal in character, to issue new or supplemental patents without such reservation.
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Any person desiring to make entry under the homestead laws or the desert-land law, any State desiring to make selection under section 641 of title 43, and the Secretary of the Interior in withdrawing under the Reclamation Act lands classified as coal lands, or valuable for coal, with a view of securing or passing title to the same in accordance with the provisions of said Acts, shall state in the application for entry, selection, or notice of withdrawal that the same is made in accordance with and subject to the provisions and reservations of sections 83 to 85 of this title.
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Upon satisfactory proof of full compliance with the provisions of the laws under which entry is made, and of sections 83 to 85 of this title, the entryman shall be entitled to a patent to the land entered by him, which patent shall contain a reservation to the United States of all the coal in the lands so patented, together with the right to prospect for, mine, and remove the same. The coal deposits in such lands shall be subject to disposal by the United States in accordance with the provisions of the coal-land laws in force at the time of such disposal. Any person qualified to acquire coal deposits or the right to mine and remove the coal under the laws of the United States shall have the right, at all times, to enter upon the lands selected, entered, or patented, as provided by sections 83 to 85 of this title, for the purpose of prospecting for coal thereon upon the approval by the Secretary of the Interior of a bond or undertaking to be filed with him as security for the payment of all damages to the crops and improvements on such lands by reason of such prospecting. Any person who has acquired from the United States the coal deposits in any such land, or the right to mine or remove the same, may reenter and occupy so much of the surface thereof as may be required for all purposes reasonably incident to the mining and removal of the coal therefrom, and mine and remove the coal, upon payment of the damages caused thereby to the owner thereof, or upon giving a good and sufficient bond or undertaking in an action instituted in any competent court to ascertain and fix said damages. The owner under such limited patent shall have the right to mine coal for use upon the land for domestic purposes at any time prior to the disposal by the United States of the coal deposits. Nothing herein contained shall be held to deny or abridge the right to present and have prompt consideration of applications to locate, enter, or select, under the land laws of the United States, lands which have been classified as coal lands with a view of disproving such classification and securing a patent without reservation.
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In any Indian reservation opened to settlement and entry pursuant to a classification of the surplus lands therein as mineral and nonmineral, such surplus lands not otherwise reserved or disposed of, which have been or may be withdrawn or classified as coal lands or are valuable for coal deposits, shall be subject to the same disposition as is or may be prescribed by law for the nonmineral lands in such reservation whenever proper application shall be made with a view of obtaining title to such lands, with a reservation to the United States of the coal deposits therein and of the right to prospect for, mine, and remove the same. Such surplus lands, prior to any disposition hereunder, shall be examined, separated into classes the same as are the nonmineral lands in such reservations, and appraised, as to their value, exclusive of the coal deposits therein, under such rules and regulations as shall be prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior for that purpose.
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If the coal-land laws have been or shall be extended over lands applied for, entered, or patented hereunder the coal deposits therein shall be subject to disposal by the United States in accordance with the provisions of the coal-land laws in force at the time of such disposal. Any person qualified to acquire coal deposits or the right to mine and remove the coal under the laws of the United States shall have the right at all times to enter upon the lands applied for, entered, or patented under sections 86 to 89 of this title, for the purpose of prospecting for coal thereon, if such coal deposits are then subject to disposition, upon the approval by the Secretary of the Interior of a bond or undertaking to be filed with him as security for the payment of all damages to the crops and improvements on such lands by reason of such prospecting. Any person who has acquired from the United States the coal deposits in any such lands, or the right to mine or remove the same, may reenter and occupy so much of the surface thereof as may be required for all purposes reasonably incident to the mining and removal of the coal therefrom, and mine and remove the coal, upon payment of the damages caused thereby to the owner thereof, or upon giving a good and sufficient bond or undertaking in an action instituted in any competent court to ascertain and fix said damages. The owner under such limited patent shall have the right to mine coal for personal use upon the land for domestic purposes at any time prior to the disposal by the United States of the coal deposits. Nothing herein contained shall be held to deny or abridge the right to present and have prompt consideration of applications made under the applicable land laws of the United States for any such surplus lands which have been or may be classified as coal lands with a view of disproving such classification and securing a patent without reservation.
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Unreserved public lands of the United States, exclusive of Alaska, which have been withdrawn or classified as coal lands or are valuable for coal shall, in addition to the classes of entries or filings described in sections 83 to 85 of this title be subject to selection by the several States within whose limits the lands are situate, under grants made by Congress, and to disposition, in the discretion of the Secretary of the Interior, under the laws providing for the sale of isolated or disconnected tracts of public lands, but there shall be a reservation to the United States of the coal in all such lands so selected or sold and of the right to prospect for, mine, and remove the same in accordance with the provisions of said sections, and such lands shall be subject to all the conditions and limitations of said sections.
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Where applications for patents have been or may be offered for any oil or gas land included in an order of withdrawal upon which oil or gas had been discovered, or was being produced prior to March 2, 1911, or upon which drilling operations were in actual progress on October 3, 1910, and oil or gas is thereafter discovered thereon, and where there has been no final determination by the Secretary of the Interior upon such applications for patent, said Secretary, in his discretion, may enter into agreements, under such conditions as he may prescribe with such applicants for patents in possession of such land or any portions thereof, relative to the disposition of the oil or gas produced therefrom or the proceeds thereof, pending final determination of the title thereto by the Secretary of the Interior, or such other disposition of the same as may be authorized by law. Any money which may accrue to the United States under the provisions of sections 103 and 104 of this title from lands within the Naval Petroleum Reserves shall be set aside for the needs of the Navy and deposited in the Treasury to the credit of a fund to be known as the Navy Petroleum Fund, which fund shall be applied to the needs of the Navy as Congress may from time to time direct, by appropriation or otherwise.
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Upon satisfactory proof of full compliance with the provisions of the laws under which the location, selection, entry, or purchase is made, the locator, selector, entryman, or purchaser shall be entitled to a patent to the land located, selected, entered, or purchased, which patent shall contain a reservation to the United States of the deposits on account of which the lands so patented were withdrawn or classified or reported as valuable, together with the right to prospect for, mine, and remove the same, such deposits to be subject to disposal by the United States only as shall be hereafter expressly directed by law: Provided, however, That all mineral deposits heretofore or hereafter reserved to the United States under sections 121 to 123 of this title which are subject, at the time of application for patent, to valid and subsisting rights acquired by discovery and location under the mining laws of the United States made prior to the date of the Mineral Leasing Act of February 25, 1920 [30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.], shall hereafter be subject to disposal to the holders of those valid and subsisting rights by patent under the mining laws of the United States in force at the time of such disposal. Any person qualified to acquire the reserved deposits may enter upon said lands with a view of prospecting for the same upon the approval by the Secretary of the Interior of a bond or undertaking to be filed with him as security for the payment of all damages to the crops and improvements on such lands by reason of such prospecting, the measure of any such damage to be fixed by agreement of parties or by a court of competent jurisdiction. Any person who has acquired from the United States the title to or the right to mine and remove the reserved deposits, should the United States dispose of the mineral deposits in lands, may reenter and occupy so much of the surface thereof as may be required for all purposes reasonably incident to the mining and removal of the minerals therefrom, and mine and remove such minerals, upon payment of damages caused thereby to the owner of the land, or upon giving a good and sufficient bond or undertaking therefor in an action instituted in any competent court to ascertain and fix said damages. Nothing herein contained shall be held to deny or abridge the right to present and have prompt consideration of applications to locate, select, enter, or purchase, under the land laws of the United States, lands which have been withdrawn or classified as phosphate, nitrate, potash, oil, gas, or asphaltic mineral lands, with a view of disproving such classification and securing patent without reservation, nor shall persons who have located, selected, entered, or purchased lands subsequently withdrawn, or classified as valuable for said mineral deposits, be debarred from the privilege of showing, at any time before final entry, purchase, or approval of selection or location, that the lands entered, selected, or located are in fact nonmineral in character.
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Lands withdrawn, classified, or reported as valuable for sodium and/or sulphur and subject to prospecting, leasing, or development under the General Leasing Act of February 25, 1920, or Acts amendatory thereof or supplementary thereto [30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.], shall be subject to appropriation, location, selection, entry, or purchase if otherwise available in the form and manner and subject to the reservations, provisions, limitations, and conditions of the Act of Congress approved July 17, 1914 (38 Stat. L. 509; U.S.C., title 30, sec. 123); Provided, however, That lands lying within the geologic structure of a field, or withdrawn, classified, or reported as valuable for any of the minerals named herein and/or in any of said sections, or upon which leases or prospecting permits have been applied for or granted, for the production of any of such minerals, shall not be subject to such appropriation, location, selection, entry, or purchase unless it shall be determined by the Secretary of the Interior that such disposal will not unreasonably interfere with operations under said sections.
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Deposits of coal, phosphate, sodium, potassium, oil, oil shale, gilsonite (including all vein-type solid hydrocarbons), or gas, and lands containing such deposits owned by the United States, including those in national forests, but excluding lands acquired under the Appalachian Forest Act, approved March 1, 1911 (36 Stat. 961), and those in incorporated cities, towns, and villages and in national parks and monuments, those acquired under other Acts subsequent to February 25, 1920, and lands within the naval petroleum and oil-shale reserves, except as hereinafter provided, shall be subject to disposition in the form and manner provided by this chapter to citizens of the United States, or to associations of such citizens, or to any corporation organized under the laws of the United States, or of any State or Territory thereof, or in the case of coal, oil, oil shale, or gas, to municipalities. Citizens of another country, the laws, customs, or regulations of which deny similar or like privileges to citizens or corporations of this country, shall not by stock ownership, stock holding, or stock control, own any interest in any lease acquired under the provisions of this chapter.
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The Secretary of the Interior shall reserve and may exercise the authority to cancel any prospecting permit upon failure by the permittee to exercise due diligence in the prosecution of the prospecting work in accordance with the terms and conditions stated in the permit, and shall insert in every such permit issued under the provisions of this chapter appropriate provisions for its cancellation by him.
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(a) No person, association, or corporation, or any subsidiary, affiliate, or persons controlled by or under common control with such person, association, or corporation shall take, hold, own or control at one time, whether acquired directly from the Secretary under this chapter or otherwise, coal leases or permits on an aggregate of more than 75,000 acres in any one State and in no case greater than an aggregate of 150,000 acres in the United States: Provided, That any person, association, or corporation currently holding, owning, or controlling more than an aggregate of 150,000 acres in the United States on the date of enactment of this section shall not be required on account of this section to relinquish said leases or permits: Provided, further, That in no case shall such person, association, or corporation be permitted to take, hold, own, or control any further Federal coal leases or permits until such time as their holdings, ownership, or control of Federal leases or permits has been reduced below an aggregate of 150,000 acres within the United States.
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(1) No person, association, or corporation, except as otherwise provided in this subsection, shall take, hold, own, or control at one time, whether acquired directly from the Secretary under this chapter, or otherwise, sodium leases or permits on an aggregate of more than five thousand one hundred and twenty acres in any one State.
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(2) The Secretary may, in his discretion, where the same is necessary in order to secure the economic mining of sodium compounds leasable under this chapter, permit a person, association, or corporation to take or hold sodium leases or permits on up to 30,720 acres in any one State.
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(c) No person, association, or corporation shall take, hold, own, or control at one time, whether acquired directly from the Secretary under this chapter, or otherwise, phosphate leases or permits on an aggregate of more than twenty thousand four hundred and eighty acres in the United States.
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(1) No person, association, or corporation, except as otherwise provided in this chapter, shall take, hold, own or control at one time, whether acquired directly from the Secretary under this chapter, or otherwise, oil or gas leases (including options for such leases or interests therein) on land held under the provisions of this chapter exceeding in the aggregate two hundred forty-six thousand and eighty acres in any one State other than Alaska1 Provided, however, That acreage held in special tar sand areas, and acreage under any lease any portion of which has been committed to a federally approved unit or cooperative plan or communitization agreement or for which royalty (including compensatory royalty or royalty in-kind) was paid in the preceding calendar year, shall not be chargeable against such State limitations. In the case of the State of Alaska, the limit shall be three hundred thousand acres in the northern leasing district and three hundred thousand acres in the southern leasing district, and the boundary between said two districts shall be the left limit of the Tanana River from the border between the United States and Canada to the confluence of the Tanana and Yukon Rivers, and the left limit of the Yukon River from said confluence to its principal southern mouth.
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(2) No person, association, or corporation shall take, hold, own, or control at one time options to acquire interests in oil or gas leases under the provisions of this chapter which involve, in the aggregate, more than two hundred thousand acres of land in any one State other than Alaska, or, in the case of Alaska, more than two hundred thousand acres in each of its two leasing districts, as hereinbefore described. No option to acquire any interest in such an oil or gas lease shall be enforcible if entered into for a period of more than three years (which three years shall be inclusive of any renewal period if a right to renew is reserved by any party to the option) without the prior approval of the Secretary. In any case in which an option to acquire the optionor’s entire interest in the whole or a part of the acreage under a lease is entered into, the acreage to which the option is applicable shall be charged both to the optionor and to the optionee, but the charge to the optionor shall cease when the option is exercised. In any case in which an option to acquire a part of the optionor’s interest in the whole or a part of the acreage under a lease is entered into, the acreage to which the option is applicable shall be fully charged to the optionor and a share thereof shall also be charged to the optionee, as his interest may appear, but after the option is exercised said acreage shall be charged to the parties pro rata as their interests may appear. In any case in which an assignment is made of a part of a lessee’s interest in the whole or part of the acreage under a lease or an application for a lease, the acreage shall be charged to the parties pro rata as their interests may appear. No option or renewal thereof shall be enforcible until notice thereof has been filed with the Secretary or an officer or employee of the Department of the Interior designated by him to receive the same. Each such notice shall include, in addition to any other matters prescribed by the Secretary, the names and addresses of the parties thereto, the serial number of the lease or application for a lease to which the option is applicable, and a statement of the number of acres covered thereby and of the interests and obligations of the parties thereto and shall be subscribed by all parties to the option or their duly authorized agents. An option which has not been exercised shall remain charged as hereinbefore provided until notice of its relinquishment or surrender has been filed, by either party, with the Secretary or any officer or employee of the Department of the Interior designated by him to receive the same. In addition, each holder of any such option shall file with the Secretary or an officer or employee of the Department of the Interior as aforesaid within ninety days after the 30th day of June and the 31st day of December in each year a statement showing, in addition to any other matters prescribed by the Secretary, his name, the name and address of each grantor of an option held by him, the serial number of every lease or application for a lease to which such an option is applicable, the number of acres covered by each such option, the total acreage in each State to which such options are applicable, and his interest and obligation under each such option. The failure of the holder of an option so to file shall render the option unenforcible2 by him. The unenforcibility3 of any option under the provisions of this paragraph shall not diminish the number of acres deemed to be held under option by any person, association, or corporation in computing the amount chargeable under the first sentence of this paragraph and shall not relieve any party thereto of any liability to cancellation, forfeiture, forced disposition, or other sanction provided by law. The Secretary may prescribe forms on which the notice and statements required by this paragraph shall be made.
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(f) Nothing contained in subsection (e) of this section shall be construed (i) to limit sections 227, 228, 251 of this title or (ii), subject to the approval of the Secretary, to prevent any number of lessees under this chapter from combining their several interests so far as may be necessary for the purpose of constructing and carrying on the business of a refinery or of establishing and constructing, as a common carrier, a pipeline or railroad to be operated and used by them jointly in the transportation of oil from their several wells or from the wells of other lessees under this chapter or in the transportation of coal or (iii) to increase the acreage which may be taken, held, owned, or controlled under this section.
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(2) The right to cancel or forfeit for violation of any of the provisions of this chapter shall not apply so as to affect adversely the title or interest of a bona fide purchaser of any lease, interest in a lease, option to acquire a lease or an interest therein, or permit which lease, interest, option, or permit was acquired and is held by a qualified person, association, or corporation in conformity with those provisions, even though the holdings of the person, association, or corporation from which the lease, interest, option, or permit was acquired, or of his predecessor in title (including the original lessee of the United States) may have been canceled or forfeited or may be or may have been subject to cancellation or forfeiture for any such violation. If, in any such proceeding, an underlying lease, interest, option, or permit is canceled or forfeited to the Government and there are valid interests therein or valid options to acquire the lease or an interest therein which are not subject to cancellation, forfeiture, or compulsory disposition, the underlying lease, interest, option, or permit shall be sold by the Secretary to the highest responsible qualified bidder by competitive bidding under general regulations subject to all outstanding valid interests therein and valid options pertaining thereto. Likewise if, in any such proceeding, less than the whole interest in a lease, interest, option, or permit is canceled or forfeited to the Government, the partial interests so canceled or forfeited shall be sold by the Secretary to the highest responsible qualified bidder by competitive bidding under general regulations. If competitive bidding fails to produce a satisfactory offer the Secretary may, in either of these cases, sell the interest in question by such other method as he deems appropriate on terms not less favorable to the Government than those of the best competitive bid received.
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(i) Effective September 21, 1959, any person, association, or corporation who is a party to any proceeding with respect to a violation of any provision of this chapter, whether initiated prior to said date or thereafter, shall have the right to be dismissed promptly as such a party upon showing that he holds and acquired as a bona fide purchaser the interest involving him as such a party without violating any provisions of this chapter. No hearing upon any such showing shall be required unless the Secretary presents prima facie evidence indicating a possible violation of this chapter on the part of the alleged bona fide purchaser.
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(j) If during any such proceeding, a party thereto files with the Secretary a waiver of his rights under his lease (including particularly, where applicable, rights to drill and to assign) or if such rights are suspended by the Secretary pending a decision in the proceeding, whether initiated prior to enactment of this chapter or thereafter, payment of rentals and running of time against the term of the lease or leases involved shall be suspended as of the first day of the month following the filing of the waiver or suspension of the rights until the first day of the month following the final decision in the proceeding or the revocation of the waiver or suspension.
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(1) At each stage in the formulation and promulgation of rules and regulations concerning coal leasing pursuant to this chapter, and at each stage in the issuance, renewal, and readjustment of coal leases under this chapter, the Secretary of the Interior shall consult with and give due consideration to the views and advice of the Attorney General of the United States.
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(2) No coal lease may be issued, renewed, or readjusted under this chapter until at least thirty days after the Secretary of the Interior notifies the Attorney General of the proposed issuance, renewal, or readjustment. Such notification shall contain such information as the Attorney General may require in order to advise the Secretary of the Interior as to whether such lease would create or maintain a situation inconsistent with the antitrust laws. If the Attorney General advises the Secretary of the Interior that a lease would create or maintain such a situation, the Secretary of the Interior may not issue such lease, nor may he renew or readjust such lease for a period not to exceed one year, as the case may be, unless he thereafter conducts a public hearing on the record in accordance with subchapter II of chapter 5 of title 5 and finds therein that such issuance, renewal, or readjustment is necessary to effectuate the purposes of this chapter, that it is consistent with the public interest, and that there are no reasonable alternatives consistent with this chapter, the antitrust laws, and the public interest.
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Notwithstanding the provisions of any applicable grant, deed, patent, exchange, or law of the United States, any State owning lands or interests therein acquired by it from the United States may consent to the operation or development of such lands or interests, or any part thereof, under agreements approved by the Secretary of the Interior made jointly or severally with lessees or permittees of lands or mineral deposits of the United States or others, for the purpose of more properly conserving the oil and gas resources within such State. Such agreements may provide for the cooperative or unit operation or development of part or all of any oil or gas pool, field, or area; for the allocation of production and the sharing of proceeds from the whole or any specified part thereof regardless of the particular tract from which production is obtained or proceeds are derived; and, with the consent of the State, for the modification of the terms and provisions of State leases for lands operated and developed thereunder, including the term of years for which said leases were originally granted, to conform said leases to the terms and provisions of such agreements: Provided, That nothing in this section contained, nor the effectuation of it, shall be construed as in any respect waiving, determining or affecting any right, title, or interest, which otherwise may exist in the United States, and that the making of any agreement, as provided in this section, shall not be construed as an admission as to the title or ownership of the lands included.
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(a) Rights-of-way through any Federal lands may be granted by the Secretary of the Interior or appropriate agency head for pipeline purposes for the transportation of oil, natural gas, synthetic liquid or gaseous fuels, or any refined product produced therefrom to any applicant possessing the qualifications provided in section 181 of this title in accordance with the provisions of this section.
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(1) For the purposes of this section “Federal lands” means all lands owned by the United States except lands in the National Park System, lands held in trust for an Indian or Indian tribe, and lands on the Outer Continental Shelf. A right-of-way through a Federal reservation shall not be granted if the Secretary or agency head determines that it would be inconsistent with the purposes of the reservation.
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(3) “Agency head” means the head of any Federal department or independent Federal office or agency, other than the Secretary of the Interior, which has jurisdiction over Federal lands.
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(1) Where the surface of all of the Federal lands involved in a proposed right-of-way or permit is under the jurisdiction of one Federal agency, the agency head, rather than the Secretary, is authorized to grant or renew the right-of-way or permit for the purposes set forth in this section.
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(2) Where the surface of the Federal lands involved is administered by the Secretary or by two or more Federal agencies, the Secretary is authorized, after consultation with the agencies involved, to grant or renew rights-of-way or permits through the Federal lands involved. The Secretary may enter into interagency agreements with all other Federal agencies having jurisdiction over Federal lands for the purpose of avoiding duplication, assigning responsibility, expediting review of rights-of-way or permit applications, issuing joint regulations, and assuring a decision based upon a comprehensive review of all factors involved in any right-of-way or permit application. Each agency head shall administer and enforce the provisions of this section, appropriate regulations, and the terms and conditions of rights-of-way or permits insofar as they involve Federal lands under the agency head’s jurisdiction.
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(d) The width of a right-of-way shall not exceed fifty feet plus the ground occupied by the pipeline (that is, the pipe and its related facilities) unless the Secretary or agency head finds, and records the reasons for his finding, that in his judgment a wider right-of-way is necessary for operation and maintenance after construction, or to protect the environment or public safety. Related facilities include but are not limited to valves, pump stations, supporting structures, bridges, monitoring and communication devices, surge and storage tanks, terminals, roads, airstrips and campsites and they need not necessarily be connected or contiguous to the pipe and may be the subjects of separate rights-of-way.
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(e) A right-of-way may be supplemented by such temporary permits for the use of Federal lands in the vicinity of the pipeline as the Secretary or agency head finds are necessary in connection with construction, operation, maintenance, or termination of the pipeline, or to protect the natural environment or public safety.
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(f) Rights-of-way or permits granted or renewed pursuant to this section shall be subject to regulations promulgated in accord with the provisions of this section and shall be subject to such terms and conditions as the Secretary or agency head may prescribe regarding extent, duration, survey, location, construction, operation, maintenance, use, and termination.
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(g) The Secretary or agency head shall impose requirements for the operation of the pipeline and related facilities in a manner that will protect the safety of workers and protect the public from sudden ruptures and slow degradation of the pipeline.
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(2) The Secretary or agency head, prior to granting a right-of-way or permit pursuant to this section for a new project which may have a significant impact on the environment, shall require the applicant to submit a plan of construction, operation, and rehabilitation for such right-of-way or permit which shall comply with this section. The Secretary or agency head shall issue regulations or impose stipulations which shall include, but shall not be limited to: (A) requirements for restoration, revegetation, and curtailment of erosion of the surface of the land; (B) requirements to insure that activities in connection with the right-of-way or permit will not violate applicable air and water quality standards nor related facility siting standards established by or pursuant to law; (C) requirements designed to control or prevent (i) damage to the environment (including damage to fish and wildlife habitat), (ii) damage to public or private property, and (iii) hazards to public health and safety; and (D) requirements to protect the interests of individuals living in the general area of the right-of-way or permit who rely on the fish, wildlife, and biotic resources of the area for subsistence purposes. Such regulations shall be applicable to every right-of-way or permit granted pursuant to this section, and may be made applicable by the Secretary or agency head to existing rights-of-way or permits, or rights-of-way or permits to be renewed pursuant to this section.
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(i) If the applicant is a partnership, corporation, association, or other business entity, the Secretary or agency head shall require the applicant to disclose the identity of the participants in the entity. Such disclosure shall include where applicable (1) the name and address of each partner, (2) the name and address of each shareholder owning 3 per centum or more of the shares, together with the number and percentage of any class of voting shares of the entity which such shareholder is authorized to vote, and (3) the name and address of each affiliate of the entity together with, in the case of an affiliate controlled by the entity, the number of shares and the percentage of any class of voting stock of that affiliate owned, directly or indirectly, by that entity, and, in the case of an affiliate which controls that entity, the number of shares and the percentage of any class of voting stock of that entity owned, directly or indirectly, by the affiliate.
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(j) The Secretary or agency head shall grant or renew a right-of-way or permit under this section only when he is satisfied that the applicant has the technical and financial capability to construct, operate, maintain, and terminate the project for which the right-of-way or permit is requested in accordance with the requirements of this section.
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(k) The Secretary or agency head by regulation shall establish procedures, including public hearings where appropriate, to give Federal, State, and local government agencies and the public adequate notice and an opportunity to comment upon right-of-way applications filed after the date of enactment of this subsection.
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(l) The applicant for a right-of-way or permit shall reimburse the United States for administrative and other costs incurred in processing the application, and the holder of a right-of-way or permit shall reimburse the United States for the costs incurred in monitoring the construction, operation, maintenance, and termination of any pipeline and related facilities on such right-of-way or permit area and shall pay annually in advance the fair market rental value of the right-of-way or permit, as determined by the Secretary or agency head.
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(m) Where he deems it appropriate the Secretary or agency head may require a holder of a right-of-way or permit to furnish a bond, or other security, satisfactory to the Secretary or agency head to secure all or any of the obligations imposed by the terms and conditions of the right-of-way or permit or by any rule or regulation of the Secretary or agency head.
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(n) Each right-of-way or permit granted or renewed pursuant to this section shall be limited to a reasonable term in light of all circumstances concerning the project, but in no event more than thirty years. In determining the duration of a right-of-way the Secretary or agency head shall, among other things, take into consideration the cost of the facility, its useful life, and any public purpose it serves. The Secretary or agency head shall renew any right-of-way, in accordance with the provisions of this section, so long as the project is in commercial operation and is operated and maintained in accordance with all of the provisions of this section.
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(1) Abandonment of a right-of-way or noncompliance with any provision of this section may be grounds for suspension or termination of the right-of-way if (A) after due notice to the holder of the right-of-way, (B) a reasonable opportunity to comply with this section, and (C) an appropriate administrative proceeding pursuant to section 554 of title 5, the Secretary or agency head determines that any such ground exists and that suspension or termination is justified. No administrative proceeding shall be required where the right-of-way by its terms provides that it terminates on the occurrence of a fixed or agreed upon condition, event, or time.
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(2) If the Secretary or agency head determines that an immediate temporary suspension of activities within a right-of-way or permit area is necessary to protect public health or safety or the environment, he may abate such activities prior to an administrative proceeding.
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(3) Deliberate failure of the holder to use the right-of-way for the purpose for which it was granted or renewed for any continuous two-year period shall constitute a rebuttable presumption of abandonment of the right-of-way: Provided, That where the failure to use the right-of-way is due to circumstances not within the holder’s control the Secretary or agency head is not required to commence proceedings to suspend or terminate the right-of-way.
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(p) In order to minimize adverse environmental impacts and the proliferation of separate rights-of-way across Federal lands, the utilization of rights-of-way in common shall be required to the extent practical, and each right-of-way or permit shall reserve to the Secretary or agency head the right to grant additional rights-of-way or permits for compatible uses on or adjacent to rights-of-way or permit area granted pursuant to this section.
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(q) No rights-of-way for the purposes provided for in this section shall be granted or renewed across Federal lands except under and subject to the provisions, limitations, and conditions of this section. Any application for a right-of-way filed under any other law prior to the effective date of this provision may, at the applicant’s option, be considered as an application under this section. The Secretary or agency head may require the applicant to submit any additional information he deems necessary to comply with the requirements of this section.
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(B) In the case of oil or gas produced from Federal lands or from the resources on the Federal lands in the vicinity of the pipeline, the Secretary may, after a full hearing with due notice thereof to the interested parties and a proper finding of facts, determine the proportionate amounts to be accepted, conveyed, transported or purchased.
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(5) Whenever the Secretary has reason to believe that any owner or operator subject to this section is not operating any oil or gas pipeline in complete accord with its obligations as a common carrier hereunder, he may request the Attorney General to prosecute an appropriate proceeding before the Secretary of Energy or Federal Energy Regulatory Commission or any appropriate State agency or the United States district court for the district in which the pipeline or any part thereof is located, to enforce such obligation or to impose any penalty provided therefor, or the Secretary may, by proceeding as provided in this section, suspend or terminate the said grant of right-of-way for noncompliance with the provisions of this section.
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(6) The Secretary or agency head shall require, prior to granting or renewing a right-of-way, that the applicant submit and disclose all plans, contracts, agreements, or other information or material which he deems necessary to determine whether a right-of-way shall be granted or renewed and the terms and conditions which should be included in the right-of-way. Such information may include, but is not limited to: (A) conditions for, and agreements among owners or operators, regarding the addition of pumping facilities, looping, or otherwise increasing the pipeline or terminal’s throughput capacity in response to actual or anticipated increases in demand; (B) conditions for adding or abandoning intake, offtake, or storage points or facilities; and (C) minimum shipment or purchase tenders.
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(4) The Secretary of Commerce shall issue any rules necessary for implementation of the President’s national interest determination, including any licensing requirements and conditions, within 30 days of the date of such determination by the President. The Secretary of Commerce shall consult with the Secretary of Energy in administering the provisions of this subsection.
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(5) If the Secretary of Commerce finds that exporting oil under authority of this subsection has caused sustained material oil supply shortages or sustained oil prices significantly above world market levels and further finds that these supply shortages or price increases have caused or are likely to cause sustained material adverse employment effects in the United States, the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy, shall recommend, and the President may take, appropriate action concerning exports of this oil, which may include modifying or revoking authority to export such oil.
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(t) The Secretary or agency head may ratify and confirm any right-of-way or permit for an oil or gas pipeline or related facility that was granted under any provision of law before the effective date of this subsection, if it is modified by mutual agreement to comply to the extent practical with the provisions of this section. Any action taken by the Secretary or agency head pursuant to this subsection shall not be considered a major Federal action requiring a detailed statement pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1970 (Public Law 90–190; 42 U.S.C. 4321).1
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(v) The Secretary or agency head shall take into consideration and to the extent practical comply with State standards for right-of-way construction, operation, and maintenance.
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(1) The Secretary and other appropriate agency heads shall report to the Committee on Natural Resources of the United States House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the United States Senate annually on the administration of this section and on the safety and environmental requirements imposed pursuant thereto.
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(2) The Secretary or agency head shall promptly notify the Committee on Natural Resources of the United States House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the United States Senate upon receipt of an application for a right-of-way for a pipeline twenty-four inches or more in diameter, and no right-of-way for such a pipeline shall be granted until a notice of intention to grant the right-of-way, together with the Secretary’s or agency head’s detailed findings as to the terms and conditions he proposes to impose, has been submitted to such committees.
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(3) Periodically, but at least once a year, the Secretary of the Department of Transportation shall cause the examination of all pipelines and associated facilities on Federal lands and shall cause the prompt reporting of any potential leaks or safety problems.
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(1) The Secretary or agency head shall promulgate regulations and may impose stipulations specifying the extent to which holders of rights-of-way and permits under this chapter shall be liable to the United States for damage or injury incurred by the United States in connection with the right-of-way or permit. Where the right-of-way or permit involves lands which are under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal Government, the Secretary or agency head shall promulgate regulations specifying the extent to which holders shall be liable to third parties for injuries incurred in connection with the right-of-way or permit.
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(2) The Secretary or agency head may, by regulation or stipulation, impose a standard of strict liability to govern activities taking place on a right-of-way or permit area which the Secretary or agency head determines, in his discretion, to present a foreseeable hazard or risk of danger to the United States.
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Any permit, lease, occupation, or use permitted under this chapter shall reserve to the Secretary of the Interior the right to permit upon such terms as he may determine to be just, for joint or several use, such easements or rights-of-way, including easements in tunnels upon, through, or in the lands leased, occupied, or used as may be necessary or appropriate to the working of the same, or of other lands containing the deposits described in this chapter, and the treatment and shipment of the products thereof by or under authority of the Government, its lessees, or permittees, and for other public purposes. The Secretary of the Interior, in his discretion, in making any lease under this chapter, may reserve to the United States the right to lease, sell, or otherwise dispose of the surface of the lands embraced within such lease under existing law or laws hereafter enacted, insofar as said surface is not necessary for use of the lessee in extracting and removing the deposits therein. If such reservation is made it shall be so determined before the offering of such lease. The said Secretary, during the life of the lease, is authorized to issue such permits for easements herein provided to be reserved.
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No lease issued under the authority of this chapter shall be assigned or sublet, except with the consent of the Secretary of the Interior. The lessee may, in the discretion of the Secretary of the Interior, be permitted at any time to make written relinquishment of all rights under such a lease, and upon acceptance thereof be thereby relieved of all future obligations under said lease, and may with like consent surrender any legal subdivision of the area included within the lease. Each lease shall contain provisions for the purpose of insuring the exercise of reasonable diligence, skill, and care in the operation of said property; a provision that such rules for the safety and welfare of the miners and for the prevention of undue waste as may be prescribed by said Secretary shall be observed, including a restriction of the workday to not exceeding eight hours in any one day for underground workers except in cases of emergency; provisions prohibiting the employment of any child under the age of sixteen in any mine below the surface; provisions securing the workmen complete freedom of purchase; provision requiring the payment of wages at least twice a month in lawful money of the United States, and providing proper rules and regulations to insure the fair and just weighing or measurement of the coal mined by each miner, and such other provisions as he may deem necessary to insure the sale of the production of such leased lands to the United States and to the public at reasonable prices, for the protection of the interests of the United States, for the prevention of monopoly, and for the safeguarding of the public welfare. None of such provisions shall be in conflict with the laws of the State in which the leased property is situated.
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Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in section 187 of this title, any oil or gas lease issued under the authority of this chapter may be assigned or subleased, as to all or part of the acreage included therein, subject to final approval by the Secretary and as to either a divided or undivided interest therein, to any person or persons qualified to own a lease under this chapter, and any assignment or sublease shall take effect as of the first day of the lease month following the date of filing in the proper land office of three original executed counterparts thereof, together with any required bond and proof of the qualification under this chapter of the assignee or sublessee to take or hold such lease or interest therein. Until such approval, however, the assignor or sublessor and his surety shall continue to be responsible for the performance of any and all obligations as if no assignment or sublease had been executed. The Secretary shall disapprove the assignment or sublease only for lack of qualification of the assignee or sublessee or for lack of sufficient bond: Provided, however, That the Secretary may, in his discretion, disapprove an assignment of any of the following, unless the assignment constitutes the entire lease or is demonstrated to further the development of oil and gas:
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(b) Any lease issued after August 21, 1935, under the provisions of section 226 of this title shall be subject to cancellation by the Secretary of the Interior after 30 days notice upon the failure of the lessee to comply with any of the provisions of the lease, unless or until the leasehold contains a well capable of production of oil or gas in paying quantities, or the lease is committed to an approved cooperative or unit plan or communitization agreement under section 226(m) of this title which contains a well capable of production of unitized substances in paying quantities. Such notice in advance of cancellation shall be sent the lease owner by registered letter directed to the lease owner’s record post-office address, and in case such letter shall be returned as undelivered, such notice shall also be posted for a period of thirty days in the United States land office for the district in which the land covered by such lease is situated, or in the event that there is no district land office for such district, then in the post office nearest such land. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, however, upon failure of a lessee to pay rental on or before the anniversary date of the lease, for any lease on which there is no well capable of producing oil or gas in paying quantities, the lease shall automatically terminate by operation of law: Provided, however, That when the time for payment falls upon any day in which the proper office for payment is not open, payment may be received the next official working day and shall be considered as timely made: Provided, That if the rental payment due under a lease is paid on or before the anniversary date but either (1) the amount of the payment has been or is hereafter deficient and the deficiency is nominal, as determined by the Secretary by regulation, or (2) the payment was calculated in accordance with the acreage figure stated in the lease, or in any decision affecting the lease, or made in accordance with a bill or decision which has been rendered by him and such figure, bill, or decision is found to be in error resulting in a deficiency, such lease shall not automatically terminate unless (1) a new lease had been issued prior to May 12, 1970, or (2) the lessee fails to pay the deficiency within the period prescribed in a notice of deficiency sent to him by the Secretary.
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(c) Where any lease has been or is hereafter terminated automatically by operation of law under this section for failure to pay on or before the anniversary date the full amount of rental due, but such rental was paid on or tendered within twenty days thereafter, and it is shown to the satisfaction of the Secretary of the Interior that such failure was either justifiable or not due to a lack of reasonable diligence on the part of the lessee, the Secretary may reinstate the lease if—(1) a petition for reinstatement, together with the required rental, including back rental accruing from the date of termination of the lease, is filed with the Secretary; and(2) no valid lease has been issued affecting any of the lands covered by the terminated lease prior to the filing of said petition. The Secretary shall not issue any new lease affecting any of the lands covered by such terminated lease for a reasonable period, as determined in accordance with regulations issued by him. In any case where a reinstatement of a terminated lease is granted under this subsection and the Secretary finds that the reinstatement of such lease will not afford the lessee a reasonable opportunity to continue operations under the lease, the Secretary may, at his discretion, extend the term of such lease for such period as he deems reasonable: Provided, That (A) such extension shall not exceed a period equivalent to the time beginning when the lessee knew or should have known of the termination and ending on the date the Secretary grants such petition; (B) such extension shall not exceed a period equal to the unexpired portion of the lease or any extension thereof remaining at the date of termination; and (C) when the reinstatement occurs after the expiration of the term or extension thereof the lease may be extended from the date the Secretary grants the petition.
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(1) a petition for reinstatement, together with the required rental, including back rental accruing from the date of termination of the lease, is filed with the Secretary; and
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(2) no valid lease has been issued affecting any of the lands covered by the terminated lease prior to the filing of said petition. The Secretary shall not issue any new lease affecting any of the lands covered by such terminated lease for a reasonable period, as determined in accordance with regulations issued by him. In any case where a reinstatement of a terminated lease is granted under this subsection and the Secretary finds that the reinstatement of such lease will not afford the lessee a reasonable opportunity to continue operations under the lease, the Secretary may, at his discretion, extend the term of such lease for such period as he deems reasonable: Provided, That (A) such extension shall not exceed a period equivalent to the time beginning when the lessee knew or should have known of the termination and ending on the date the Secretary grants such petition; (B) such extension shall not exceed a period equal to the unexpired portion of the lease or any extension thereof remaining at the date of termination; and (C) when the reinstatement occurs after the expiration of the term or extension thereof the lease may be extended from the date the Secretary grants the petition.
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(1) Where any oil and gas lease issued pursuant to section 226(b) or (c) of this title or the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands (30 U.S.C. 351 et seq.) has been, or is hereafter, terminated automatically by operation of law under this section for failure to pay on or before the anniversary date the full amount of the rental due, and such rental is not paid or tendered within twenty days thereafter, and it is shown to the satisfaction of the Secretary of the Interior that such failure was justifiable or not due to lack of reasonable diligence on the part of the lessee, or, no matter when the rental is paid after termination, it is shown to the satisfaction of the Secretary that such failure was inadvertent, the Secretary may reinstate the lease as of the date of termination for the unexpired portion of the primary term of the original lease or any extension thereof remaining at the date of termination, and so long thereafter as oil or gas is produced in paying quantities. In any case where a lease is reinstated under this subsection and the Secretary finds that the reinstatement of such lease (A) occurs after the expiration of the primary term or any extension thereof, or (B) will not afford the lessee a reasonable opportunity to continue operations under the lease, the Secretary may, at his discretion, extend the term of such lease for such period as he deems reasonable, but in no event for more than two years from the date the Secretary authorizes the reinstatement and so long thereafter as oil or gas is produced in paying quantities.
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(i) 60 days after the lessee receives from the Secretary notice of termination, whether by return of check or by any other form of actual notice; or
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(i) 60 days after receipt of the notice of termination sent by the Secretary by certified mail to all lessees of record; or
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(e) Any reinstatement under subsection (d) of this section shall be made only if these conditions are met:(1) no valid lease, whether still in existence or not, shall have been issued affecting any of the lands covered by the terminated lease prior to the filing of such petition: Provided, however, That after receipt of a petition for reinstatement, the Secretary shall not issue any new lease affecting any of the lands covered by such terminated lease for a reasonable period, as determined in accordance with regulations issued by him;(2) payment of back rentals and either the inclusion in a reinstated lease issued pursuant to the provisions of section 226(b) of this title of a requirement for future rentals at a rate of not less than $20 per acre per year, or the inclusion in a reinstated lease issued pursuant to the provisions of section 226(c) of this title of a requirement that future rentals shall be at a rate not less than $5 per acre per year, all as determined by the Secretary;(A) payment of back royalties and the inclusion in a reinstated lease issued pursuant to the provisions of section 226(b) of this title of a requirement for future royalties at a rate of not less than 16⅔ percent computed on a sliding scale based upon the average production per well per day, at a rate which shall be not less than 4 percentage points greater than the competitive royality1 schedule then in force and used for royalty determination for competitive leases issued pursuant to such section as determined by the Secretary: Provided, That royalty on such reinstated lease shall be paid on all production removed or sold from such lease subsequent to the termination of the original lease;(B) payment of back royalties and inclusion in a reinstated lease issued pursuant to the provisions of section 226(c) of this title of a requirement for future royalties at a rate not less than 16⅔ percent: Provided, That royalty on such reinstated lease shall be paid on all production removed or sold from such lease subsequent to the cancellation or termination of the original lease; and(4) notice of the proposed reinstatement of a terminated lease, including the terms and conditions of reinstatement, shall be published in the Federal Register at least thirty days in advance of the reinstatement.A copy of said notice, together with information concerning rental, royalty, volume of production, if any, and any other matter which the Secretary deemed significant in making this determination to reinstate, shall be furnished to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate at least thirty days in advance of the reinstatement. The lessee of a reinstated lease shall reimburse the Secretary for the administrative costs of reinstating the lease, but not to exceed $500. In addition the lessee shall reimburse the Secretary for the cost of publication in the Federal Register of the notice of proposed reinstatement.
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(1) no valid lease, whether still in existence or not, shall have been issued affecting any of the lands covered by the terminated lease prior to the filing of such petition: Provided, however, That after receipt of a petition for reinstatement, the Secretary shall not issue any new lease affecting any of the lands covered by such terminated lease for a reasonable period, as determined in accordance with regulations issued by him;
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(2) payment of back rentals and either the inclusion in a reinstated lease issued pursuant to the provisions of section 226(b) of this title of a requirement for future rentals at a rate of not less than $20 per acre per year, or the inclusion in a reinstated lease issued pursuant to the provisions of section 226(c) of this title of a requirement that future rentals shall be at a rate not less than $5 per acre per year, all as determined by the Secretary;
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(A) payment of back royalties and the inclusion in a reinstated lease issued pursuant to the provisions of section 226(b) of this title of a requirement for future royalties at a rate of not less than 16⅔ percent computed on a sliding scale based upon the average production per well per day, at a rate which shall be not less than 4 percentage points greater than the competitive royality1 schedule then in force and used for royalty determination for competitive leases issued pursuant to such section as determined by the Secretary: Provided, That royalty on such reinstated lease shall be paid on all production removed or sold from such lease subsequent to the termination of the original lease;
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(f) Where an unpatented oil placer mining claim validly located prior to February 24, 1920, which has been or is currently producing or is capable of producing oil or gas, has been or is hereafter deemed conclusively abandoned for failure to file timely the required instruments or copies of instruments required by section 1744 of title 43, and it is shown to the satisfaction of the Secretary that such failure was inadvertent, justifiable, or not due to lack of reasonable diligence on the part of the owner, the Secretary may issue, for the lands covered by the abandoned unpatented oil placer mining claim, a noncompetitive oil and gas lease, consistent with the provisions of section 226(e) of this title, to be effective from the statutory date the claim was deemed conclusively abandoned. Issuance of such a lease shall be conditioned upon:(1) a petition for issuance of a noncompetitive oil and gas lease, together with the required rental and royalty, including back rental and royalty accruing from the statutory date of abandonment of the oil placer mining claim, being filed with the Secretary—(A) with respect to any claim deemed conclusively abandoned on or before January 12, 1983, on or before the one hundred and twentieth day after January 12, 1983, or(B) with respect to any claim deemed conclusively abandoned after January 12, 1983, on or before the one hundred and twentieth day after final notification by the Secretary or a court of competent jurisdiction of the determination of the abandonment of the oil placer mining claim;(2) a valid lease not having been issued affecting any of the lands covered by the abandoned oil placer mining claim prior to the filing of such petition: Provided, however, That after the filing of a petition for issuance of a lease under this subsection, the Secretary shall not issue any new lease affecting any of the lands covered by such abandoned oil placer mining claim for a reasonable period, as determined in accordance with regulations issued by him;(3) a requirement in the lease for payment of rental, including back rentals accruing from the statutory date of abandonment of the oil placer mining claim, of not less than $5 per acre per year;(4) a requirement in the lease for payment of royalty on production removed or sold from the oil placer mining claim, including all royalty on production made subsequent to the statutory date the claim was deemed conclusively abandoned, of not less than 12½ percent; and(5) compliance with the notice and reimbursement of costs provisions of paragraph (4) of subsection (e) but addressed to the petition covering the conversion of an abandoned unpatented oil placer mining claim to a noncompetitive oil and gas lease.
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(1) a petition for issuance of a noncompetitive oil and gas lease, together with the required rental and royalty, including back rental and royalty accruing from the statutory date of abandonment of the oil placer mining claim, being filed with the Secretary—(A) with respect to any claim deemed conclusively abandoned on or before January 12, 1983, on or before the one hundred and twentieth day after January 12, 1983, or(B) with respect to any claim deemed conclusively abandoned after January 12, 1983, on or before the one hundred and twentieth day after final notification by the Secretary or a court of competent jurisdiction of the determination of the abandonment of the oil placer mining claim;
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(B) with respect to any claim deemed conclusively abandoned after January 12, 1983, on or before the one hundred and twentieth day after final notification by the Secretary or a court of competent jurisdiction of the determination of the abandonment of the oil placer mining claim;
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(2) a valid lease not having been issued affecting any of the lands covered by the abandoned oil placer mining claim prior to the filing of such petition: Provided, however, That after the filing of a petition for issuance of a lease under this subsection, the Secretary shall not issue any new lease affecting any of the lands covered by such abandoned oil placer mining claim for a reasonable period, as determined in accordance with regulations issued by him;
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(1) In acting on a petition to issue a noncompetitive oil and gas lease, under subsection (f) of this section or in response to a request filed after issuance of such a lease, or both, the Secretary is authorized to reduce the royalty on such lease if in his judgment it is equitable to do so or the circumstances warrant such relief due to uneconomic or other circumstances which could cause undue hardship or premature termination of production.
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(2) In acting on a petition for reinstatement pursuant to subsection (d) of this section or in response to a request filed after reinstatement, or both, the Secretary is authorized to reduce the royalty in that reinstated lease on the entire leasehold or any tract or portion thereof segregated for royalty purposes if, in his judgment, there are uneconomic or other circumstances which could cause undue hardship or premature termination of production; or because of any written action of the United States, its agents or employees, which preceded, and was a major consideration in, the lessee’s expenditure of funds to develop the property under the lease after the rent had become due and had not been paid; or if in the judgment of the Secretary it is equitable to do so for any reason.
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(j) Where, in the judgment of the Secretary of the Interior, drilling operations were being diligently conducted on the last day of the primary term of the lease, and, except for nonpayment of rental, the lessee would have been entitled to extension of his lease, pursuant to section 226–1(d) of this title, the Secretary of the Interior may reinstate such lease notwithstanding the failure of the lessee to have made payment of the next year’s rental, provided the conditions of subparagraphs (1) and (2) of section2 (c) are satisfied.
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The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to accept the surrender of any lease issued pursuant to any of the provisions of this chapter, or any amendment thereof, where the surrender is filed in the Bureau of Land Management subsequent to the accrual but prior to the payment of the yearly rental due under the lease, upon payment of the accrued rental on a pro rata monthly basis for the portion of the lease year prior to the filing of the surrender. The authority granted to the Secretary of the Interior by this section shall extend only to cases in which he finds that the failure of the lessee to file a timely surrender of the lease prior to the accrual of the rental was not due to a lack of reasonable diligence, but it shall not extend to claims or cases which have been referred to the Department of Justice for purposes of suit.
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The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to prescribe necessary and proper rules and regulations and to do any and all things necessary to carry out and accomplish the purposes of this chapter, also to fix and determine the boundary lines of any structure, or oil or gas field, for the purposes of this chapter. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed or held to affect the rights of the States or other local authority to exercise any rights which they may have, including the right to levy and collect taxes upon improvements, output of mines, or other rights, property, or assets of any lessee of the United States.
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(a) All money received from sales, bonuses, royalties including interest charges collected under the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act of 1982 [30 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.], and rentals of the public lands under the provisions of this chapter and the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 [30 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.], shall be paid into the Treasury of the United States; and, subject to the provisions of subsection (b), 50 per centum thereof shall be paid by the Secretary of the Treasury to the State other than Alaska within the boundaries of which the leased lands or deposits are or were located; said moneys paid to any of such States on or after January 1, 1976, to be used by such State and its subdivisions, as the legislature of the State may direct giving priority to those subdivisions of the State socially or economically impacted by development of minerals leased under this chapter, for (i) planning, (ii) construction and maintenance of public facilities, and (iii) provision of public service; and excepting those from Alaska, 40 per centum thereof shall be paid into, reserved, appropriated, as part of the reclamation fund created by the Act of Congress known as the Reclamation Act, approved June 17, 1902, and of those from Alaska, 90 per centum thereof shall be paid to the State of Alaska for disposition by the legislature thereof: Provided, That all moneys which may accrue to the United States under the provisions of this chapter and the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 from lands within the naval petroleum reserves shall be deposited in the Treasury as “miscellaneous receipts”, as provided by section 8733(b) of title 10. All moneys received under the provisions of this chapter and the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 not otherwise disposed of by this section shall be credited to miscellaneous receipts. Payments to States under this section with respect to any moneys received by the United States, shall be made not later than the last business day of the month in which such moneys are warranted by the United States Treasury to the Secretary as having been received, except for any portion of such moneys which is under challenge and placed in a suspense account pending resolution of a dispute. Such warrants shall be issued by the United States Treasury not later than 10 days after receipt of such moneys by the Treasury. Moneys placed in a suspense account which are determined to be payable to a State shall be made not later than the last business day of the month in which such dispute is resolved. Any such amount placed in a suspense account pending resolution shall bear interest until the dispute is resolved.
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(A) 50 percent shall be paid by the Secretary of the Treasury to the State within the boundaries of which the leased land is located or the deposits were derived; and
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(A) The Fund shall be available to the Secretary of the Interior for expenditure, without further appropriation and without fiscal year limitation, for the coordination and processing of oil and gas use authorizations on onshore Federal and Indian trust mineral estate land.
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(B) The Secretary shall divide the Fund into—(i) a Rental Account (referred to in this subsection as the “Rental Account”) comprised of rental receipts collected under this section; and(ii) a Fee Account (referred to in this subsection as the “Fee Account”) comprised of fees collected under subsection (d).
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(A) The Secretary shall use the Rental Account for—(i) the coordination and processing of oil and gas use authorizations on onshore Federal and Indian trust mineral estate land under the jurisdiction of the Project offices identified under section 15924(d) of title 42; and(ii) training programs for development of expertise related to coordinating and processing oil and gas use authorizations.
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(B) In determining the allocation of the Rental Account among Project offices for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall consider—(i) the number of applications for permit to drill received in a Project office during the previous fiscal year;(ii) the backlog of applications described in clause (i) in a Project office;(iii) publicly available industry forecasts for development of oil and gas resources under the jurisdiction of a Project office; and(iv) any opportunities for partnership with local industry organizations and educational institutions in developing training programs to facilitate the coordination and processing of oil and gas use authorizations.
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(A) The Secretary shall use the Fee Account for the coordination and processing of oil and gas use authorizations on onshore Federal and Indian trust mineral estate land.
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(B) The Secretary shall transfer not less than 75 percent of the revenues collected by an office for the processing of applications for permits to the State office of the State in which the fees were collected.
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(3) Of the fees collected under this subsection for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall transfer—(A) for each of fiscal years 2016 through 2019—(i) 15 percent to the field offices that collected the fees and used to process protests, leases, and permits under this chapter, subject to appropriation; and(ii) 85 percent to the BLM Permit Processing Improvement Fund established under subsection (c)(2)(B) (referred to in this subsection as the “Fund”); and(B) for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2026, all of the fees to the Fund.
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(4) During each of fiscal years of 2016 through 2026, the Secretary shall not implement a rulemaking that would enable an increase in fees to recover additional costs related to processing applications for permits to drill.
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Beginning in fiscal year 1996 and thereafter, the Secretary shall take appropriate action to collect unpaid and underpaid royalties and late payment interest owed by Federal and Indian mineral lessees and other royalty payors on amounts received in settlement or other resolution of disputes under, and for partial or complete termination of, sales agreements for minerals from Federal and Indian leases.
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All royalty accruing to the United States under any oil or gas lease or permit under this chapter on demand of the Secretary of the Interior shall be paid in oil or gas.
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Where, under any existing contract entered into pursuant to the first proviso in the second paragraph of section 192 of this title, any refinery is required to pay a premium price for the purchase of Government royalty oil, such refinery may, at its option, by written notice to the Secretary of the Interior, elect either—
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(2) to retain such contract with the modifications, that (a) the price, on and after March 1, 1949, shall be as defined in the contract, without premium payments, (b) any credit thereby resulting from past premium payments shall be added to the refinery’s account, and (c) the Secretary may, at his option, elect to terminate the contract as so modified, such termination to take place at the end of the third calendar month following the month in which written notice thereof is given by the Secretary.
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The Secretary of the Interior is authorized under general rules and regulations to be prescribed by him to issue leases or permits for the exploration, development, and utilization of the mineral deposits, other than those subject to the provisions of chapter 7 of this title, in those lands added to the Shasta National Forest by the Act of March 19, 1948 (Public Law 449, Eightieth Congress), which were acquired with funds of the United States or lands received in exchange therefor: Provided, That any permit or lease of such deposits in lands administered by the Secretary of Agriculture shall be issued only with his consent and subject to such conditions as he may prescribe to insure the adequate utilization of the lands for the purposes set forth in the Act of March 19, 1948: And provided further, That all receipts derived from leases or permits issued under the authority of sections 192a to 192c of this title shall be paid into the same funds or accounts in the Treasury and shall be distributed in the same manner as prescribed for other receipts from the lands affected by the lease or permit, the intention of this provision being that sections 192a to 192c of this title shall not affect the distribution of receipts pursuant to legislation applicable to such lands.
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Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for fiscal year 1992 and each year thereafter, the Secretary of the Interior or his designee is authorized to—
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(a) enter into a cooperative agreement or agreements with any State or Indian tribe to share royalty management information, to carry out inspection, auditing, investigation or enforcement (not including the collection of royalties, civil penalties, or other payments) activities in cooperation with the Secretary, except that the Secretary shall not enter into such cooperative agreement with a State with respect to any such activities on Indian lands except with the permission of the Indian tribe involved; and
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(b) upon written request of any State, to delegate to the State all or part of the authorities and responsibilities of the Secretary under the authorizing leasing statutes, leases, and regulations promulgated pursuant thereto to conduct audits, investigations, and inspections, except that the Secretary shall not undertake such a delegation with respect to any Indian lands except with permission of the Indian tribe involved,
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(1) The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to divide any lands subject to this chapter which have been classified for coal leasing into leasing tracts of such size as he finds appropriate and in the public interest and which will permit the mining of all coal which can be economically extracted in such tract and thereafter he shall, in his discretion, upon the request of any qualified applicant or on his own motion, from time to time, offer such lands for leasing and shall award leases thereon by competitive bidding: Provided, That notwithstanding the competitive bidding requirement of this section, the Secretary may, subject to such conditions which he deems appropriate, negotiate the sale at fair market value of coal the removal of which is necessary and incidental to the exercise of a right-of-way permit issued pursuant to title V of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 [43 U.S.C. 1761 et seq.]. No less than 50 per centum of the total acreage offered for lease by the Secretary in any one year shall be leased under a system of deferred bonus payment. Upon default or cancellation of any coal lease for which bonus payments are due, any unpaid remainder of the bid shall be immediately payable to the United States. A reasonable number of leasing tracts shall be reserved and offered for lease in accordance with this section to public bodies, including Federal agencies, rural electric cooperatives, or nonprofit corporations controlled by any of such entities: Provided, That the coal so offered for lease shall be for use by such entity or entities in implementing a definite plan to produce energy for their own use or for sale to their members or customers (except for short-term sales to others). No bid shall be accepted which is less than the fair market value, as determined by the Secretary, of the coal subject to the lease. Prior to his determination of the fair market value of the coal subject to the lease, the Secretary shall give opportunity for and consideration to public comments on the fair market value. Nothing in this section shall be construed to require the Secretary to make public his judgment as to the fair market value of the coal to be leased, or the comments he receives thereon prior to the issuance of the lease. He is authorized, in awarding leases for coal lands improved and occupied or claimed in good faith, prior to February 25, 1920, to consider and recognize equitable rights of such occupants or claimants.
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(A) The Secretary shall not issue a lease or leases under the terms of this chapter to any person, association, corporation, or any subsidiary, affiliate, or persons controlled by or under common control with such person, association, or corporation, where any such entity holds a lease or leases issued by the United States to coal deposits and has held such lease or leases for a period of ten years when such entity is not, except as provided for in section 207(b) of this title, producing coal from the lease deposits in commercial quantities. In computing the ten-year period referred to in the preceding sentence, periods of time prior to August 4, 1976, shall not be counted.
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(B) Any lease proposal which permits surface coal mining within the boundaries of a National Forest which the Secretary proposes to issue under this chapter shall be submitted to the Governor of each State within which the coal deposits subject to such lease are located. No such lease may be issued under this chapter before the expiration of the sixty-day period beginning on the date of such submission. If any Governor to whom a proposed lease was submitted under this subparagraph objects to the issuance of such lease, such lease shall not be issued before the expiration of the six-month period beginning on the date the Secretary is notified by the Governor of such objection. During such six-month period, the Governor may submit to the Secretary a statement of reasons why such lease should not be issued and the Secretary shall, on the basis of such statement, reconsider the issuance of such lease.
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(i) No lease sale shall be held unless the lands containing the coal deposits have been included in a comprehensive land-use plan and such sale is compatible with such plan. The Secretary of the Interior shall prepare such land-use plans on lands under his responsibility where such plans have not been previously prepared. The Secretary of the Interior shall inform the Secretary of Agriculture of substantial development interest in coal leasing on lands within the National Forest System. Upon receipt of such notification from the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture shall prepare a comprehensive land-use plan for such areas where such plans have not been previously prepared. The plan of the Secretary of Agriculture shall take into consideration the proposed coal development in these lands: Provided, That where the Secretary of the Interior finds that because of non-Federal interest in the surface or because the coal resources are insufficient to justify the preparation costs of a Federal comprehensive land-use plan, the lease sale can be held if the lands containing the coal deposits have been included in either a comprehensive land-use plan prepared by the State within which the lands are located or a land use analysis prepared by the Secretary of the Interior.
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(ii) In preparing such land-use plans, the Secretary of the Interior or, in the case of lands within the National Forest System, the Secretary of Agriculture, or in the case of a finding by the Secretary of the Interior that because of non-Federal interests in the surface or insufficient Federal coal, no Federal comprehensive land-use plans can be appropriately prepared, the responsible State entity shall consult with appropriate State agencies and local governments and the general public and shall provide an opportunity for public hearing on proposed plans prior to their adoption, if requested by any person having an interest which is, or may be, adversely affected by the adoption of such plans.
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(B) Each land-use plan prepared by the Secretary (or in the case of lands within the National Forest System, the Secretary of Agriculture pursuant to subparagraph (A)(i)) shall include an assessment of the amount of coal deposits in such land, identifying the amount of such coal which is recoverable by deep mining operations and the amount of such coal which is recoverable by surface mining operations.
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(C) Prior to issuance of any coal lease, the Secretary shall consider effects which mining of the proposed lease might have on an impacted community or area, including, but not limited to, impacts on the environment, on agricultural and other economic activities, and on public services. Prior to issuance of a lease, the Secretary shall evaluate and compare the effects of recovering coal by deep mining, by surface mining, and by any other method to determine which method or methods or sequence of methods achieves the maximum economic recovery of the coal within the proposed leasing tract. This evaluation and comparison by the Secretary shall be in writing but shall not prohibit the issuance of a lease; however, no mining operating plan shall be approved which is not found to achieve the maximum economic recovery of the coal within the tract. Public hearings in the area shall be held by the Secretary prior to the lease sale.
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(D) No lease sale shall be held until after the notice of the proposed offering for lease has been given once a week for three consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the lands are situated in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary.
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(A) The Secretary shall not require a surety bond or any other financial assurance to guarantee payment of deferred bonus bid installments with respect to any coal lease issued on a cash bonus bid to a lessee or successor in interest having a history of a timely payment of noncontested coal royalties and advanced coal royalties in lieu of production (where applicable) and bonus bid installment payments.
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(B) The Secretary may waive any requirement that a lessee provide a surety bond or other financial assurance to guarantee payment of deferred bonus bid installment with respect to any coal lease issued before August 8, 2005, only if the Secretary determines that the lessee has a history of making timely payments referred to in subparagraph (A).
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(5) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if the lessee under a coal lease fails to pay any installment of a deferred cash bonus bid within 10 days after the Secretary provides written notice that payment of the installment is past due—(A) the lease shall automatically terminate; and(B) any bonus payments already made to the United States with respect to the lease shall not be returned to the lessee or credited in any future lease sale.
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(1) The Secretary may, under such regulations as he may prescribe, issue to any person an exploration license. No person may conduct coal exploration for commercial purposes for any coal on lands subject to this chapter without such an exploration license. Each exploration license shall be for a term of not more than two years and shall be subject to a reasonable fee. An exploration license shall confer no right to a lease under this chapter. The issuance of exploration licenses shall not preclude the Secretary from issuing coal leases at such times and locations and to such persons as he deems appropriate. No exploration license will be issued for any land on which a coal lease has been issued. A separate exploration license will be required for exploration in each State. An application for an exploration license shall identify general areas and probable methods of exploration. Each exploration license shall contain such reasonable conditions as the Secretary may require, including conditions to insure the protection of the environment, and shall be subject to all applicable Federal, State, and local laws and regulations. Upon violation of any such conditions or laws the Secretary may revoke the exploration license.
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(3) The licensee shall furnish to the Secretary copies of all data (including, but not limited to, geological, geophyscal,1 and core drilling analyses) obtained during such exploration. The Secretary shall maintain the confidentiality of all data so obtained until after the areas involved have been leased or until such time as he determines that making the data available to the public would not damage the competitive position of the licensee, whichever comes first.
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(4) Any person who willfully conducts coal exploration for commercial purposes on lands subject to this chapter without an exploration license issued hereunder shall be subject to a fine of not more than $1,000 for each day of violation. All data collected by said person on any Federal lands as a result of such violation shall be made immediately available to the Secretary, who shall make the data available to the public as soon as it is practicable. No penalty under this subsection shall be assessed unless such person is given notice and opportunity for a hearing with respect to such violation.
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(1) The Secretary, upon determining that maximum economic recovery of the coal deposit or deposits is served thereby, may approve the consolidation of coal leases into a logical mining unit. Such consolidation may only take place after a public hearing, if requested by any person whose interest is or may be adversely affected. A logical mining unit is an area of land in which the coal resources can be developed in an efficient, economical, and orderly manner as a unit with due regard to conservation of coal reserves and other resources. A logical mining unit may consist of one or more Federal leaseholds, and may include intervening or adjacent lands in which the United States does not own the coal resources, but all the lands in a logical mining unit must be under the effective control of a single operator, be able to be developed and operated as a single operation and be contiguous.
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(A) After the Secretary has approved the establishment of a logical mining unit, any mining plan approved for that unit must require such diligent development, operation, and production that the reserves of the entire unit will be mined within a period established by the Secretary which shall not be more than forty years.
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(3) In approving a logical mining unit, the Secretary may provide, among other things, that (i) diligent development, continuous operation, and production on any Federal lease or non-Federal land in the logical mining unit shall be construed as occurring on all Federal leases in that logical mining unit, and (ii) the rentals and royalties for all Federal leases in a logical mining unit may be combined, and advanced royalties paid for any lease within a logical mining unit may be credited against such combined royalties.
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(4) The Secretary may amend the provisions of any lease included in a logical mining unit so that mining under that lease will be consistent with the requirements imposed on that logical mining unit.
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(6) By regulation the Secretary may require a lessee under this chapter to form a logical mining unit, and may provide for determination of participating acreage within a unit.
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(7) No logical mining unit shall be approved by the Secretary if the total acreage (both Federal and non-Federal) of the unit would exceed twenty-five thousand acres.
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(1) Except as provided in paragraph (3), on a finding by the Secretary under paragraph (2), any person, association, or corporation holding a lease of coal lands or coal deposits under the provisions of this chapter may with the approval of the Secretary of the Interior,1 secure modifications of the original coal lease by including additional coal lands or coal deposits contiguous or cornering to those embraced in the lease.
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(2) A finding referred to in paragraph (1) is a finding by the Secretary that the modifications—(A) would be in the interest of the United States;(B) would not displace a competitive interest in the lands; and(C) would not include lands or deposits that can be developed as part of another potential or existing operation.
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(b) The Secretary shall prescribe terms and conditions which shall be consistent with this chapter and applicable to all of the acreage in such modified lease except that nothing in this section shall require the Secretary to apply the production or mining plan requirements of sections 202a(2) and 207(c) of this title.
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If, in the judgment of the Secretary of the Interior, the public interest will be subserved thereby, lessees holding under lease areas not exceeding the maximum permitted under this chapter may consolidate their leases through the surrender of the original leases and the inclusion of such areas in a new lease of not to exceed two thousand five hundred and sixty acres of contiguous lands.
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Where coal or phosphate lands aggregating two thousand five hundred and sixty acres and subject to lease hereunder do not exist as contiguous areas, the Secretary of the Interior is authorized, if, in his opinion the interests of the public and of the lessee will be thereby subserved, to embrace in a single lease noncontiguous tracts which can be operated as a single mine or unit.
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(a) A coal lease shall be for a term of twenty years and for so long thereafter as coal is produced annually in commercial quantities from that lease. Any lease which is not producing in commercial quantities at the end of ten years shall be terminated. The Secretary shall by regulation prescribe annual rentals on leases. A lease shall require payment of a royalty in such amount as the Secretary shall determine of not less than 12½ percent, except such amount shall be not more than 7 percent during the period that begins on July 4, 2025, and ends September 30, 2034, of the value of coal as defined by regulation, except the Secretary may determine a lesser amount in the case of coal recovered by underground mining operations. The lease shall include such other terms and conditions as the Secretary shall determine. Such rentals and royalties and other terms and conditions of the lease will be subject to readjustment at the end of its primary term of twenty years and at the end of each ten-year period thereafter if the lease is extended.
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(2) The Secretary of the Interior, upon determining that the public interest will be served thereby, may suspend the condition of continued operation upon the payment of advance royalties.
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(3) Advance royalties described in paragraph (2) shall be no less than the production royalty which would otherwise be paid and shall be computed on a fixed reserve to production ratio (determined by the Secretary).
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(ii) in the absence of a spot market for comparable coal from the same region, by using a comparable method established by the Secretary of the Interior to capture the commercial value of coal; and
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(B) based on commercial quantities, as defined by regulation by the Secretary of the Interior.
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(6) 1 The amount of any production royalty paid for any year shall be reduced (but not below 0) by the amount of any advance royalties paid under a lease described in paragraph (5) to the extent that the advance royalties have not been used to reduce production royalties for a prior year.
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(c) Prior to taking any action on a leasehold which might cause a significant disturbance of the environment, the lessee shall submit for the Secretary’s approval an operation and reclamation plan. The Secretary shall approve or disapprove the plan or require that it be modified. Where the land involved is under the surface jurisdiction of another Federal agency, that other agency must consent to the terms of such approval.
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In order to provide for the supply of strictly local domestic needs for fuel, the Secretary of the Interior may, under such rules and regulations as he may prescribe in advance, issue limited licenses or permits to individuals or associations of individuals to prospect for, mine, and take for their use but not for sale, coal from the public lands without payment of royalty for the coal mined or the land occupied, on such conditions not inconsistent with this chapter as in his opinion will safeguard the public interests. This privilege shall not extend to any corporations. In the case of municipal corporations the Secretary of the Interior may issue such limited license or permit, for not to exceed three hundred and twenty acres for a municipality of less than one hundred thousand population, and not to exceed one thousand two hundred and eighty acres for a municipality of not less than one hundred thousand and not more than one hundred and fifty thousand population; and not to exceed two thousand five hundred and sixty acres for a municipality of one hundred and fifty thousand population or more, the land to be selected within the State wherein the municipal applicant may be located, upon condition that such municipal corporations will mine the coal therein under proper conditions and dispose of the same without profit to residents of such municipality for household use: Provided, That the acquisition or holding of a lease under sections 181, 201, and 202 to 207 of this title shall be no bar to the holding of such tract or operation of such mine under said limited license.
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(a) The Secretary is authorized and directed to conduct a comprehensive exploratory program designed to obtain sufficient data and information to evaluate the extent, location, and potential for developing the known recoverable coal resources within the coal lands subject to this chapter. This program shall be designed to obtain the resource information necessary for determining whether commercial quantities of coal are present and the geographical extent of the coal fields and for estimating the amount of such coal which is recoverable by deep mining operations and the amount of such coal which is recoverable by surface mining operations in order to provide a basis for—(1) developing a comprehensive land use plan pursuant to section 2;(2) improving the information regarding the value of public resources and revenues which should be expected from leasing;(3) increasing competition among producers of coal, or products derived from the conversion of coal, by providing data and information to all potential bidders equally and equitably;(4) providing the public with information on the nature of the coal deposits and the associated stratum and the value of the public resources being offered for sale; and(5) providing the basis for the assessment of the amount of coal deposits in those lands subject to this chapter under subparagraph (B) of section 201(a)(3) of this title.
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(b) The Secretary, through the United States Geological Survey, is authorized to conduct seismic, geophysical, geochemical, or stratigraphic drilling, or to contract for or purchase the results of such exploratory activities from commercial or other sources which may be needed to implement the provisions of this section.
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(d) The Secretary shall make available to the public by appropriate means all data, information, maps, interpretations, and surveys which are obtained directly by the Department of the Interior or under a service contract pursuant to subsection (b). The Secretary shall maintain a confidentiality of all proprietary data or information purchased from commercial sources while not under contract with the United States Government until after the areas involved have been leased.
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(e) All Federal departments or agencies are authorized and directed to provide the Secretary with any information or data that may be deemed necessary to assist the Secretary in implementing the exploratory program pursuant to this section. Proprietary information or data provided to the Secretary under the provisions of this subsection shall remain confidential for such period of time as agreed to by the head of the department or agency from whom the information is requested. In addition, the Secretary is authorized and directed to utilize the existing capabilities and resources of other Federal departments and agencies by appropriate agreement.
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(f) The Secretary is directed to prepare, publish, and keep current a series of detailed geological, and geophysical maps of, and reports concerning, all coal lands to be offered for leasing under this chapter, based on data and information compiled pursuant to this section. Such maps and reports shall be prepared and revised at reasonable intervals beginning eighteen months after the date of enactment of this Act. Such maps and reports shall be made available on a continuing basis to any person on request.
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(g) Within six months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall develop and transmit to Congress an implementation plan for the coal lands exploration program authorized by this section, including procedures for making the data and information available to the public pursuant to subsection (d), and maps and reports pursuant to subsection (f). The implementation plan shall include a projected schedule of exploratory activities and identification of the regions and areas which will be explored under the coal lands exploration program during the first five years following the enactment of this section. In addition, the implementation plan shall include estimates of the appropriations and staffing required to implement the coal lands exploration program.
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(h) The stratigraphic drilling authorized in subsection (b) shall be carried out in such a manner as to obtain information pertaining to all recoverable reserves. For the purpose of complying with subsection (a), the Secretary shall require all those authorized to conduct stratigraphic drilling pursuant to subsection (b) to supply a statement of the results of test boring of core sampling including logs of the drill holes; the thickness of the coal seams found; an analysis of the chemical properties of such coal; and an analysis of the strata layers lying above all the seams of coal. All drilling activities shall be conducted using the best current technology and practices.
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The Secretary of the Interior, for the purpose of encouraging the greatest ultimate recovery of coal, oil, gas, oil shale1 gilsonite (including all vein-type solid hydrocarbons),,2 phosphate, sodium, potassium and sulfur, and in the interest of conservation of natural resources, is authorized to waive, suspend, or reduce the rental, or minimum royalty, or reduce the royalty on an entire leasehold, or on any tract or portion thereof segregated for royalty purposes, whenever in his judgment it is necessary to do so in order to promote development, or whenever in his judgment the leases cannot be successfully operated under the terms provided therein.3 Provided, however, That in order to promote development and the maximum production of tar sand, at the request of the lessee, the Secretary shall review, prior to commencement of commercial operations, the royalty rates established in each combined hydrocarbon lease issued in special tar sand areas. For purposes of this section, the term “tar sand” means any consolidated or unconsolidated rock (other than coal, oil shale, or gilsonite) that either: (1) contains a hydrocarbonaceous material with a gas-free viscosity, at original reservoir temperature, greater than 10,000 centipoise, or (2) contains a hydrocarbonaceous material and is produced by mining or quarrying. In the event the Secretary of the Interior, in the interest of conservation, shall direct or shall assent to the suspension of operations and production under any lease granted under the terms of this chapter, any payment of acreage rental or of minimum royalty prescribed by such lease likewise shall be suspended during such period of suspension of operations and production; and the term of such lease shall be extended by adding any such suspension period thereto. The provisions of this section shall apply to all oil and gas leases issued under this chapter, including those within an approved or prescribed plan for unit or cooperative development and operation. Nothing in this section shall be construed as granting to the Secretary the authority to waive, suspend, or reduce advance royalties.
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(a) The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to lease to any applicant qualified under this chapter, through advertisement, competitive bidding, or such other methods as he may by general regulations adopt, any phosphate deposits of the United States, and lands containing such deposits, including associated and related minerals, when in his judgment the public interest will be best served thereby. The lands shall be leased under such terms and conditions as are herein specified, in units reasonably compact in form of not to exceed two thousand five hundred and sixty acres.
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(b) Where prospecting or exploratory work is necessary to determine the existence or workability of phosphate deposits in any unclaimed, undeveloped area, the Secretary of the Interior is authorized to issue, to any applicant qualified under this chapter, a prospecting permit which shall give the exclusive right to prospect for phosphate deposits, including associated minerals, for a period of two years, for not more than two thousand five hundred and sixty acres; and if prior to the expiration of the permit the permittee shows to the Secretary that valuable deposits of phosphate have been discovered within the area covered by his permit, the permittee shall be entitled to a lease for any or all of the land embraced in the prospecting permit.
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(c) Any phosphate permit issued under this section may be extended by the Secretary for such an additional period, not in excess of four years, as he deems advisable, if he finds that the permittee has been unable, with reasonable diligence, to determine the existence or workability of phosphate deposits in the area covered by the permit and desires to prosecute further prospecting or exploration, or for other reasons warranting such an extension in the opinion of the Secretary.
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Each lease shall describe the leased lands by the legal subdivisions of the public-land surveys. All leases shall be conditioned upon the payment to the United States of such royalties as may be specified in the lease, which shall be fixed by the Secretary of the Interior in advance of offering the same, at not less than 5 per centum of the gross value of the output of phosphates or phosphate rock and associated or related minerals. Royalties shall be due and payable as specified in the lease either monthly or quarterly on the last day of the month next following the month or quarter in which the minerals are sold or removed from the leased land. Each lease shall provide for the payment of a rental payable at the date of the lease and annually thereafter which shall be not less than 25 cents per acre for the first year, 50 cents per acre for the second and third years, respectively, and $1 per acre for each year thereafter, during the continuance of the lease. The rental paid for any year shall be credited against the royalties for that year. Leases shall be for a term of twenty years and so long thereafter as the lessee complies with the terms and conditions of the lease and upon the further condition that at the end of each twenty-year period succeeding the date of the lease such reasonable readjustment of the terms and conditions thereof may be made therein as may be prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior unless otherwise provided by law at the expiration of such periods. Leases shall be conditioned upon a minimum annual production or the payment of a minimum royalty in lieu thereof, except when production is interrupted by strikes, the elements, or casualties not attributable to the lessee. The Secretary of the Interior may permit suspension of operations under any such leases when marketing conditions are such that the leases cannot be operated except at a loss.
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Any lease to develop and extract phosphates, phosphate rock, and associated or related minerals under the provisions of sections 211 to 214 of this title shall provide that the lessee may use so much of any deposit of silica or limestone or other rock situated on any public lands embraced in the lease as may be utilized in the processing or refining of the phosphates, phosphate rock, and associated or related minerals mined from the leased lands or from other lands upon payments of such royalty as may be determined by the Secretary of the Interior, which royalty may be stated in the lease or, as to the leases already issued, may be provided for in an attachment to the lease to be duly executed by the lessor and the lessee.
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The holder of any lease or permit issued under the provisions of sections 211 to 214 of this title shall have the right to use so much of the surface of unappropriated and unentered public lands not a part of his lease or permit, not exceeding eighty acres in area, as may be determined by the Secretary to be necessary or convenient for the extraction, treatment, and removal of the mineral deposits, but this provision shall not be applicable to national forest lands.
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Upon establishing to the satisfaction of the Secretary of the Interior that valuable deposits of oil or gas have been discovered within the limits of the land embraced in any permit, the permittee shall be entitled to a lease for one-fourth of the land embraced in the prospecting permit: Provided, That the permittee shall be granted a lease for as much as one hundred and sixty acres of said lands, if there be that number of acres within the permit. The area to be selected by the permittee, shall be in reasonably compact form and, if surveyed, to be described by the legal subdivisions of the public-land surveys; if unsurveyed, to be surveyed by the Government at the expense of the applicant for lease in accordance with rules and regulations to be prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior, and the lands leased shall be conformed to and taken in accordance with the legal subdivisions of such surveys; deposits made to cover expense of surveys shall be deemed appropriated for that purpose, and any excess deposits may be repaid to the person or persons making such deposit or their legal representatives. Such leases shall be for a term of twenty years upon a royalty of 5 per centum in amount or value of the production and the annual payment in advance of a rental of $1 per acre, the rental paid for any one year to be credited against the royalties as they accrue for that year, and shall continue in force otherwise as prescribed in section 226 of this title for leases issued prior to August 21, 1935. The permittee shall also be entitled to a preference right to a lease for the remainder of the land in his prospecting permit at a royalty of not less than 12½ per centum in amount or value of the production nor more than the royalty rate prescribed by regulation in force on January 1, 1935, for secondary leases issued under this section, and under such other conditions as are fixed for oil or gas leases issued under section 226 of this title the royalty to be determined by competitive bidding or fixed by such other method as the Secretary may by regulations prescribe: Provided further, That the Secretary shall have the right to reject any or all bids.
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(1) Any parcel of land subject to disposition under this chapter that is known or believed to contain oil or gas deposits shall be made available for leasing, subject to paragraph (2), by the Secretary of the Interior, not later than 18 months after the date of receipt by the Secretary of an expression of interest in leasing the applicable parcel of land available for disposition under this section, if the Secretary determines that the parcel of land is open to oil or gas leasing under the approved resource management plan applicable to the planning area in which the parcel of land is located that is in effect on the date on which the expression of interest was submitted to the Secretary (referred to in this subsection as the “approved resource management plan”).
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(A) A lease issued by the Secretary under this section with respect to an applicable parcel of land made available for leasing under paragraph (1)—(i) shall be subject to the terms and conditions of the approved resource management plan; and(ii) may not require any stipulations or mitigation requirements not included in the approved resource management plan.
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(B) The initiation of an amendment to an approved resource management plan shall not prevent or delay the Secretary from making the applicable parcel of land available for leasing in accordance with that approved resource management plan if the other requirements of this section have been met, as determined by the Secretary.
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(A) All lands to be leased which are not subject to leasing under paragraphs (2) and (3) of this subsection shall be leased as provided in this paragraph to the highest responsible qualified bidder by competitive bidding under general regulations in units of not more than 2,560 acres, except in Alaska, where units shall be not more than 5,760 acres. Such units shall be as nearly compact as possible. Lease sales shall be conducted by oral bidding, except as provided in subparagraph (C). Lease sales shall be held for each State where eligible lands are available at least quarterly and more frequently if the Secretary of the Interior determines such sales are necessary. For purposes of the previous sentence, the term “eligible lands” means all lands that are subject to leasing under this chapter and are not excluded from leasing by a statutory prohibition, and the term “available”, with respect to eligible lands, means those lands that have been designated as open for leasing under a land use plan developed under section 1712 of title 43 and that have been nominated for leasing through the submission of an expression of interest, are subject to drainage in the absence of leasing, or are otherwise designated as available pursuant to regulations adopted by the Secretary. A lease shall be conditioned upon the payment of a royalty at a rate of not less than 12.5 percent in amount or value of the production removed or sold from the lease. The Secretary shall accept the highest bid from a responsible qualified bidder which is equal to or greater than the national minimum acceptable bid, without evaluation of the value of the lands proposed for lease. Leases shall be issued within 60 days following payment by the successful bidder of the remainder of the bonus bid, if any, and the annual rental for the first lease year. All bids for less than the national minimum acceptable bid shall be rejected. Lands for which no bids are received or for which the highest bid is less than the national minimum acceptable bid shall be offered promptly within 30 days for leasing under subsection (c) of this section and shall remain available for leasing for a period of 2 years after the competitive lease sale.
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(B) The national minimum acceptable bid shall be $10 per acre during the 10-year period beginning on August 16, 2022. Thereafter, the Secretary, subject to paragraph (2)(B), may establish by regulation a higher national minimum acceptable bid for all leases based upon a finding that such action is necessary: (i) to enhance financial returns to the United States; and (ii) to promote more efficient management of oil and gas resources on Federal lands. Ninety days before the Secretary makes any change in the national minimum acceptable bid, the Secretary shall notify the Committee on Natural Resources of the United States House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the United States Senate. The proposal or promulgation of any regulation to establish a national minimum acceptable bid shall not be considered a major Federal action subject to the requirements of section 4332(2)(C) of title 42.
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(C) In order to diversify and expand the Nation’s onshore leasing program to ensure the best return to the Federal taxpayer, reduce fraud, and secure the leasing process, the Secretary may conduct onshore lease sales through Internet-based bidding methods. Each individual Internet-based lease sale shall conclude within 7 days.
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(i) If the lands to be leased are within a special tar sand area, they shall be leased to the highest responsible qualified bidder by competitive bidding under general regulations in units of not more than 5,760 acres, which shall be as nearly compact as possible, upon the payment by the lessee of such bonus as may be accepted by the Secretary.
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(iii) The Secretary may lease such additional lands in special tar sand areas as may be required in support of any operations necessary for the recovery of tar sands.
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(B) For any area that contains any combination of tar sand and oil or gas (or both), the Secretary may issue under this chapter, separately—(i) a lease for exploration for and extraction of tar sand; and(ii) a lease for exploration for and development of oil and gas.
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(D) The Secretary may waive, suspend, or alter any requirement under section 183 of this title that a permittee under a permit authorizing prospecting for tar sand must exercise due diligence, to promote any resource covered by a combined hydrocarbon lease.
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(C) Notwithstanding the consent requirement referenced in section 352 of this title, the Secretary shall issue a noncompetitive lease under subsection (c)(1) to a holder who makes an election under subparagraph (A) and who is qualified to hold a lease under this chapter. Such lease shall be subject to all terms and conditions under this chapter that are applicable to leases issued under subsection (c)(1).
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(E) This paragraph shall apply only to those lands under the administration of the Secretary of Agriculture where the United States acquired an interest in such lands pursuant to the Act of March 1, 1911 (36 Stat. 961 and following).
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(1) If the lands to be leased are not leased under subsection (b)(1) of this section or are not subject to competitive leasing under subsection (b)(2) of this section, the person first making application for the lease who is qualified to hold a lease under this chapter shall be entitled to a lease of such lands without competitive bidding, upon payment of a non-refundable application fee of at least $75. A lease under this subsection shall be conditioned upon the payment of a royalty at a rate of 12.5 percent in amount or value of the production removed or sold from the lease. Leases shall be issued within 60 days of the date on which the Secretary identifies the first responsible qualified applicant.
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(f) At least 45 days before offering lands for lease under this section, and at least 30 days before approving applications for permits to drill under the provisions of a lease or substantially modifying the terms of any lease issued under this section, the Secretary shall provide notice of the proposed action. Such notice shall be posted in the appropriate local office of the leasing and land management agencies. Such notice shall include the terms or modified lease terms and maps or a narrative description of the affected lands. Where the inclusion of maps in such notice is not practicable, maps of the affected lands shall be made available to the public for review. Such maps shall show the location of all tracts to be leased, and of all leases already issued in the general area. The requirements of this subsection are in addition to any public notice required by other law.
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(g) The Secretary of the Interior, or for National Forest lands, the Secretary of Agriculture, shall regulate all surface-disturbing activities conducted pursuant to any lease issued under this chapter, and shall determine reclamation and other actions as required in the interest of conservation of surface resources. No permit to drill on an oil and gas lease issued under this chapter may be granted without the analysis and approval by the Secretary concerned of a plan of operations covering proposed surface-disturbing activities within the lease area. The Secretary concerned shall, by rule or regulation, establish such standards as may be necessary to ensure that an adequate bond, surety, or other financial arrangement will be established prior to the commencement of surface-disturbing activities on any lease, to ensure the complete and timely reclamation of the lease tract, and the restoration of any lands or surface waters adversely affected by lease operations after the abandonment or cessation of oil and gas operations on the lease. The Secretary shall not issue a lease or leases or approve the assignment of any lease or leases under the terms of this section to any person, association, corporation, or any subsidiary, affiliate, or person controlled by or under common control with such person, association, or corporation, during any period in which, as determined by the Secretary of the Interior or Secretary of Agriculture, such entity has failed or refused to comply in any material respect with the reclamation requirements and other standards established under this section for any prior lease to which such requirements and standards applied. Prior to making such determination with respect to any such entity the concerned Secretary shall provide such entity with adequate notification and an opportunity to comply with such reclamation requirements and other standards and shall consider whether any administrative or judicial appeal is pending. Once the entity has complied with the reclamation requirement or other standard concerned an oil or gas lease may be issued to such entity under this chapter.
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(i) No lease issued under this section which is subject to termination because of cessation of production shall be terminated for this cause so long as reworking or drilling operations which were commenced on the land prior to or within sixty days after cessation of production are conducted thereon with reasonable diligence, or so long as oil or gas is produced in paying quantities as a result of such operations. No lease issued under this section shall expire because operations or production is suspended under any order, or with the consent, of the Secretary. No lease issued under this section covering lands on which there is a well capable of producing oil or gas in paying quantities shall expire because the lessee fails to produce the same unless the lessee is allowed a reasonable time, which shall be not less than sixty days after notice by registered or certified mail, within which to place such well in producing status or unless, after such status is established, production is discontinued on the leased premises without permission granted by the Secretary under the provisions of this chapter.
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(j) Whenever it appears to the Secretary that lands owned by the United States are being drained of oil or gas by wells drilled on adjacent lands, he may negotiate agreements whereby the United States, or the United States and its lessees, shall be compensated for such drainage. Such agreements shall be made with the consent of the lessees, if any, affected thereby. If such agreement is entered into, the primary term of any lease for which compensatory royalty is being paid, or any extension of such primary term, shall be extended for the period during which such compensatory royalty is paid and for a period of one year from discontinuance of such payment and so long thereafter as oil or gas is produced in paying quantities.
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(l) The Secretary of the Interior shall, upon timely application therefor, issue a new lease in exchange for any lease issued for a term of twenty years, or any renewal thereof, or any lease issued prior to August 8, 1946, in exchange for a twenty-year lease, such new lease to be for a primary term of five years and so long thereafter as oil or gas is produced in paying quantities and at a royalty rate of not less than 12½ per centum in amount or value of the production removed or sold from such leases, except that the royalty rate shall be 12½ per centum in amount or value of the production removed or sold from said leases as to (1) such leases, or such parts of the lands subject thereto and the deposits underlying the same, as are not believed to be within the productive limits of any producing oil or gas deposit, as such productive limits are found by the Secretary to have existed on August 8, 1946; and (2) any production on a lease from an oil or gas deposit which was discovered after May 27, 1941, by a well or wells drilled within the boundaries of the lease, and which is determined by the Secretary to be a new deposit; and (3) any production on or allocated to a lease pursuant to an approved cooperative or unit plan of development or operation from an oil or gas deposit which was discovered after May 27, 1941, on land committed to such plan, and which is determined by the Secretary to be a new deposit, where such lease, or a lease for which it is exchanged, was included in such plan at the time of discovery or was included in a duly executed and filed application for the approval of such plan at the time of discovery.
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(m) For the purpose of more properly conserving the natural resources of any oil or gas pool, field, or like area, or any part thereof (whether or not any part of said oil or gas pool, field, or like area, is then subject to any cooperative or unit plan of development or operation), lessees thereof and their representatives may unite with each other, or jointly or separately with others, in collectively adopting and operating under a cooperative or unit plan of development or operation of such pool, field, or like area, or any part thereof, whenever determined and certified by the Secretary of the Interior to be necessary or advisable in the public interest. The Secretary is thereunto authorized, in his discretion, with the consent of the holders of leases involved, to establish, alter, change, or revoke drilling, producing, rental, minimum royalty, and royalty requirements of such leases and to make such regulations with reference to such leases, with like consent on the part of the lessees, in connection with the institution and operation of any such cooperative or unit plan as he may deem necessary or proper to secure the proper protection of the public interest. The Secretary may provide that oil and gas leases hereafter issued under this chapter shall contain a provision requiring the lessee to operate under such a reasonable cooperative or unit plan, and he may prescribe such a plan under which such lessee shall operate, which shall adequately protect the rights of all parties in interest, including the United States.Any plan authorized by the preceding paragraph which includes lands owned by the United States may, in the discretion of the Secretary, contain a provision whereby authority is vested in the Secretary of the Interior, or any such person, committee, or State or Federal officer or agency as may be designated in the plan, to alter or modify from time to time the rate of prospecting and development and the quantity and rate of production under such plan. All leases operated under any such plan approved or prescribed by the Secretary shall be excepted in determining holdings or control under the provisions of any section of this chapter.When separate tracts cannot be independently developed and operated in conformity with an established well-spacing or development program, any lease, or a portion thereof, may be pooled with other lands, whether or not owned by the United States, under a communitization or drilling agreement providing for an apportionment of production or royalties among the separate tracts of land comprising the drilling or spacing unit when determined by the Secretary of the Interior to be in the public interest, and operations or production pursuant to such an agreement shall be deemed to be operations or production as to each such lease committed thereto.Any lease issued for a term of twenty years, or any renewal thereof, or any portion of such lease that has become the subject of a cooperative or unit plan of development or operation of a pool, field, or like area, which plan has the approval of the Secretary of the Interior, shall continue in force until the termination of such plan. Any other lease issued under any section of this chapter which has heretofore or may hereafter be committed to any such plan that contains a general provision for allocation of oil or gas shall continue in force and effect as to the land committed so long as the lease remains subject to the plan: Provided, That production is had in paying quantities under the plan prior to the expiration date of the term of such lease. Any lease heretofore or hereafter committed to any such plan embracing lands that are in part within and in part outside of the area covered by any such plan shall be segregated into separate leases as to the lands committed and the lands not committed as of the effective date of unitization: Provided, however, That any such lease as to the nonunitized portion shall continue in force and effect for the term thereof but for not less than two years from the date of such segregation and so long thereafter as oil or gas is produced in paying quantities. The minimum royalty or discovery rental under any lease that has become subject to any cooperative or unit plan of development or operation, or other plan that contains a general provision for allocation of oil or gas, shall be payable only with respect to the lands subject to such lease to which oil or gas shall be allocated under such plan. Any lease which shall be eliminated from any such approved or prescribed plan, or from any communitization or drilling agreement authorized by this section, and any lease which shall be in effect at the termination of any such approved or prescribed plan, or at the termination of any such communitization or drilling agreement, unless relinquished, shall continue in effect for the original term thereof, but for not less than two years, and so long thereafter as oil or gas is produced in paying quantities.The Secretary of the Interior is hereby authorized, on such conditions as he may prescribe, to approve operating, drilling, or development contracts made by one or more lessees of oil or gas leases, with one or more persons, associations, or corporations whenever, in his discretion, the conservation of natural products or the public convenience or necessity may require it or the interests of the United States may be best subserved thereby. All leases operated under such approved operating, drilling, or development contracts, and interests thereunder, shall be excepted in determining holdings or control under the provisions of this chapter.The Secretary of the Interior, to avoid waste or to promote conservation of natural resources, may authorize the subsurface storage of oil or gas, whether or not produced from federally owned lands, in lands leased or subject to lease under this chapter. Such authorization may provide for the payment of a storage fee or rental on such stored oil or gas or, in lieu of such fee or rental, for a royalty other than that prescribed in the lease when such stored oil or gas is produced in conjunction with oil or gas not previously produced. Any lease on which storage is so authorized shall be extended at least for the period of storage and so long thereafter as oil or gas not previously produced is produced in paying quantities.
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(B) The Secretary shall issue final regulations to implement this section within six months of November 16, 1981. If any oil and gas lease eligible for conversion under this section would otherwise expire after November 16, 1981, and before six months following the issuance of implementing regulations, the lessee may preserve his conversion right under such lease for a period ending six months after the issuance of implementing regulations by filing with the Secretary, before the expiration of the lease, a notice of intent to file an application for conversion. Upon submission of a complete plan of operations in substantial compliance with the regulations promulgated by the Secretary for the filing of such plans, the Secretary shall suspend the running of the term of any oil and gas lease proposed for conversion until the plan is finally approved or disapproved. The Secretary shall act upon a proposed plan of operations within fifteen months of its submittal.
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(1) Prior to the commencement of surface-disturbing activities relating to the development of oil and gas deposits on lands described under paragraph (5), the Secretary of Agriculture shall require, pursuant to regulations promulgated by the Secretary, that such activities be subject to terms and conditions as provided under paragraph (2).
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(2) The terms and conditions referred to in paragraph (1) shall require that reasonable advance notice be furnished to the Secretary of Agriculture at least 60 days prior to the commencement of surface disturbing activities.
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(A) permit the Secretary to market merchantable timber owned by the United States on lands subject to such activities; or
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(B) arrange to purchase merchantable timber on lands subject to such surface disturbing activities from the Secretary of Agriculture, or otherwise arrange for the disposition of such merchantable timber, upon such terms and upon such advance notice of the items referred to in subparagraphs (A) through (E) of paragraph (3) as the Secretary may accept.
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(A) The lands referred to in this subsection are those lands referenced in subparagraph (B) which are under the administration of the Secretary of Agriculture where the United States acquired an interest in such lands pursuant to the Act of March 1, 1911 (36 Stat. 961 and following), but does not have an interest in oil and gas deposits that may be present under such lands. This subsection does not apply to any such lands where, under the provisions of its acquisition of an interest in the lands, the United States is to acquire any oil and gas deposits that may be present under such lands in the future but such interest has not yet vested with the United States.
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(1) Not later than 10 days after the date on which the Secretary receives an application for any permit to drill, the Secretary shall—(A) notify the applicant that the application is complete; or(B) notify the applicant that information is missing and specify any information that is required to be submitted for the application to be complete.
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(2) Not later than 30 days after the applicant for a permit has submitted a complete application, the Secretary shall—(A) issue the permit, if the requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 [42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.] and other applicable law have been completed within such timeframe; or(B) defer the decision on the permit and provide to the applicant a notice—(i) that specifies any steps that the applicant could take for the permit to be issued; and(ii) a list of actions that need to be taken by the agency to complete compliance with applicable law together with timelines and deadlines for completing such actions.
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(A) If the Secretary provides notice under paragraph (2)(B), the applicant shall have a period of 2 years from the date of receipt of the notice in which to complete all requirements specified by the Secretary, including providing information needed for compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.
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(B) If the applicant completes the requirements within the period specified in subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall issue a decision on the permit not later than 10 days after the date of completion of the requirements described in subparagraph (A), unless compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and other applicable law has not been completed within such timeframe.
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(C) If the applicant does not complete the requirements within the period specified in subparagraph (A) or if the applicant does not comply with applicable law, the Secretary shall deny the permit.
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(q) The Secretary of the Interior shall approve applications allowing for the commingling of production from 2 or more sources (including the area of an oil and gas lease, the area included in a drilling spacing unit, a unit participating area, a communitized area, or non-Federal property) before production reaches the point of royalty measurement regardless of ownership, the royalty rates, and the number or percentage of acres for each source if the applicant agrees to install measurement devices for each source, utilize an allocation method that achieves volume measurement uncertainty levels within plus or minus 2 percent during the production phase reported on a monthly basis, or utilize an approved periodic well testing methodology. Production from multiple oil and gas leases, drilling spacing units, communitized areas, or participating areas from a single wellbore shall be considered a single source. Nothing in this subsection shall prevent the Secretary of the Interior from continuing the current practice of exercising discretion to authorize higher percentage volume measurement uncertainty levels if appropriate technical and economic justifications have been provided.
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From and after August 8, 1946, the royalty obligation to the United States under all leases requiring payment of royalty in excess of 12½ per centum, except leases issued or to be issued upon competitive bidding, is reduced to 12½ per centum in amount or value of production removed or sold from said leases as to (1) such leases, or such part of the lands subject thereto, and the deposits underlying the same, as are not believed to be within the productive limits of any oil or gas deposit, as such productive limits are found by the Secretary to exist on August 8, 1946, and (2) any production on a lease from an oil or gas deposit which was discovered after May 27, 1941, by a well or wells drilled within the boundaries of the lease, and which is determined by the Secretary to be a new deposit; and (3) any production on or allocated to a lease pursuant to an approved unit or cooperative agreement from an oil or gas deposit which was discovered after May 27, 1941, on land committed to such agreement, and which is determined by the Secretary to be a new deposit, where such lease was included in such agreement at the time of discovery, or was included in a duly executed and filed application for the approval of such agreement at the time of discovery.
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No action contesting a decision of the Secretary involving any oil and gas lease shall be maintained unless such action is commenced or taken within ninety days after the final decision of the Secretary relating to such matter. No such action contesting such a decision of the Secretary rendered prior to September 2, 1960 shall be maintained unless the same be commenced or taken within ninety days after September 2, 1960.
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(a) The Secretary shall not issue any lease under this chapter or under the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 [30 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.] on any of the following Federal lands:(1) Lands recommended for wilderness allocation by the surface managing agency.(2) Lands within Bureau of Land Management wilderness study areas.(3) Lands designated by Congress as wilderness study areas, except where oil and gas leasing is specifically allowed to continue by the statute designating the study area.(4) Lands within areas allocated for wilderness or further planning in Executive Communication 1504, Ninety-Sixth Congress (House Document numbered 96–119), unless such lands are allocated to uses other than wilderness by a land and resource management plan or have been released to uses other than wilderness by an act of Congress.
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(b) In the case of any area of National Forest or public lands subject to this section, nothing in this section shall affect any authority of the Secretary of the Interior (or for National Forest Lands reserved from the public domain, the Secretary of Agriculture) to issue permits for exploration for oil and gas, coal, oil shale, phosphate, potassium, sulphur, gilsonite or geothermal resources by means not requiring construction of roads or improvement of existing roads if such activity is conducted in a manner compatible with the preservation of the wilderness environment.
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Any person who on October 1, 1919, was a bona fide occupant or claimant of oil or gas lands under a claim initiated while such lands were not withdrawn from oil or gas location and entry, and who had previously performed all acts under then existing laws necessary to valid locations thereof except to make discovery, and upon which discovery had not been made prior to February 25, 1920, and who has performed work or expended on or for the benefit of such locations an amount equal in the aggregate of $250 for each location if application therefor shall be made within six months from February 25, 1920, shall be entitled to prospecting permits thereon upon the same terms and conditions, and limitations as to acreage, as other permits provided for in this chapter, or where any such person has made such discovery, prior to said February 25, 1920, he shall be entitled to a lease thereon under such terms as the Secretary of the Interior may prescribe unless otherwise provided for in section 2271 of this title: Provided, That where such prospecting permit is granted upon land within any known geologic structure of a producing oil or gas field, the royalty to be fixed in any lease thereafter granted thereon or any portion thereof shall be not less than 12½ per-centum of all the oil or gas produced except oil or gas used for production purposes on the claim, or unavoidably lost: Provided, however, That the provisions of this section shall not apply to lands reserved for the use of the Navy. No claimant for a permit or lease who has been guilty of any fraud or who had knowledge or reasonable grounds to know of any fraud, or who has not acted honestly and in good faith shall be entitled to any of the benefits of this section.
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(a) All prospecting permits and leases for oil or gas made or issued under the provisions of this chapter shall be subject to the condition that in case the permittee or lessee strikes water while drilling instead of oil or gas, the Secretary of the Interior may, when such water is of such quality and quantity as to be valuable and usable at a reasonable cost for agricultural, domestic, or other purposes, purchase the casing in the well at the reasonable value thereof to be fixed under rules and regulations to be prescribed by the Secretary.
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(b) In cases where water wells producing such water have heretofore been or may hereafter be drilled upon lands embraced in any prospecting permit or lease heretofore issued under this chapter, the Secretary may in like manner purchase the casing in such wells.
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(c) The Secretary may make such purchase and may lease or operate such wells for the purpose of producing water and of using the same on the public lands or of disposing of such water for beneficial use on other lands, and where such wells have heretofore been plugged or abandoned or where such wells have been drilled prior to the issuance of any permit or lease by persons not in privity with the permittee or lessee, the Secretary may develop the same for the purposes of this section: Provided, That owners or occupants of lands adjacent to those upon which such water wells may be developed shall have a preference right to make beneficial use of such water.
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(d) The Secretary may use so much of any funds available for the plugging of wells, as he may find necessary to start the program provided for by this section, and thereafter he may use the proceeds from the sale or other disposition of such water as a revolving fund for the continuation of such program, and such proceeds are hereby appropriated for such purpose.
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The Secretary of the Interior is directed to retain in his custody until otherwise directed by law the 12½ per centum and other royalties heretofore or hereafter received by him in pursuance of section 2331 of this title.
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Nothing in sections 185, 221,1 223, 223a,1 and 226 of this title and this section shall be construed as affecting any lands within the borders of the naval petroleum reserves and naval oil-shale reserves or agreements concerning operations thereunder or in relation to the same, but the Secretary of the Navy is hereby authorized, with the consent of the President, to enter into agreements such as those provided for under sections 184 and 226 of this title, which agreement shall not, unless expressed therein, operate to extend the terms of any lease affected thereby.
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(1) The Secretary of the Interior is hereby authorized to lease to any person or corporation qualified under this chapter any deposits of oil shale, and gilsonite (including all vein-type solid hydrocarbons) belonging to the United States and the surface of so much of the public lands containing such deposits, or land adjacent thereto, as may be required for the extraction and reduction of the leased minerals, under such rules and regulations, not inconsistent with this chapter, as he may prescribe.
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(2) No lease hereunder shall exceed 5,760 acres of land, to be described by the legal subdivisions of the public-land surveys, or if unsurveyed, to be surveyed by the United States, at the expense of the applicant, in accordance with regulations to be prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior.
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(3) Leases may be for indeterminate periods, upon such conditions as may be imposed by the Secretary of the Interior, including covenants relative to methods of mining, prevention of waste, and productive development.
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(4) For the privilege of mining, extracting, and disposing of the oil or other minerals covered by a lease under this section the lessee shall pay to the United States such royalties as shall be specified in the lease and an annual rental, payable at the beginning of each year, at the rate of $2.00 per acre per annum, for the lands included in the lease, the rental paid for any one year to be credited against the royalties accruing for that year; such royalties to be subject to readjustment at the end of each twenty-year period by the Secretary of the Interior. For the purpose of encouraging the production of petroleum products from shales the Secretary may, in his discretion, waive the payment of any royalty and rental during the first five years of any lease. Any person having a valid claim to such minerals under existing laws on January 1, 1919, shall, upon the relinquishment of such claim, be entitled to a lease under the provisions of this section for such area of the land relinquished as shall not exceed the maximum area authorized by this section to be leased to an individual or corporation. No claimant for a lease who has been guilty of any fraud or who had knowledge or reasonable grounds to know of any fraud, or who has not acted honestly and in good faith, shall be entitled to any of the benefits of this section. No one person, association, or corporation shall acquire or hold more than 50,000 acres of oil shale leases in any one State. For gilsonite (including all vein-type solid hydrocarbons) no person, association, or corporation shall acquire or hold more than seven thousand six hundred eighty acres in any one State without respect to the number of leases.
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(1) The Secretary may within the State of Colorado lease to the holder of the Federal oil shale lease known as Federal Prototype Tract C–a additional lands necessary for the disposal of oil shale wastes and the materials removed from mined lands, and for the building of plants, reduction works, and other facilities connected with oil shale operations (which lease shall be referred to hereinafter as an “offsite lease”). The Secretary may only issue one offsite lease not to exceed six thousand four hundred acres. An offsite lease may not serve more than one Federal oil shale lease and may not be transferred except in conjunction with the transfer of the Federal oil shale lease that it serves.
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(2) The Secretary may issue one offsite lease of not more than three hundred and twenty acres to any person, association or corporation which has the right to develop oil shale on non-Federal lands. An offsite lease serving non-Federal oil shale land may not serve more than one oil shale operation and may not be transferred except in conjunction with the transfer of the non-Federal oil shale land that it serves. Not more than two offsite leases may be issued under this paragraph.
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(4) The Secretary may issue offsite leases after consideration of the need for such lands, impacts on the environment and other resource values, and upon a determination that the public interest will be served thereby.
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(6) An offsite lease shall be for such periods of time and shall include such lands, subject to the acreage limitations contained in this subsection, as the Secretary determines to be necessary to achieve the purposes for which the lease is issued, and shall contain such provisions as he determines are needed for protection of environmental and other resource values.
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(7) An offsite lease shall provide for the payment of an annual rental which shall reflect the fair market value of the rights granted and which shall be subject to such revisions as the Secretary, in his discretion, determines may be needed from time to time to continue to reflect the fair market value.
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(8) An offsite lease may, at the option of the lessee, include provisions for payments in any year which payments shall be credited against any portion of the annual rental for a subsequent year to the extent that such payment is payable by the Secretary of the Treasury under section 191 of this title to the State within the boundaries of which the leased lands are located. Such funds shall be paid by the Secretary of the Treasury to the appropriate State in accordance with section 191 of this title, and such funds shall be distributed by the State only to those counties, municipalities, or jurisdictional subdivisions impacted by oil shale development and/or where the lease is sited.
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(1) In determining whether to offer or issue an offsite lease under subsection (c), the Secretary shall consult with the Governor and appropriate State, local, and tribal officials of the State where the lands to be leased are located, and of any additional State likely to be affected significantly by the social, economic, or environmental effects of development under such lease, in order to coordinate Federal and State planning processes, minimize duplication of permits, avoid delays, and anticipate and mitigate likely impacts of development.
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(2) The Secretary may issue an offsite lease under subsection (d)2 after consideration of (A) the need for leasing, (B) impacts on the environment and other resource values, (C) socioeconomic factors, and (D) information from consultations with the Governors of the affected States.
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(3) Before determining whether to offer an offsite lease under subsection (c), the Secretary shall seek the recommendation of the Governor of the State in which the lands to be leased are located as to whether or not to lease such lands, what alternative actions are available, and what special conditions could be added to the proposed lease to mitigate impacts. The Secretary shall accept the recommendations of the Governor if he determines that they provide for a reasonable balance between the national interest and the State’s interests. The Secretary shall communicate to the Governor, in writing, and publish in the Federal Register the reasons for his determination to accept or reject such Governor’s recommendations.
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(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, within 60 days from October 24, 1992, the Secretary of the Interior shall provide notice to each holder of an unpatented oil shale mining claim of the requirements of this Act. Such notice shall be made by registered mail and by publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the areas in which such claims are located.
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(4) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any person referred to in paragraph (1) who obtains compensation from the United States as a result of the application of this section being declared to be a taking of property within the meaning of the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, may obtain a full patent upon tender to the Secretary of the amount of such compensation, not including interest, and upon the receipt of such amount, the Secretary shall convey to such person a patent in the form and manner provided under the general mining laws of the United States. Such tender may only be made within 3 years of obtaining such compensation.
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(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, within 180 days from the date of which the Secretary provided notice under subsection (a), a holder of a valid oil shale mining claim for which a patent application was not filed and accepted for processing by the Department of the Interior prior to October 24, 1992, shall file with the Secretary a notice of election to—(A) proceed to limited patent as provided in subsection (e)(1); or(B) maintain the unpatented claim as provided for in subsection (e)(2).
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(3) Any claim holder who elects to proceed under paragraph (1)(A) must apply for a patent within 2 years from the date of election or notify the Secretary in writing prior to expiration of the 2-year period of a decision to maintain such claim as provided in paragraph (1)(B) or such claim shall be deemed conclusively to have been abandoned by operation of law.
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(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a claim holder referred to in subsection (c) or a claim holder subject to the election requirements of subsection (d) who maintains or elects to maintain an unpatented claim shall maintain such claim by complying with the general mining laws of the United States, and with the provisions of this section, except that the claim holder shall no longer be required to perform annual labor, and instead shall pay to the Secretary $550 per claim per year for deposit as miscellaneous receipts in the general fund of the Treasury, commencing with calendar year 1993. Such fee shall accompany the filing made by the claim holder with the Bureau of Land Management pursuant to section 1744(a)(2) of title 43.
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(f) In addition to other applicable requirements, any person who holds a limited patent or maintains a claim pursuant to this section shall be required to carry out reclamation as prescribed by the Secretary and to furnish a bond or other appropriate financial guarantee in an amount sufficient to ensure adequate reclamation of the lands to be disturbed by any aspect of the proposed mining activities.
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Any bona fide occupant or claimant of oil or gas bearing lands in the Territory of Alaska, who, or whose predecessors in interest, prior to withdrawal had complied otherwise with the requirements of the mining laws, but had made no discovery of oil or gas in wells and who prior to withdrawal had made substantial improvements for the discovery of oil or gas on or for each location or had prior to February 25, 1920 expended not less than $250 in improvements on or for each location shall be entitled, upon relinquishment or surrender to the United States within one year from February 25, 1920, or within six months after final denial or withdrawal of application for patent, to a lease or leases, under this chapter covering such lands, not exceeding five leases in number and not exceeding an aggregate of one thousand two hundred and eighty acres in each: Provided, That the annual lease rentals for lands in the Territory of Alaska not within any known geological structure of a producing oil or gas field and the royalty payments from production of oil or gas sold or removed from such lands shall be identical with those prescribed for such leases covering similar lands in the States of the United States, except that leases which may issue pursuant to applications or offers to lease such lands, which applications or offers were filed prior to and were pending on May 3, 1958, shall require the payment of 25 cents per acre as lease rental for the first year of such leases; but the aforesaid exception shall not apply in any way to royalties to be required under leases which may issue pursuant to offers or applications filed prior to May 3, 1958.
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The Secretary of the Interior is hereby authorized, under such rules and regulations as he may prescribe, to grant to any qualified applicant a prospecting permit which shall give the exclusive right to prospect for chlorides, sulphates, carbonates, borates, silicates, or nitrates of sodium, in lands belonging to the United States for a period of not exceeding two years: Provided, That the area to be included in such a permit shall not exceed two thousand five hundred and sixty acres of land in reasonably compact form.
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Upon showing to the satisfaction of the Secretary of the Interior that valuable deposits of one of the substances enumerated in section 261 of this title have been discovered by the permittee within the area covered by his permit and that such land is chiefly valuable therefor, the permittee shall be entitled to a lease for any or all of the land embraced in the prospecting permit at a royalty of not less than 2 per centum of the quantity or gross value of the output of sodium compounds and other related products at the point of shipment to market; the lands in such lease to be taken in compact form by legal subdivisions of the public land surveys or, if the land be not surveyed, by survey executed at the cost of the permittee in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior. Lands known to contain valuable deposits of one of the substances enumerated in section 261 of this title and not covered by permits or leases shall be subject to lease by the Secretary of the Interior through advertisement, competitive bidding, or such other methods as he may by general regulations adopt and in such areas as he shall fix, not exceeding two thousand five hundred and sixty acres. All leases under this section shall be conditioned upon the payment by the lessee of such royalty as may be fixed in the lease, not less than 2 per centum of the quantity or gross value of the output of sodium compounds and other related products at the point of shipment to market, and the payment in advance of a rental of 25 cents per acre for the first calendar year or fraction thereof, 50 cents per acre for the second, third, fourth, and fifth calendar years respectively; and $1 per acre per annum thereafter during the continuance of the lease, such rental for any one year to be credited against royalties accruing for that year. Leases under this section shall be for a period of twenty years, with preferential right in the lessee to renew for successive periods of ten years upon such reasonable terms and conditions as may be prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior unless otherwise provided by law at the expiration of such period: Provided, That nothing in this chapter shall prohibit the mining and sale of sodium compounds under potassium leases issued pursuant to subchapter VII [§ 141 et seq.] of chapter 3 of this title and subchapter IX of this chapter, nor the mining and sale of potassium compounds as a byproduct from sodium leases taken under this section: Provided further, That on application by any lessee the Secretary of the Interior is authorized to modify the rental and royalty provisions stipulated in any existing sodium lease to conform to the provisions of this section.
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In addition to areas of such mineral land which may be included in any such prospecting permits or leases, the Secretary of the Interior, in his discretion, may grant to a permittee or lessee of lands containing sodium deposits, and subject to the payment of an annual rental of not less than 25 cents per acre, the exclusive right to use, during the life of the permit or lease, a tract of unoccupied nonmineral public land, not exceeding forty acres in area, for camp sites, refining works, and other purposes connected with and necessary to the proper development and use of the deposits covered by the permit or lease.
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The Secretary of the Interior is hereby authorized and directed, under such rules and regulations as he may prescribe, to grant to any qualified applicant a prospecting permit which shall give the exclusive right to prospect for sulphur in lands belonging to the United States located in the States of Louisiana and New Mexico for a period of not exceeding two years: Provided, That the area to be included in such a permit shall be not exceeding six hundred and forty acres of land in reasonably compact form.
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Upon showing to the satisfaction of the Secretary of the Interior that valuable deposits of sulphur have been discovered by the permittee within the area covered by his permit, and that the land is chiefly valuable therefor, the permittee shall be entitled to a lease for any or all of the land embraced in the prospecting permit, at a royalty of 5 per centum of the quantity or gross value of the output of sulphur at the point of shipment to market, such lease to be taken in compact form by legal subdivisions of the public-land surveys; or if the land be not surveyed, by survey executed at the cost of the permittee in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior: Provided, That where any person having been granted an oil and gas permit makes a discovery of sulphur in lands covered by said permit, he shall have the same privilege of leasing not to exceed six hundred and forty acres of said land under the same terms and conditions as are given a sulphur permittee under the provisions of this section.
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Lands known to contain valuable deposits of sulphur and not covered by permits or leases shall be held subject to lease by the Secretary of the Interior through advertisement, competitive bidding, or such other methods as he may by general regulations adopt and in such areas as he shall fix, not exceeding six hundred and forty acres; all leases to be conditioned upon the payment by the lessee of such royalty as may be fixed in the lease and the payment in advance of a rental of 50 cents per acre per annum, the rental paid for any one year to be credited against the royalties accruing for that year.
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Prospecting permits or leases may be issued in the discretion of the Secretary of the Interior under the provisions of this subchapter for deposits of sulphur in public lands also containing coal or other minerals on condition that such other deposits be reserved to the United States for disposal under applicable laws.
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The Secretary of the Interior is hereby authorized, under such rules and regulations as he may prescribe, to grant to any qualified applicant a prospecting permit which shall give the exclusive right to prospect for chlorides, sulphates, carbonates, borates, silicates, or nitrates of potassium in lands belonging to the United States for a period of not exceeding two years: Provided, That the area to be included in such a permit shall not exceed two thousand five hundred and sixty acres of land in reasonably compact form: Provided further, That the prospecting provisions of this subchapter shall not apply to lands and deposits in or adjacent to Searles Lake, California, which lands may be leased by the Secretary of the Interior under the terms and provisions of this subchapter.
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Upon showing to the satisfaction of the Secretary of the Interior that valuable deposits of one of the substances enumerated in this subchapter has been discovered by the permittee within the area covered by his permit, and that such land is chiefly valuable therefor, the permittee shall be entitled to a lease for any or all of the land embraced in the prospecting permit, at a royalty of not less than 2 per centum of the quantity or gross value of the output of potassium compounds and other related products, except sodium, at the point of shipment to market, such lease to be taken in compact form by legal subdivisions of the public land surveys, or if the land be not surveyed, by survey executed at the cost of the permittee in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior.
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Lands known to contain valuable deposits enumerated in this subchapter and not covered by permits or leases shall be held subject to lease by the Secretary of the Interior through advertisement, competitive bidding, or such other methods as he may by general regulations adopt, and in such areas as he shall fix, not exceeding two thousand five hundred and sixty acres; all leases to be conditioned upon the payment by the lessee of such royalty as may be fixed in the lease, not less than 2 per centum of the quantity or gross value of the output of potassium compounds and other related products, except sodium, at the point of shipment to market, and the payment in advance of a rental of 25 cents per acre for the first calendar year or fraction thereof; 50 cents per acre for the second, third, fourth, and fifth years, respectively; and $1 per acre per annum thereafter during the continuance of the lease, such rental for any year being credited against royalties accruing for that year. Any lease issued under this subchapter shall be for a term of twenty years and so long thereafter as the lessee complies with the terms and conditions of the lease and upon the further condition that at the end of each twenty-year period succeeding the date of the lease such reasonable adjustment of the terms and conditions thereof may be made therein as may be prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior unless otherwise provided by law at the expiration of such periods. Leases shall be conditioned upon a minimum annual production or the payment of a minimum royalty in lieu thereof, except when production is interrupted by strikes, the elements, or casualties not attributable to the lessee. The Secretary of the Interior may permit suspension of operations under any such leases when marketing conditions are such that the leases cannot be operated except at a loss. The Secretary upon application by the lessee prior to the expiration of any existing lease in good standing shall amend such lease to provide for the same tenure and to contain the same conditions, including adjustment at the end of each twenty-year period succeeding the date of said lease, as provided for in this subchapter. In the discretion of the Secretary of the Interior the area involved in any lease resulting from a prospecting permit may be exempt from any rental in excess of 25 cents per acre for twenty years succeeding its issue, and the production of potassium compounds under such a lease may be exempt from any royalty in excess of the minimum prescribed in this subchapter for the same period.
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All money received from royalties and rentals from any lease issued or renewed under the provisions of subchapter VII of chapter 3 of this title, shall be paid into, reserved, and appropriated as follows: 52½ per centum to the Reclamation Fund, 10 per centum to the Treasury of the United States as miscellaneous receipts, and 37½ per centum shall be paid by the Secretary of the Treasury, after the expiration of each fiscal year, to the State within the boundaries of which the leased lands or deposits are or were located, such money to be used by such State or subdivision thereof for the construction and maintenance of public roads or for the support of schools or other public educational institutions, as the legislature of the State may direct.
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Any prospecting permit issued under this subchapter may be extended by the Secretary of the Interior for a period not exceeding two years, upon a showing of satisfactory cause.
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All gold, silver, or quicksilver deposits, or mines or minerals of the same on lands embraced within any land claim confirmed or hereafter confirmed by decree of the Court of Private Land Claims, and which did not convey the mineral rights to the grantee by the terms of the grant, and to which such grantee has not become otherwise entitled in law or in equity, may be leased by the Secretary of the Interior to the grantee, or to those claiming through or under him, for a period of twenty years, with the preferential right in the lessee to renew the same for successive periods of ten years, upon such reasonable terms and conditions as may be prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior, unless otherwise provided by law at the time of the expiration of such periods.
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The Secretary of the Interior is hereby authorized to perform any and all acts and to make such rules and regulations as may be necessary and proper for the purpose of carrying this chapter into full force and effect.
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Whenever the Secretary of the Interior shall deem it to be consistent with the public interest he is authorized to lease deposits of oil and gas in or under lands embraced in railroad or other rights of way acquired under any law of the United States, whether the same be a base fee or mere easement: Provided, That, except as hereinafter authorized, no lease shall be executed hereunder except to the municipality, corporation, firm, association, or individual by whom such right of way was acquired, or to the lawful successor, assignee, or transferee of such municipality, corporation, firm, association, or individual.
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The right conferred by this chapter may, subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Interior, be assigned or sublet by the owner thereof to any corporation, firm, association, or individual.
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Prior to the award of any lease under section 301 of this title, the Secretary of the Interior shall notify the owner or lessee of adjoining lands and allow him a reasonable time, to be fixed in the notice given, within which to submit an offer or bid of the amount or percentage of compensatory royalty that such owner will agree to pay for the extraction through wells on his or its adjoining land, of the oil or gas under and from such adjoining right of way, and at the same time afford the holder of the railroad or other right of way a like opportunity within the same time to submit its bid or offer as to the amount or percentage of royalty it will agree to pay, if a lease for the extraction of the oil and gas deposits under the right of way be awarded to the holder of such right of way. In case of competing offers by the said parties in interest, the Secretary shall award the right to extract the oil and gas to the bidder, duly qualified, making the offer in his opinion most advantageous to the United States. In case but one bid or offer is received after notice duly given, he may, in his discretion, award the right to extract the oil and gas to such bidder.
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Any lease granted by the Secretary of the Interior pursuant to this chapter may, in the discretion of said Secretary, contain a provision giving the lessee the right, with the approval of said Secretary, to shut down the operation of any well or wells the operation of which has become unprofitable, to resume operations when such resumption may result in profit, and to abandon any well or wells that cease to produce oil and/or gas in paying quantities.
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The royalty to be paid to the United States under any lease to be issued, or agreement made pursuant to this chapter, shall be determined by the Secretary of the Interior, in no case to be less than 12½ per centum in amount or value of the production, nor for more than twenty years: Provided, That when the oil or gas is produced from land adjacent to the right of way the amount or value of the royalty to be paid to the United States shall be within the discretion of the Secretary of the Interior: Provided further, That when the daily average production of any oil well does not exceed ten barrels per day said Secretary may, in his discretion, reduce the royalty on subsequent production.
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The Secretary of the Interior is authorized and directed to adopt rules and regulations governing the exercise of the discretion and authority conferred by this chapter, which rules and regulations shall constitute a part of any application or lease hereunder.
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As used in this chapter “United States” includes Alaska. “Acquired lands” or “lands acquired by the United States” include all lands heretofore or hereafter acquired by the United States to which the “mineral leasing laws” have not been extended, including such lands acquired under the provisions of the Act of March 1, 1911 (36 Stat. 961, 16 U.S.C., sec. 552). “Secretary” means the Secretary of the Interior, “Mineral leasing laws” shall mean the Act of October 20, 1914 (38 Stat. 741, 48 U.S.C., sec. 432); the Act of February 25, 1920 (41 Stat. 437, 30 U.S.C., sec. 181); the Act of April 17, 1926 (44 Stat. 301, 30 U.S.C., sec. 271); the Act of February 7, 1927 (44 Stat. 1057, 30 U.S.C., sec. 281), and all Acts heretofore or hereafter enacted which are amendatory of or supplementary to any of the foregoing Acts. “Lease” includes “prospecting permit” unless the context otherwise requires. The term “oil” shall embrace all nongaseous hydrocarbon substances other than those leasable as coal, oil shale, or gilsonite (including all vein-type solid hydrocarbons).
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Except where lands have been acquired by the United States for the development of the mineral deposits, by foreclosure or otherwise for resale, or reported as surplus pursuant to the provisions of the Surplus Property Act of October 3, 1944 (50 U.S.C., sec. 1611 and the following),1 all deposits of coal, phosphate, oil, oil shale, gilsonite (including all vein-type solid hydrocarbons), gas, sodium, potassium, and sulfur which are owned or may hereafter be acquired by the United States and which are within the lands acquired by the United States (exclusive of such deposits in such acquired lands as are (a) situated within incorporated cities, towns and villages, national parks or monuments, or (b) tidelands or submerged lands) may be leased by the Secretary under the same conditions as contained in the leasing provisions of the mineral leasing laws, subject to the provisions hereof. Coal or lignite under acquired lands set apart for military or naval purposes may be leased by the Secretary, with the concurrence of the Secretary of Defense, to a governmental entity (including any corporation primarily acting as an agency or instrumentality of a State) which produces electrical energy for sale to the public if such governmental entity is located in the State in which such lands are located. The provisions of subchapter VIII of chapter 3A of this title shall apply to deposits of sulfur covered by this chapter wherever situated. No mineral deposit covered by this section shall be leased except with the consent of the head of the executive department, independent establishment, or instrumentality having jurisdiction over the lands containing such deposit, or holding a mortgage or deed of trust secured by such lands which is unsatisfied of record, and subject to such conditions as that official may prescribe to insure the adequate utilization of the lands for the primary purposes for which they have been acquired or are being administered: Provided, That nothing in this chapter is intended, or shall be construed, to apply to or in any manner affect any mineral rights, exploration permits, leases or conveyances nor minerals that are or may be in any tidelands; or submerged lands; or in lands underlying the three mile zone or belt involved in the case of the United States of America against the State of California now pending on application for rehearing in the Supreme Court of the United States; or in lands underlying such three mile zone or belt, or the continental shelf, adjacent or littoral to any part of the land within the jurisdiction of the United States of America.
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Where the United States does not own all of the mineral deposits under any lands sought to be leased and which are affected by this chapter, the Secretary is authorized to lease the interest of the United States in any such mineral deposits when, in the judgment of the Secretary, the public interest will be best served thereby; subject, however, to the provisions of section 352 of this title. Where the United States does not own any interest or owns less than a full interest in the minerals that may be produced from any lands sought to be leased, and which are or will be affected by this chapter and where, under the provisions of its acquisition, the United States is to acquire all or any part of such mineral deposits in the future, the Secretary may lease any interest of the United States then owned or to be acquired in the future in the same manner as provided in the preceding sentence.
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(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any payment to a State under this section shall be made by the Secretary of the Interior and shall be made not later than the last business day of the month following the month in which such moneys or associated reports are received by the Secretary of the Interior, whichever is later. The preceding sentence shall also apply to any payment to a State derived from a lease for mineral resources issued by the Secretary of the Interior under section 520 of title 16. The Secretary shall pay interest to a State on any amount not paid to the State within that time at the rate prescribed under section 17211 of this title from the date payment was required to be made under this subsection until the date payment is made.
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Upon request by the Secretary, the heads of all executive departments, independent establishments, or instrumentalities having jurisdiction over any of the lands referred to in section 351 of this title shall furnish to the Secretary the legal description of all of such lands, and all pertinent abstracts, title papers, and other documents in the possession of such agencies concerning the status of the title of the United States to the mineral deposits that may be found in such lands.
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The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to prescribe such rules and regulations as are necessary and appropriate to carry out the purposes of this chapter, which rules and regulations shall be the same as those prescribed under the mineral leasing laws to the extent that they are applicable.
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Each department, agency and instrumentality of the United States which administers lands acquired by the United States with one or more existing mineral lease shall transfer to the Secretary of the Interior the authority to administer such lease and to collect all receipts due and payable to the United States under the lease. In the case of lands acquired on or before October 24, 1992, the authority to administer the leases and collect receipts shall be transferred to the Secretary of the Interior as expeditiously as practicable after October 24, 1992. In the case of lands acquired after October 24, 1992, such authority shall be vested with the Secretary at the time of acquisition. The provisions of section 355 of this title shall apply to all receipts derived from such leases where such receipts are due and payable to the United States under the lease in the same manner as such provisions apply to receipts derived from leases issued under the authority of this chapter. For purposes of this section, the term “existing mineral lease” means any lease in existence at the time land is acquired by the United States. Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect the existing surface management authority of any Federal agency.
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The Secretary of the Interior, acting through the United States Bureau of Mines, is authorized and directed to establish, equip, and maintain a research laboratory in the lignite-consuming region of North Dakota to conduct researches and investigations on the mining, preparation, and utilization of lignite coal and to develop new scientific, chemical, and technical uses and new and extended markets and outlets for lignite coal and its products. Such laboratory shall be planned as a center for information and assistance in matters pertaining to conserving lignite coal resources for national defense and security; to the more efficient mining, preparation, and utilization of lignite coal; and pertaining to safety, health, and sanitation in mining operations and other matters relating to problems of the lignite industry.
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For the purpose of this chapter the Secretary, acting through the United States Bureau of Mines, is authorized to acquire land and interests therein, and to accept in the name of the United States donations of any property, real or personal, and to utilize voluntary or uncompensated services at such laboratory. The Secretary is authorized and directed to cooperate with other departments or agencies of the Federal Government, States, and State agencies and institutions, counties, municipalities, business or other organizations, corporations, associations, universities, scientific societies, and individuals, upon such terms and conditions as he may prescribe.
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The Secretary of the Interior, acting through the United States Bureau of Mines, may, in his discretion, create and establish an advisory committee composed of not more than six members to exercise consultative functions, when required by the Secretary, in connection with the administration of this chapter. The said committee shall be composed of representatives of lignite coal-mine owners, of representatives of lignite coal-mine workers and the public in equal number. The members of said committee shall be appointed by the Secretary of the Interior without regard to the civil-service laws.
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The Secretary of the Interior, acting through the United States Bureau of Mines, is authorized and directed to establish, equip, and maintain a research laboratory at Reno, Nevada, for research, investigation, and as a center for information and assistance in matters pertaining to the mining, preparation, metallurgy, use, and conservation of the rare and precious metals of the Sierra Nevada mining region, and pertaining to other problems affecting the mining industry of that region.
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For the purposes of this chapter the Secretary, acting through the United States Bureau of Mines, is authorized to acquire land and interests therein; to receive and accept money and property, real or personal, or interests therein, and services as a gift, bequest, or contribution; and may conduct activities or projects in cooperation with any person, firm, agency, or organization, Federal, State, or private. Money so received shall be deposited in the Treasury of the United States in a special fund or funds for disbursement by the United States Bureau of Mines and shall remain available for the purposes for which received and accepted until expended.
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(a) Filing of notice
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Lands withdrawn from the public domain which are within (a) Helium Reserve Numbered 1, pursuant to Executive orders of March 21, 1924, and January 28, 1926, and (b) Helium Reserve Numbered 2 pursuant to Executive Order 6184 of June 26, 1933, shall be subject to entry and location under the mining laws of the United States, and to permit and lease under the mineral leasing laws, upon determination by the Secretary of the Interior, based upon available geologic and other information, that there is no reasonable probability that operations pursuant to entry or location of the particular lands under the mining laws, or pursuant to a permit or lease of the particular lands under the Mineral Leasing Act [30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.], will result in the extraction or cause loss or waste of the helium-bearing gas in the lands of such reserves: Provided, That the lands shall not become subject to entry, location, permit or lease until such time as the Secretary designates in an order published in the Federal Register: And provided further, That the Secretary may at any time as a condition to continued mineral operations require the entryman, locator, permittee or lessee to take such measures either above or below the surface of the lands as the Secretary deems necessary to prevent loss or waste of the helium-bearing gas.
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As used in this chapter “mineral leasing laws” shall mean the Act of October 20, 1914 (38 Stat. 741); the Act of February 25, 1920 (41 Stat. 437) [30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.]; the Act of April 17, 1926 (44 Stat. 301) [30 U.S.C. 271 et seq.]; the Act of February 7, 1927 (44 Stat. 1057) [30 U.S.C. 281 et seq.]; and all Acts heretofore or hereafter enacted which are amendatory of or supplementary to any of the foregoing Acts; “Leasing Act minerals” shall mean all minerals which, upon August 11, 1955, are provided in the mineral leasing laws to be disposed of thereunder; “lignite” shall mean coal classified as ASTM designation: D 388–38, according to the standards established in the American Society for Testing Materials on Coal and Coke under standard specifications for Classification of Coals by Rank, contained in public-land deposits considered as valuable under the coal-land classification standards established by the Secretary of the Interior and prescribed in section 30, Code of Federal Regulations, part 201; and “source material” shall mean uranium, thorium, or any other material which is determined by the Atomic Energy Commission pursuant to the provisions of section 2091 of title 42 to be source material.
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The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to issue such rules and regulations as may be necessary or appropriate to effectuate the purposes of this chapter.
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The Secretary of the Interior, in order to effectuate the policy declared in section 551 of this title, is hereby authorized—
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(a) As a condition to the extending of any benefits under section 553(b) of this title to any lands not owned or controlled by the United States or any of its agencies, except where such action is necessary for the protection of lands or other property owned or controlled by the United States or any of its agencies, the Secretary of the Interior may require—(1) the enactment of State or local laws providing for the control and extinguishment of outcrop and underground fires in coal formations on State or privately owned land and the cooperation of State or local authorities in the work; and(2) agreements or covenants as to the performance and maintenance of the work required to control or extinguish such fires.
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(b) The Secretary of the Interior shall require in connection with any project for the control or extinguishment of fires in any inactive coal mine on any lands not owned or controlled by the United States or any of its agencies, except where such project is necessary for the protection of lands or other property owned or controlled by the United States or any of its agencies, (1) that the State or person owning or controlling such lands contribute on a matching basis 50 per centum of the cost of planning and executing such project, or (2), if such State or person furnishes evidence satisfactory to the Secretary of the Interior of an inability to make the matching contribution herein provided for, that such State or person pay to the Government, within such period of time as the Secretary of the Interior shall determine, an amount equal to 50 per centum of the cost of planning and executing such project. At least 75 per centum of the funds expended in any fiscal year, from any appropriation available to carry out the purposes of this chapter, in connection with projects for the control or extinguishment of fires in inactive coal mines where such action is not necessary for the protection of lands or other property owned or controlled by the United States or any of its agencies, shall be expended in conformity with clause (1) of this subsection.
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In carrying out the provisions of section 553 of this title the Secretary of the Interior is authorized—
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(b) to hire, with or without personal services, work animals and animal-drawn and motor-propelled vehicles and equipment, at rates to be approved by the Secretary of the Interior and without regard to the provisions of section 6101 of title 41;
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(f) to receive and accept money and property, real or personal, or interests therein, as a gift, bequest, or contribution, for use in any of the activities authorized under this chapter; and to conduct any of the activities authorized under this chapter in cooperation with any person or agency, Federal, State, or private. Any money so received shall be deposited in the Treasury of the United States in an available trust fund to be disbursed by the Secretary of the Treasury upon certification by the Secretary of the Interior in accordance with the terms of the grant, and shall remain available until expended for the purposes for which received and accepted.
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The Secretary of the Interior may issue rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of this chapter.
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The Secretary of the Interior is authorized, in order to carry out the purposes mentioned in section 571 of this title, to make financial contributions on the basis of programs or projects approved by the Secretary to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (hereinafter designated as the “Commonwealth”) to seal abandoned coal mines and to fill voids in abandoned coal mines, in those instances where such work is in the interest of the public health or safety, and for control and drainage of water which, if not so controlled or drained, will cause the flooding of anthracite coal formations, said contributions to be applied to the cost of drainage works, pumping plants, and related facilities but subject, however, to the following conditions and limitations:
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(a) The amounts authorized to be contributed by the Secretary of the Interior to the Commonwealth shall be equally matched by the Commonwealth;
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(b) The total amount of contributions by the Secretary of the Interior under the authority of this chapter shall not exceed $8,500,000, of which $1,500,000 of the unexpended balance remaining as of July 31, 1962, shall be reserved for the control and drainage of water;
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(c) The amounts contributed by the Secretary of the Interior under the authority of this chapter and the equally matched amounts contributed by the Commonwealth shall not be used for operating and maintaining projects constructed pursuant to this chapter or for the purchase of culm, rock, or spoil banks;
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(d) The Commonwealth shall have full responsibility for installing, operating, and maintaining projects constructed pursuant to this chapter, and shall give evidence, satisfactory to the Secretary of the Interior, that it will enforce effective installation, operation, and maintenance safeguards;
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(f) Projects for the sealing of abandoned coal mines or the filling of voids in abandoned coal mines shall be determined by the Secretary of the Interior to be economically justified. The Secretary shall not find any project to be economically justified unless the potential benefits are estimated by him to exceed the estimated cost of the project.
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Whenever the Secretary of the Interior, after reasonable notice and opportunity for hearing, finds that there is a failure to expend funds in accordance with the terms and conditions governing the Federal contribution for such approved projects, he shall notify the Commonwealth that further payments will not be made to the Commonwealth from appropriations under this chapter until he is satisfied that there will no longer be any such failure. Until he is so satisfied the Secretary of the Interior shall withhold the payment of any financial contributions to the Commonwealth.
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The Secretary, under such rules and regulations as he may prescribe, may dispose of mineral materials (including but not limited to common varieties of the following: sand, stone, gravel, pumice, pumicite, cinders, and clay) and vegetative materials (including but not limited to yucca, manzanita, mesquite, cactus, and timber or other forest products) on public lands of the United States, including, for the purposes of this subchapter, land described in subchapter V of chapter 28 of title 43, if the disposal of such mineral or vegetative materials (1) is not otherwise expressly authorized by law, including, but not limited to, subchapter I of chapter 8A of title 43, and the United States mining laws, and (2) is not expressly prohibited by laws of the United States, and (3) would not be detrimental to the public interest. Such materials may be disposed of only in accordance with the provisions of this subchapter and upon the payment of adequate compensation therefor, to be determined by the Secretary: Provided, however, That, to the extent not otherwise authorized by law, the Secretary is authorized in his discretion to permit any Federal, State, or Territorial agency, unit or subdivision, including municipalities, or any association or corporation not organized for profit, to take and remove, without charge, materials and resources subject to this subchapter, for use other than for commercial or industrial purposes or resale. Where the lands have been withdrawn in aid of a function of a Federal department or agency other than the department headed by the Secretary or of a State, Territory, county, municipality, water district or other local governmental subdivision or agency, the Secretary may make disposals under this subchapter only with the consent of such other Federal department or agency or of such State, Territory, or local governmental unit. Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to apply to lands in any national park, or national monument or to any Indian lands, or lands set aside or held for the use or benefit of Indians, including lands over which jurisdiction has been transferred to the Department of the Interior by Executive order for the use of Indians. As used in this subchapter, the word “Secretary” means the Secretary of the Interior except that it means the Secretary of Agriculture where the lands involved are administered by him for national forest purposes or for the purposes of title III of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act [7 U.S.C. 1010 et seq.] or where withdrawn for the purpose of any other function of the Department of Agriculture.
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(a) The Secretary shall dispose of materials under this subchapter to the highest responsible qualified bidder after formal advertising and such other public notice as he deems appropriate: Provided, however, That the Secretary may authorize negotiation of a contract for the disposal of materials if—(1) the contract is for the sale of less than two hundred fifty thousand board-feet of timber; or, if(2) the contract is for the disposal of materials to be used in connection with a public works improvement program on behalf of a Federal, State or local governmental agency and the public exigency will not permit the delay incident to advertising; or, if(3) the contract is for the disposal of property for which it is impracticable to obtain competition.
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All moneys received from the disposal of materials under this subchapter shall be disposed of in the same manner as moneys received from the sale of public lands, except that moneys received from the disposal of materials by the Secretary of Agriculture shall be disposed of in the same manner as other moneys received by the Department of Agriculture from the administration of the lands from which the disposal of materials is made, and except that revenues from the lands described in subchapter I of chapter 44 of title 43 and subchapter III of chapter 44 of title 43 shall be disposed of in accordance with said subchapters and except that moneys received from the disposal of materials from school section lands in Alaska, reserved under section 1 of the Act of March 4, 1915 (38 Stat. 1214), shall be set apart as separate and permanent funds in the Territorial Treasury, as provided for income derived from said school section lands pursuant to said Act.
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Subject to the provisions of this subchapter, the Secretary may dispose of sand, stone, gravel, and vegetative materials located below highwater mark of navigable waters of the Territory of Alaska. Any contract, unexecuted in whole or in part, for the disposal under this subchapter of materials from land, title to which is transferred to a future State upon its admission to the Union, and which is situated within its boundaries, may be terminated or adopted by such State.
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(a) Notice to mining claimants; request; publication; service
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(b) The locator of a placer claim under this chapter, however, shall conduct no mining operations for a period of sixty days after the filing of a notice of location pursuant to section 623 of this title. If the Secretary of the Interior, within sixty days from the filing of the notice of location, notifies the locator by registered mail or certified mail of the Secretary’s intention to hold a public hearing to determine whether placer mining operations would substantially interfere with other uses of the land included within the placer claim, mining operations on that claim shall be further suspended until the Secretary has held the hearing and has issued an appropriate order. The order issued by the Secretary of the Interior shall provide for one of the following: (1) a complete prohibition of placer mining; (2) a permission to engage in placer mining upon the condition that the locator shall, following placer operations, restore the surface of the claim to the condition in which it was immediately prior to those operations; or (3) a general permission to engage in placer mining. No order by the Secretary with respect to such operations shall be valid unless a certified copy is filed in the same State or county office in which the locator’s notice of location has been filed in compliance with the United States mining laws.The Secretary shall establish such rules and regulations as he deems desirable concerning bonds and deposits with respect to the restoration of lands to their condition prior to placer mining operations. Moneys received from any bond or deposit shall be used for the restoration of the surface of the claim involved, and any money received in excess of the amount needed for the restoration of the surface of that claim shall be refunded.
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The Secretary of the Interior is hereby authorized and directed, in order to provide for discovery of additional domestic mineral reserves, to establish and maintain a program for exploration by private industry within the United States, its Territories and possessions for such minerals, excluding organic fuels, as he shall from time to time designate, and to provide Federal financial assistance on a participating basis for that purpose.
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(a) In order to carry out the purposes of this chapter, and subject to the provisions of this section, the Secretary is authorized to enter into exploration contracts with individuals, partnerships, corporations, or other legal entities which shall provide for such Federal financial participation as he deems in the national interest. Such contracts shall contain terms and conditions as the Secretary deems necessary and appropriate, including terms and conditions for the repayment of the Federal funds made available under any contract together with interest thereon, as a royalty on the value of the production from the area described in the contract. Interest shall be calculated from the date of the loan. Such interest shall be at rates which (1) are not less than the rates of interest which the Secretary of the Treasury shall determine the Department of the Interior would have to pay if it borrowed such funds from the Treasury of the United States, taking into consideration current average yields on outstanding marketable obligations of the United States with maturities comparable to the terms of the particular contracts involved and (2) plus 2 per centum per annum in lieu of recovering the cost of administering the particular contracts.
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(c) When in the opinion of the Secretary an analysis and evaluation of the results of the exploration project disclose that mineral production from the area covered by the contract may be possible he shall so certify within the time specified in the contract. Upon certification, payment of royalties shall be a charge against production for the full period specified in the contract or until the obligation has been discharged, but in no event shall such royalty payments continue for a period of more than twenty-five years from the date of contract. When the Secretary determines not to certify he shall promptly notify the contractor. When the Secretary deems it necessary and in the public interest, he may enter into royalty agreements to provide for royalty payments in the same manner as though the project had been certified.
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(d) No provision of this chapter, nor any rule or regulation which may be issued by the Secretary shall be construed to require any production from the area described in the contract.
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(e) The Secretary shall establish and promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter: Provided, however, That he may modify and adjust the terms and conditions of any contract to reduce the amount and term of any royalty payment when he shall determine that such action is necessary and in the public interest: Provided further, That no such single contract shall authorize Government participation in excess of $250,000.
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Departments and agencies of the Government are authorized to advise and assist the Secretary of the Interior, upon his request, in carrying out the provisions of this chapter and may expend their funds for such purposes, with or without reimbursement, in accordance with such agreements as may be necessary.
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The Secretary shall—
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No research shall be carried out, contracted for, sponsored, cosponsored, or authorized under authority of this chapter, unless all information, uses, products, processes, patents, and other developments resulting from such research will (with such exceptions and limitations, if any, as the Secretary may find to be necessary in the interest of national defense) be available to the general public. Whenever in the estimation of the Secretary the purposes of this chapter would be furthered through the use of patented processes or equipment, the Secretary is authorized to enter into such agreements as he deems necessary for the acquisition or use of such patents on reasonable terms and conditions.
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The Secretary of the Interior may convey to any occupant of an unpatented mining claim which is determined by the Secretary to be invalid an interest, up to and including a fee simple, in and to an area within the claim of not more than (a) five acres or (b) the acreage actually occupied by him, whichever is less. The Secretary may make a like conveyance to any occupant of an unpatented mining claim who, after notice from a qualified officer of the United States that the claim is believed to be invalid, relinquishes to the United States all rights in and to such claim which he may have under the mining laws. Any conveyance authorized by this section, however, shall be made only to a qualified applicant, as that term is defined in section 702 of this title, who applies therefor within the period ending June 30, 1971, and upon payment of an amount established in accordance with section 705 of this title.
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Where the lands for which application is made under section 701 of this title have been withdrawn in aid of a function of a Federal department or agency other than the Department of the Interior, or of a State, county, municipality, water district, or other local governmental subdivision or agency, the Secretary of the Interior may convey an interest therein only with the consent of the head of the governmental unit concerned and under such terms and conditions as said head may deem necessary.
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(a) If the Secretary of the Interior determines that conveyance of an interest under section 701 of this title is otherwise justified but the consent required by section 703 of this title is not given, he may, in accordance with such procedural rules and regulations as he may prescribe, grant the applicant a right to purchase, for residential use, an interest in another tract of land, five acres or less in area, from tracts made available by him for sale under this chapter (1) from the unappropriated and unreserved lands of the United States, or (2) from lands subject to classification under section 315f of title 43. Said right shall not be granted until arrangements satisfactory to the Secretary have been made for termination of the applicant’s occupancy of his unpatented mining claim and for settlement of any liability for the unauthorized use thereof which may have been incurred and shall expire five years from the date on which it was granted unless sooner exercised. The amount to be paid for the interest shall be determined in accordance with section 705 of this title.
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The Secretary of the Interior, prior to any conveyance under this chapter, shall determine the fair market value of the interest to be conveyed, exclusive of the value of any improvements placed on the lands involved by the applicant or his predecessors in interest. Said value shall be determined as of the date of appraisal. In establishing the purchase price to be paid by the applicant for the interest, the Secretary shall take into consideration any equities of the applicant and his predecessors in interest, including conditions of prior use and occupancy. In any event the purchase price for any interest conveyed shall not exceed its fair market value nor be less than $5 per acre. The Secretary may, in his discretion, allow payment to be made in installments.
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(b) Except where a mining claim embracing land applied for under this chapter by a qualified applicant was located at a time when the land included therein was withdrawn or otherwise not subject to such location, no trespass charges shall be sought or collected by the United States from any qualified applicant who has filed an application for land in the mining claim pursuant to this chapter, based upon occupancy of such claim, whether residential or otherwise, for any period preceding the final administrative determination of the invalidity of the mining claim by the Secretary of the Interior or the voluntary relinquishment of the mining claim, whichever occurs earlier. Nothing contained in this chapter shall be construed as creating any liability for trespass to the United States which would not exist in the absence of this chapter. Relief under this section shall be limited to persons who file applications for conveyances pursuant to section 701 of this title within the period ending June 30, 1971.
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In any conveyance under this chapter the mineral interests of the United States in the lands conveyed are reserved for the term of the estate conveyed. Minerals locatable under the mining laws or disposable under subchapter I of chapter 15 of this title, are withdrawn from all forms of entry and appropriation for the term of the estate. The underlying oil, gas, and other leasable minerals of the United States are reserved for exploration and development purposes, but without the right of surface ingress and egress, and may be leased by the Secretary under the mineral leasing laws.
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Payments of filing fees and survey costs, and the payments of the purchase price for patents in fee shall be disposed of by the Secretary of the Interior as are such fees, costs, and purchase prices in the disposition of public lands. All payments and fees for occupancy in conveyances of less than the fee, or for permits for life or shorter periods, shall be disposed of by the administering department or agency as are other receipts for the use of the lands involved.
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(b) Each license and permit issued under this subchapter shall contain such terms, conditions, and restrictions, established by the Administrator, which prescribe the actions the licensee or permittee shall take in the conduct of exploration and commercial recovery activities to assure protection of the environment. The Administrator shall require in all activities under new permits, and wherever practicable in activities under existing permits, the use of the best available technologies for the protection of safety, health, and the environment wherever such activities would have a significant effect on safety, health, or the environment, except where the Administrator determines that the incremental benefits are clearly insufficient to justify the incremental costs of using such technologies. Before establishing such terms, conditions, and restrictions, the Administrator shall consult with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating, concerning such terms, conditions, and restrictions, and the Administrator shall take into account and give due consideration to the information contained in each final environmental impact statement prepared with respect to such license or permit pursuant to subsection (d).
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(a) The Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating, in consultation with the Administrator, shall require in any license or permit issued under this subchapter, in conformity with principles of international law, that vessels documented under the laws of the United States and used in activities authorized under the license or permit comply with conditions regarding the design, construction, alteration, repair, equipment, operation, manning, and maintenance relating to vessel and crew safety and the promotion of safety of life and property at sea.
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(a) Subject to the other provisions of this subsection, the Administrator shall enforce the provisions of this chapter. The Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating shall exercise such other enforcement responsibilities with respect to vessels subject to the provisions of this chapter as are authorized under other provisions of law and may, upon the specific request of the Administrator, assist the Administrator in the enforcement of the provisions of this chapter. The Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating shall have the exclusive responsibility for enforcement measures which affect the safety of life and property at sea. The Administrator and the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating may, by agreement, on a reimbursable basis or otherwise, utilize the personnel, services, equipment, including aircraft and vessels, and facilities of any other Federal agency or department, and may authorize officers or employees of other departments or agencies to provide assistance as necessary in carrying out subsection (b). While providing such assistance, these officers and employees shall be under the control, authority, and supervision of the Coast Guard. The Administrator and the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating may issue regulations jointly or severally as may be necessary and appropriate to carry out their duties under this section.
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(b) To enforce this chapter on board any vessel subject to the provisions of this chapter, any officer who is authorized by the Administrator or by the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating may—(1) board and inspect any vessel which is subject to the provisions of this chapter;(2) search any such vessel if the officer has reasonable cause to believe that the vessel has been used or employed in the violation of any provision of this chapter;(3) arrest any person subject to section 1461 of this title if the officer has reasonable cause to believe that the person has committed a criminal offense under section 1463 of this title;(4) seize any such vessel together with its gear, furniture, appurtenances, stores, and cargo, used or employed in, or with respect to which it reasonably appears that such vessel was used or employed in, the violation of any provision of this chapter if such seizure is necessary to prevent evasion of the enforcement of this chapter;(5) seize any hard mineral resource recovered or processed in violation of any provision of this chapter;(6) seize any other evidence related to any violation of any provision of this chapter;(7) execute any warrant or other process issued by any court of competent jurisdiction; and(8) exercise any other lawful authority.
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(d) Proprietary and privileged information seized or maintained under this subchapter concerning a person or vessel engaged in exploration or commercial recovery shall not be made available for general or public use or inspection. The Administrator and the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating shall issue regulations to insure the confidentiality of privileged and proprietary information.
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(1) There are hereby appropriated to the Trust Fund amounts determined by the Secretary of the Treasury to be equivalent to the amounts of the taxes received in the Treasury under section 44951 of title 26.
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(2) The amounts appropriated by paragraph (1) shall be transferred at least quarterly from the general fund of the Treasury to the Trust Fund on the basis of estimates made by the Secretary of the Treasury of the amounts referred to in paragraph (1) received in the Treasury. Proper adjustments shall be made in the amounts subsequently transferred to the extent prior estimates were in excess of or less than the amount required to be transferred.
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(1) It shall be the duty of the Secretary of the Treasury to hold the Trust Fund, and to report to the Congress for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1980, and each fiscal year thereafter on the financial condition and the results of the operations of the Trust Fund during the preceding year and on its expected condition and operations during the fiscal year and the next five fiscal years after the fiscal year. Such report shall be printed as a House document of the session of the Congress to which the report is made.
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(A) It shall be the duty of the Secretary of the Treasury to invest such portion of the Trust Fund as is not, in his judgment, required to meet current withdrawals. Such investments may be made only in interest-bearing obligations of the United States. For such purpose, such obligations may be acquired (i) on original issue at the issue price, or (ii) by purchase of outstanding obligations at the market price.
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(B) Any obligation acquired by the Trust Fund may be sold by the Secretary at the market price.
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(a) The Secretary of Energy (hereafter in this chapter referred to as the “Secretary”) is authorized to make a loan to any person, from funds appropriated (pursuant to this subchapter) to the Geothermal Resources Development Fund established under section 11441 of this title, to assist such person in undertaking and carrying out a project which (1) is designed to explore for or determine the economic viability of a geothermal reservoir and (2) consists of surface exploration and the drilling of one or more exploratory wells.
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(b) Subject to subsection (c) and to section 1513(b) of this title, any loan under subsection (a) shall be repayable out of revenue from production of the geothermal energy reservoir with respect to which the loan was made, at a rate, in any year, not to exceed 20 per centum of the gross revenue from the reservoir in that year; except that if any disposition of the geothermal rights to the reservoir is made to one or more other persons by the borrower, the full amount of the loan balance outstanding, or so much of the loan balance outstanding as is equal to the full amount of the compensation realized by the borrower upon such disposition, whichever is less, shall be repaid immediately. In any case where the reservoir is confirmed (as determined by the Secretary), the Secretary may impute a reasonable revenue for purposes of determining repayment if—(1) reasonable efforts are not made to put such reservoir in commercial operation,(2) the borrower (or any such other person) utilizes the resources of the reservoir without a sale of the energy or geothermal energy resources therefrom, or(3) a sale of energy or geothermal energy resources from the reservoir is made for an unreasonably low price;except that no such imputation of revenue shall be made during the three-year period immediately following such reservoir confirmation. In the event of failure to begin production of revenue (or, where no sale of energy or geothermal energy resources is made, to begin production of energy for commercial use) within five years after the date of such reservoir confirmation, the Secretary may take action to recover the value, not to exceed the amount of the unpaid balance of the loan plus any accrued interest thereon, of any assets of the project in question, including resource rights.
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(c) The Secretary may at any time cancel the unpaid balance and any accrued interest on any loan made under this section if he determines, on the basis of evidence presented by the loan recipient or otherwise, that the geothermal energy reservoir with respect to which the loan was made has characteristics which make that reservoir economically or technically unacceptable for commercial development.
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(b) Each such loan shall be for a term which the Secretary deems appropriate, except that no loan term shall exceed twenty years beyond the date on which production of energy or geothermal energy resources begins from the reservoir involved. If revenues are inadequate (as determined by the Secretary) to fully repay the principal and accrued interest within twenty years after production begins, any remaining unpaid amounts shall be forgiven.
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The Secretary shall promulgate regulations to carry out this subchapter no later than six months after June 30, 1980.
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The Secretary shall conduct a detailed study of the need for and feasibility of establishing a reservoir insurance and reinsurance program incorporating the terms, conditions, and provisions set forth in section 1522 of this title, and shall submit to the Congress within one year after June 30, 1980, a report on the results of such study including his findings and recommendations with respect thereto.
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(a) If the report of the Secretary submitted pursuant to section 1521 of this title affirmatively recommends the establishment of the program and the Congress by law (after review of such recommendation) specifically authorizes the establishment of the program, the Secretary shall establish and implement within six months after the date of the enactment of such authorization a program, in cooperation with the insurance and reinsurance industry, to provide reservoir insurance to qualified eligible applicants in accordance with this section.
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(4) the term “reasonable premiums” means premium amounts determined by the Secretary to be reasonable in light of the amount of investment subject to the risk and premiums charged in similar or analogous situations by private insurers where private insurance is concerned and by insurers or guarantors, both public and private, where public insurance is concerned;
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(5) the term “other insurance” means any combination of private or public insurance other than investment insurance provided by the Secretary under this section;
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(c) Any person with a total direct investment of not less than $1,000,000 in the development and use, not including exploration and testing, of a geothermal resource associated with a reservoir, and unable to obtain other insurance at reasonable premiums for the amount of the investment subject to risk, as determined by the Secretary under this section, shall be eligible for investment insurance.
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(d) Any eligible person seeking investment insurance under this section shall file an application with the Secretary setting forth (1) the total amount of the contemplated investment in a geothermal resource and associated reservoir; (2) the views of the applicant concerning the nature and extent of the risk, including a geologic, engineering, and financial assessment based on site specific results of exploration and testing of the geothermal resource and the reservoir, stated with as much specificity as is possible; (3) the status of all required Federal, State, and local approvals, permits, and leases for the proposed development and utilization operations at the site; (4) the extent to which the applicant has been able to obtain other insurance against the risk; and (5) such other information as the Secretary may require.
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(e) Unless the Secretary determines the risk proposed by the applicant is unreasonable, the Secretary, within ninety days after receipt of a satisfactory application, shall determine in writing and submit to the applicant (1) the risk which may cause loss of investment for the applicant; (2) the total investment subject to the risk; (3) the amount of the other insurance which is available at reasonable premiums for the purpose of indemnifying the applicant against the risk; (4) the amount of investment insurance available pursuant to this section, which shall be the difference between the total investment subject to the risk and the total other insurance determined to be available at reasonable premiums, but not in excess of the lesser of 90 per centum of, or $50,000,000 of, the loss of investment subject to the risk; and (5) any reasonable terms and conditions necessary for the prudent administration of the program, including reasonable premiums for the insurance pursuant to this section (which shall be deposited in the Geothermal Resources Development Fund).
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(f) The Secretary, within ninety days after making and submitting the determinations under subsection (e), and upon agreement of the applicant to such determinations, shall issue a certificate of insurance containing such terms and conditions as the Secretary shall specify, which shall not be transferrable without the express approval of the Secretary for good cause shown, and shall execute a contract with the applicant setting forth the terms and conditions of the investment insurance and such other provisions as may be necessary to protect the interests of the United States, including provisions with respect to the ownership, use, and disposition of any currency, credits, assets, or investments on account of which payment under such insurance is to be made and any right, title, claim, or course of action existing in relation thereto.
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(g) Any holder of a certificate of insurance pursuant to subsection (f) who claims a loss of value of his investment by reason of the specified risk shall receive compensation, to the extent the Secretary determines that the holder is eligible to receive compensation pursuant to the certificate and the contract, in the amount of the loss incurred by the holder which is subject to insurance and for which the holder has not received and will not receive compensation from other insurance.
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(k) The Secretary may enter into agreements to reinsure any private insurer for any risk associated with insurance for the development and utilization of a geothermal resource and associated reservoir, using the procedures set forth in subsections (c) through (i), to the extent that he deems it appropriate in order to provide an incentive for the participation of the private insurance industry in geothermal development; and he may also use any other available authority to obtain such participation. The Secretary shall submit a report to the Congress, within one year after the enactment of the law referred to in subsection (a), on the need for any additional authority to obtain such participation.
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(a) The Secretary is authorized and directed to establish a program of assistance for the accelerated development of geothermal resources for nonelectric applications by geothermal utility districts, geothermal industrial development districts, and other persons.
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(1) In providing assistance under the program established pursuant to subsection (a), the Secretary is authorized to make a loan to any person to defray up to 90 per centum of the costs of (A) studies to determine the feasibility of any geothermal development described in such subsection, and (B) preparing applications for any necessary licenses or other Federal, State, and local approvals respecting such development.
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(2) The Secretary may cancel the unpaid balance and any accrued interest on any loan granted for a study pursuant to clause (A) of paragraph (1) if he determines, on the basis of the study, that the geothermal development is not technically or economically feasible.
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(c) In providing assistance under such program, the Secretary is also authorized to make a loan to any person to defray up to 75 per centum of the costs directly related to the construction of a system or systems for nonelectric geothermal development pursuant to such subsection, where the Secretary finds that—(1) all necessary licenses and other required Federal, State, and local approvals for construction of such system or systems have been or will be issued,(2) the project involved will comply with all applicable laws relating to protection of the environment, and(3) the applicant requires such assistance to undertake and complete the project.
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(d) Each loan made pursuant to this section shall bear interest at a discount or interest rate equal to the rate in effect (at the time the loan is made) for water resources planning projects under section 80 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 1962(d)–17(a)).1 Each loan shall be for such term as the Secretary deems appropriate, but not in excess of ten years for loans under subsection (b) or thirty years for loans under subsection (c).
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The option of using geothermal energy or geothermal energy resources shall be considered fully in any new Federal building, facility, or installation which is located in a geothermal resource area as designated by the Secretary.
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(1) The term “critical mineral” means any mineral, element, substance, or material designated as critical by the Secretary under section 1606(c) of this title.
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(c) The Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with such other members of the Cabinet as may be appropriate, shall—(1) not later than 1 year after December 27, 2020, submit to the Congress a report that assesses critical materials needs and that recommends programs that would assist in meeting such needs, including an assessment of economic stockpiles; and(2) assess the adequacy and stability of the supply of materials necessary to maintain national security, economic well-being, public health, and industrial production.
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(d) The Secretary of Defense, together with such other members of the Cabinet as are deemed necessary by the President, shall prepare a report assessing critical materials needs related to national security and identifying the steps necessary to meet those needs. The report shall include an assessment of the Defense Production Act of 1950 (50 U.S.C. App. 2061 et seq.) now [50 U.S.C. 4501 et seq.], and the Strategic and Critical Materials Stock Piling Act (50 U.S.C. App. 98 et seq.) [50 U.S.C. 98 et seq.]. Such report shall be made available to the Congress within 1 year after December 27, 2020, and shall be revised periodically as deemed necessary.
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(e) The Secretary of the Interior shall promptly initiate actions to—(1) improve the capacity of the United States Geological Survey to assess international minerals supplies;(2) increase the level of mining and metallurgical research by the United States Geological Survey in critical and strategic minerals; and(3) improve the availability and analysis of mineral data in Federal land use decisionmaking.A report summarizing actions required by this subsection shall be made available to the Congress within 1 year after December 27, 2020.
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(f) In furtherance of the policies of this chapter, the Secretary of the Interior shall collect, evaluate, and analyze information concerning mineral occurrence, production, and use from industry, academia, and Federal and State agencies. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 552 of title 5, data and information provided to the Department by persons or firms engaged in any phase of mineral or mineral-material production or large-scale consumption shall not be disclosed outside of the Department of the Interior in a nonaggregated form so as to disclose data and information supplied by a single person or firm, unless there is no objection to the disclosure of such data and information by the donor: Provided, however, That the Secretary may disclose nonaggregated data and information to Federal defense agencies, or to the Congress upon official request for appropriate purposes.
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Nothing in this chapter shall be interpreted as changing in any manner or degree the provisions of and requirements of section 21a of this title. For the purposes of achieving the objectives set forth in section 1602 of this title, the Congress declares that the President shall direct (1) the Secretary of the Interior to act immediately within the Department’s statutory authority to attain the goals contained in section 21a of this title and (2) the Executive Office of the President to act immediately to promote the goals contained in section 21a of this title among the various departments and agencies.
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(A) any non-fuel mineral, element, substance, or material that the Secretary of Energy determines—(i) has a high risk of a supply chain disruption; and(ii) serves an essential function in 1 or more energy technologies, including technologies that produce, transmit, store, and conserve energy; or
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(A) The term “critical mineral” means any mineral, element, substance, or material designated as critical by the Secretary under subsection (c).
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(1) The Secretary, acting through the Director of the United States Geological Survey (referred to in this subsection as the “Secretary”), shall publish in the Federal Register for public comment—(A) a description of the draft methodology used to identify a draft list of critical minerals;(B) a draft list of minerals, elements, substances, and materials that qualify as critical minerals; and(C) a draft list of critical minerals recovered as byproducts and their host minerals.
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(3) After reviewing public comments on the draft methodology and the draft lists published under paragraph (1) and updating the methodology and lists as appropriate, not later than 45 days after the date on which the public comment period with respect to the draft methodology and draft lists closes, the Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register—(A) a description of the final methodology for determining which minerals, elements, substances, and materials qualify as critical minerals;(B) the final list of critical minerals; and(C) the final list of critical minerals recovered as byproducts and their host minerals.
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(A) For purposes of carrying out this subsection, the Secretary shall maintain a list of minerals, elements, substances, and materials designated as critical, pursuant to the final methodology published under paragraph (3), that the Secretary determines—(i) are essential to the economic or national security of the United States;(ii) the supply chain of which is vulnerable to disruption (including restrictions associated with foreign political risk, abrupt demand growth, military conflict, violent unrest, anti-competitive or protectionist behaviors, and other risks throughout the supply chain); and(iii) serve an essential function in the manufacturing of a product (including energy technology-, defense-, currency-, agriculture-, consumer electronics-, and health care-related applications), the absence of which would have significant consequences for the economic or national security of the United States.
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(B) Notwithstanding the criteria under paragraph (3), the Secretary may designate and include on the list any mineral, element, substance, or material determined by another Federal agency to be strategic and critical to the defense or national security of the United States.
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(C) The Secretary shall consult with the Secretaries of Defense, Commerce, Agriculture, Health and Human Services, and Energy and the United States Trade Representative in designating minerals, elements, substances, and materials as critical under this paragraph.
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(A) The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretaries of Defense, Commerce, Agriculture, Health and Human Services, and Energy and the United States Trade Representative, shall review the methodology and list under paragraph (3) and the designations under paragraph (4) at least every 3 years, or more frequently as the Secretary considers to be appropriate.
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(B) Subject to paragraph (4)(A), the Secretary may—(i) revise the methodology described in this subsection;(ii) determine that minerals, elements, substances, and materials previously determined to be critical minerals are no longer critical minerals; and(iii) designate additional minerals, elements, substances, or materials as critical minerals.
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(6) On finalization of the methodology and the list under paragraph (3), or any revision to the methodology or list under paragraph (5), the Secretary shall submit to Congress written notice of the action.
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(1) Not later than 4 years after December 27, 2020, in consultation with applicable State (including geological surveys), local, academic, industry, and other entities, the Secretary (acting through the Director of the United States Geological Survey) or a designee of the Secretary, shall complete a comprehensive national assessment of each critical mineral that—(A) identifies and quantifies known critical mineral resources, using all available public and private information and datasets, including exploration histories; and(B) provides a quantitative and qualitative assessment of undiscovered critical mineral resources throughout the United States, including probability estimates of tonnage and grade, using all available public and private information and datasets, including exploration histories.
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(2) In carrying out this subsection, the Secretary may carry out surveys and field work (including drilling, remote sensing, geophysical surveys, topographical and geological mapping, and geochemical sampling and analysis) to supplement existing information and datasets available for determining the existence of critical minerals in the United States.
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(3) Subject to applicable law, to the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary shall make all data and metadata collected from the comprehensive national assessment carried out under paragraph (1) publically and electronically accessible.
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(4) At the request of the Governor of a State or the head of an Indian Tribe, the Secretary may provide technical assistance to State governments and Indian Tribes conducting critical mineral resource assessments on non-Federal land.
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(A) The Secretary may sequence the completion of resource assessments for each critical mineral such that critical minerals considered to be most critical under the methodology established under subsection (c) are completed first.
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(B) During the period beginning not later than 1 year after December 27, 2020, and ending on the date of completion of all of the assessments required under this subsection, the Secretary shall submit to Congress on an annual basis an interim report that—(i) identifies the sequence and schedule for completion of the assessments if the Secretary sequences the assessments; or(ii) describes the progress of the assessments if the Secretary does not sequence the assessments.
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(i) identifies the sequence and schedule for completion of the assessments if the Secretary sequences the assessments; or
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(ii) describes the progress of the assessments if the Secretary does not sequence the assessments.
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(6) The Secretary may periodically update the assessments conducted under this subsection based on—(A) the generation of new information or datasets by the Federal Government; or(B) the receipt of new information or datasets from critical mineral producers, State geological surveys, academic institutions, trade associations, or other persons.
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(7) The Secretary shall complete a resource assessment for each additional mineral or element subsequently designated as a critical mineral under subsection (c)(5)(B) not later than 2 years after the designation of the mineral or element.
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(8) Not later than 2 years after December 27, 2020, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report describing the status of geological surveying of Federal land for any mineral commodity—(A) for which the United States was dependent on a foreign country for more than 25 percent of the United States supply, as depicted in the report issued by the United States Geological Survey entitled ‘Mineral Commodity Summaries 2021’; but(B) that is not designated as a critical mineral under subsection (c).
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(1) Absent any extraordinary circumstance, and except as otherwise required by law, the Secretary and the Secretary of Agriculture shall ensure that each Federal Register notice described in paragraph (2) shall be—(A) subject to any required reviews within the Department of the Interior or the Department of Agriculture; and(B) published in final form in the Federal Register not later than 45 days after the date of initial preparation of the notice.
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(ii) a project that demonstrates that a byproduct is of sufficient grade that, when combined with the production of a host mineral, the byproduct is economic to recover, as determined by the applicable Secretary in accordance with subparagraph (B), and that the byproduct will be recovered in commercial quantities.
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(B) In making the determination under subparagraph (A)(ii), the applicable Secretary shall consider the cost effectiveness of the byproducts recovery.
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(1) The Secretary of Energy (referred to in this subsection as the “Secretary”) shall conduct a program (referred to in this subsection as the “program”) of research, development, demonstration, and commercialization—(A) to develop alternatives to critical materials that do not occur in significant abundance in the United States;(B) to promote the efficient production, use, and recycling of critical materials, with special consideration for domestic critical materials, throughout the supply chain;(C) to ensure the long-term, secure, and sustainable supply of critical materials; and(D) to prioritize work in areas that the private sector by itself is not likely to undertake due to financial or technical limitations.
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(2) In carrying out the program, the Secretary shall cooperate with appropriate—(A) Federal agencies, including the Department of the Interior;(B) the National Laboratories;(C) critical material producers, processors, and manufacturers;(D) trade associations;(E) academic institutions (including students and postdoctoral staff at institutions of higher education);(F) small businesses;(G) nongovernmental organizations; and(H) other relevant entities or individuals.
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(3) In carrying out the program, the Secretary may use an Energy Innovation Hub authorized under section 18632 of title 42.
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(4) Under the program, the Secretary shall carry out activities that include the identification and development of—(A) alternative materials, particularly materials available in abundance within the United States and not subject to potential supply restrictions, that lessen the need for critical materials;(B) alternative energy technologies or alternative designs of existing energy technologies, particularly technologies or designs that use materials that—(i) occur in abundance in the United States; and(ii) are not subject to potential supply restrictions;(C) technologies or process improvements that minimize the use and content, or lead to more efficient use, of critical materials across the full supply chain;(D) innovative technologies and practices to diversify commercially viable and sustainable domestic sources of critical materials, including technologies for recovery from waste streams;(E) technologies, process improvements, or design optimizations that facilitate the recycling of critical materials, and options for improving the rates of collection of products and scrap containing critical materials from post-consumer, industrial, or other waste streams;(F) advanced critical material extraction, production, separation, alloying, or processing technologies that decrease the energy consumption, environmental impact, and costs of those activities, including—(i) efficient water and wastewater management strategies;(ii) technologies and management strategies to control the environmental impacts of radionuclides in ore tailings;(iii) technologies for separation and processing; and(iv) technologies for increasing the recovery rates of coproducts and byproducts from host metal ores;(G) commercial markets, advanced storage methods, energy applications, and other beneficial uses of critical materials; and(H) advanced theoretical, computational, and experimental tools necessary to support the crosscutting research and development needs of diverse critical minerals stakeholders.
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(A) Not later than 1 year after December 27, 2020, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a plan to carry out the program.
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(6) To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary shall ensure that the activities carried out under this subsection are coordinated with, and do not duplicate the efforts of, other programs within the Federal Government, including the work underway by the Critical Materials Institute and the National Minerals Information Center.
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(7) Not later than 2 years after December 27, 2020, the Secretary shall conduct a review of activities carried out under the program to determine the achievement of the technical milestones identified under paragraph (8)(D)(i)(I).
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(A) Not later than 1 year after December 27, 2020, the Secretary shall establish and operate a Critical Materials Consortium (referred to in this paragraph as the “Consortium”) for the purpose of supporting the program by providing, to the maximum extent practicable, a centralized entity for multidisciplinary, collaborative, critical materials research and development.
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(B) If an Energy Innovation Hub authorized under section 18632 of title 42 that is focused on critical materials exists on December 27, 2020, the Secretary shall leverage the personnel and expertise of the Energy Innovation Hub to manage the Consortium for not less than 3 years following the date on which the Consortium is established.
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(ii) submit an annual report to the Secretary summarizing the activities of the Consortium, including an evaluation of the role of the Consortium in the achievement of the technical milestones identified under clause (i)(I).
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(i) The Secretary may provide support to the Consortium for a period of not more than 10 years, subject to the availability of appropriations.
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(ii) Not later than 5 years after the date on which the Consortium is established, the Secretary shall conduct a rigorous merit review to determine whether the Consortium helped the program achieve the technical milestones identified under subparagraph (D)(i)(I).
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(iii) If the Secretary determines that the Consortium has not helped the program achieve the technical milestones identified under subparagraph (D)(i)(I), the Secretary may terminate any financial or technical support that the Department provides to the Consortium.
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(9) Not later than 2 years after December 27, 2020, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report summarizing the activities, findings, and progress of the program.
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(10) There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this subsection—(A) $125,000,000 for fiscal year 2021;(B) $105,000,000 for fiscal year 2022;(C) $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2023;(D) $135,000,000 for fiscal year 2024; and(E) $135,000,000 for fiscal year 2025.
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(3) There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to fund the design and construction of the facility, to remain available until expended—(A) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2021;(B) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2022; and(C) $35,000,000 for fiscal year 2023.
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(1) In carrying out the program established under subsection (g)(1), the Secretary and the Secretary of Energy (referred to in this subsection as the “Secretaries”), in consultation with the Director of the National Science Foundation, shall establish and operate a Critical Materials Information Portal (referred to in this subsection as the “Portal”) to collect, catalogue, disseminate, and archive information on critical materials.
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(2) In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretaries shall leverage the expertise of the National Minerals Information Center, the Office of Scientific and Technical Information, and the Critical Materials Consortium established under subsection (g)(8)(A).
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(4) In carrying out this subsection, the Secretaries shall—(A) conduct cooperative research with industry, academia, and other research institutions to facilitate the design of novel materials, including critical materials and substitutes for critical materials;(B) leverage existing high-performance computing systems to conduct high throughput calculations and develop computing and data mining algorithms for the prediction of material properties, including a focus on critical materials;(C) leverage and support research in mineralogy and mineral chemistry to enhance the understanding, prediction, and manipulation of critical materials;(D) assist scientists and engineers in making the fullest possible use of the relevant data holdings of the Departments, including the scientific and technical data generated by the research and development activities funded under subsection (g);(E) seek and incorporate other information on critical materials to enhance the Departments’ utility for program participants and other users; and
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(5) In carrying out this subsection, the Secretaries shall ensure, consistent with section 1604(f) of this title, that—(A) no person uses the information and data collected for the Portal for a purpose other than the development of, or reporting of, aggregate data in a manner such that the identity of the person or firm who supplied the information is not discernible and is not material to the intended uses of the information;(B) no person discloses any information or data collected for the Portal unless the information or data has been transformed into a statistical or aggregate form that does not allow the identification of the person or firm who supplied particular information; and(C) procedures are established to require the withholding of any information or data collected for the Portal if at least 1 of the Secretaries determines that the withholding is necessary to protect proprietary information, including any trade secrets or other confidential information.
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(C) procedures are established to require the withholding of any information or data collected for the Portal if at least 1 of the Secretaries determines that the withholding is necessary to protect proprietary information, including any trade secrets or other confidential information.
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(1) In order to evaluate existing critical mineral policies and inform future actions that may be taken to avoid supply shortages, mitigate price volatility, and prepare for demand growth and other market shifts, the Secretary (acting through the Director of the United States Geological Survey) or a designee of the Secretary, in consultation with the Energy Information Administration, academic institutions, and others in order to maximize the application of existing competencies related to developing and maintaining computer-models and similar analytical tools, shall conduct and publish the results of an annual report that includes—(A) as part of the annually published Mineral Commodity Summaries from the United States Geological Survey, a comprehensive review of critical mineral production, consumption, and recycling patterns, including—(i) the quantity of each critical mineral domestically produced during the preceding year;(ii) the quantity of each critical mineral domestically consumed during the preceding year;(iii) market price data or other price data for each critical mineral;(iv) an assessment of—(I) critical mineral requirements to meet the national security, energy, economic, industrial, technological, and other needs of the United States during the preceding year;(II) the reliance of the United States on foreign sources to meet those needs during the preceding year; and(III) the implications of any supply shortages, restrictions, or disruptions during the preceding year;(v) the quantity of each critical mineral domestically recycled during the preceding year;(vi) the market penetration during the preceding year of alternatives to each critical mineral;(vii) a discussion of international trends associated with the discovery, production, consumption, use, costs of production, prices, and recycling of each critical mineral as well as the development of alternatives to critical minerals; and(viii) such other data, analyses, and evaluations as the Secretary finds are necessary to achieve the purposes of this subsection; and(B) a comprehensive forecast, entitled the “Annual Critical Minerals Outlook”, of projected critical mineral production, consumption, and recycling patterns, including—(i) the quantity of each critical mineral projected to be domestically produced over the subsequent 1-year, 5-year, and 10-year periods;(ii) the quantity of each critical mineral projected to be domestically consumed over the subsequent 1-year, 5-year, and 10-year periods;(iii) an assessment of—(I) critical mineral requirements to meet projected national security, energy, economic, industrial, technological, and other needs of the United States;(II) the projected reliance of the United States on foreign sources to meet those needs; and(III) the projected implications of potential supply shortages, restrictions, or disruptions;(iv) the quantity of each critical mineral projected to be domestically recycled over the subsequent 1-year, 5-year, and 10-year periods;(v) the market penetration of alternatives to each critical mineral projected to take place over the subsequent 1-year, 5-year, and 10-year periods;(vi) a discussion of reasonably foreseeable international trends associated with the discovery, production, consumption, use, costs of production, and recycling of each critical mineral as well as the development of alternatives to critical minerals; and(vii) such other projections relating to each critical mineral as the Secretary determines to be necessary to achieve the purposes of this subsection.
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(viii) such other data, analyses, and evaluations as the Secretary finds are necessary to achieve the purposes of this subsection; and
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(vii) such other projections relating to each critical mineral as the Secretary determines to be necessary to achieve the purposes of this subsection.
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(2) In preparing a report described in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall ensure, consistent with section 1604(f) of this title, that—(A) no person uses the information and data collected for the report for a purpose other than the development of or reporting of aggregate data in a manner such that the identity of the person or firm who supplied the information is not discernible and is not material to the intended uses of the information;(B) no person discloses any information or data collected for the report unless the information or data has been transformed into a statistical or aggregate form that does not allow the identification of the person or firm who supplied particular information; and(C) procedures are established to require the withholding of any information or data collected for the report if the Secretary determines that withholding is necessary to protect proprietary information, including any trade secrets or other confidential information.
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(C) procedures are established to require the withholding of any information or data collected for the report if the Secretary determines that withholding is necessary to protect proprietary information, including any trade secrets or other confidential information.
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(1) Not later than 1 year and 300 days after December 27, 2020, the Secretary of Labor (in consultation with the Secretary, the Director of the National Science Foundation, institutions of higher education with substantial expertise in mining, institutions of higher education with significant expertise in minerals research, including fundamental research into alternatives, and employers in the critical minerals sector) shall submit to Congress an assessment of the domestic availability of technically trained personnel necessary for critical mineral exploration, development, assessment, production, manufacturing, recycling, analysis, forecasting, education, and research, including an analysis of—(A) skills that are in the shortest supply as of the date of the assessment;(B) skills that are projected to be in short supply in the future;(C) the demographics of the critical minerals industry and how the demographics will evolve under the influence of factors such as an aging workforce;(D) the effectiveness of training and education programs in addressing skills shortages;(E) opportunities to hire locally for new and existing critical mineral activities;(F) the sufficiency of personnel within relevant areas of the Federal Government for achieving the policies described in section 1602 of this title; and(G) the potential need for new training programs to have a measurable effect on the supply of trained workers in the critical minerals industry.
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(A) The Secretary and the Secretary of Labor shall jointly enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering under which the Academies shall coordinate with the National Science Foundation on conducting a study—(i) to design an interdisciplinary program on critical minerals that will support the critical mineral supply chain and improve the ability of the United States to increase domestic, critical mineral exploration, development, production, manufacturing, research, including fundamental research into alternatives, and recycling;(ii) to address undergraduate and graduate education, especially to assist in the development of graduate level programs of research and instruction that lead to advanced degrees with an emphasis on the critical mineral supply chain or other positions that will increase domestic, critical mineral exploration, development, production, manufacturing, research, including fundamental research into alternatives, and recycling;(iii) to develop guidelines for proposals from institutions of higher education with substantial capabilities in the required disciplines for activities to improve the critical mineral supply chain and advance the capacity of the United States to increase domestic, critical mineral exploration, research, development, production, manufacturing, and recycling; and(iv) to outline criteria for evaluating performance and recommendations for the amount of funding that will be necessary to establish and carry out the program described in paragraph (3).
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(B) Not later than 2 years after December 27, 2020, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a description of the results of the study required under subparagraph (A).
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(A) The Secretary and the Secretary of Labor shall jointly conduct a competitive grant program under which institutions of higher education may apply for and receive 4-year grants for—(i) startup costs for newly designated faculty positions in integrated critical mineral education, research, innovation, training, and workforce development programs consistent with paragraph (2);(ii) internships, scholarships, and fellowships for students enrolled in programs related to critical minerals;(iii) equipment necessary for integrated critical mineral innovation, training, and workforce development programs; and(iv) research of critical minerals and their applications, particularly concerning the manufacture of critical components vital to national security.
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(B) Nothing in this section or an amendment made by this section affects the authority of the Secretary of Defense with respect to the work of the Department of Defense on critical material supplies in furtherance of the national defense mission of the Department of Defense.
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(C) This section shall not apply to any mineral described in Secretarial Order No. 3324, issued by the Secretary on December 3, 2012, in any area to which the order applies.
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(o) There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2029.
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(c) To improve the quality and timeliness of Federal permitting and review processes with respect to critical mineral production on Federal land, the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the Bureau of Land Management, and the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service (referred to in this section as the “Secretaries”), to the maximum extent practicable, shall complete the Federal permitting and review processes with maximum efficiency and effectiveness, while supporting vital economic growth, by—(1) establishing and adhering to timelines and schedules for the consideration of, and final decisions regarding, applications, operating plans, leases, licenses, permits, and other use authorizations for critical mineral-related activities on Federal land;(2) establishing clear, quantifiable, and temporal permitting performance goals and tracking progress against those goals;(3) engaging in early collaboration among agencies, project sponsors, and affected stakeholders—(A) to incorporate and address the interests of those parties; and(B) to minimize delays;(4) ensuring transparency and accountability by using cost-effective information technology to collect and disseminate information regarding individual projects and agency performance;(5) engaging in early and active consultation with State, local, and Tribal governments—(A) to avoid conflicts or duplication of effort;(B) to resolve concerns; and(C) to allow for concurrent, rather than sequential, reviews;(6) providing demonstrable improvements in the performance of Federal permitting and review processes, including lower costs and more timely decisions;(7) expanding and institutionalizing Federal permitting and review process improvements that have proven effective;(8) developing mechanisms to better communicate priorities and resolve disputes among agencies at the national, regional, State, and local levels; and(9) developing other practices, such as preapplication procedures.
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(d) Not later than 1 year after November 15, 2021, the Secretaries shall submit to Congress a report that—(1) identifies additional measures, including regulatory and legislative proposals, if appropriate, that would increase the timeliness of permitting activities for the exploration and development of domestic critical minerals;(2) identifies options, including cost recovery paid by permit applicants, for ensuring adequate staffing and training of Federal entities and personnel responsible for the consideration of applications, operating plans, leases, licenses, permits, and other use authorizations for critical mineral-related activities on Federal land;(3) quantifies the period of time typically required to complete each step associated with the development and processing of applications, operating plans, leases, licenses, permits, and other use authorizations for critical mineral-related activities on Federal land, including by—(A) calculating the range, the mean, the median, the variance, and other statistical measures or representations of the period of time; and(B) taking into account other aspects that affect the period of time that are outside the control of the Executive branch, such as judicial review, applicant decisions, or State and local government involvement; and(4) describes actions carried out pursuant to subsection (c).
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(e) Not later than 90 days after the date of submission of the report under subsection (d), and after providing public notice and an opportunity to comment, the Secretaries, using as a baseline the period of time quantified under paragraph (3) of that subsection, shall develop and publish a performance metric for evaluating the progress made by the Executive branch to expedite the permitting of activities that will increase exploration for, and development of, domestic critical minerals, while maintaining environmental standards.
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(f) Not later than the date on which the President submits the first budget of the President under section 1105 of title 31, after publication of the performance metric required under subsection (e), and annually thereafter, the Secretaries shall submit to Congress a report that—(1) summarizes the implementation of recommendations, measures, and options identified in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (d);(2) using the performance metric developed under subsection (e), describes progress made by the Executive branch, as compared to the baseline developed pursuant to subsection (d)(3), in expediting the permitting of activities that will increase exploration for, and development of, domestic critical minerals; and(3) compares the United States to other countries in terms of permitting efficiency and any other criteria relevant to the globally competitive critical minerals industry.