S 140 ISCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To modify the requirements applicable to locatable minerals on public domain lands, consistent with the principles of self-initiation of mining claims, and for other purposes.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

January 6, 2009CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Mrs. FEINSTEIN introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural ResourcesCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To modify the requirements applicable to locatable minerals on public domain lands, consistent with the principles of self-initiation of mining claims, and for other purposes.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

(a) Short Title- This Act may be cited as the ‘Abandoned Mine Reclamation Act of 2009’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Table of Contents- The table of contents for this Act is as follows:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





Sec. 2. Definitions and references.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





Sec. 3. Application rules.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

TITLE I--MINERAL EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT

Sec. 101. Royalty.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





Sec. 102. Hardrock mining claim maintenance fee.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





Sec. 103. Reclamation fee.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





Sec. 104. Effect of payments for use and occupancy of claims.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

TITLE II--ABANDONED MINE CLEANUP FUND

Sec. 201. Establishment of Fund.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





Sec. 202. Contents of Fund.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





Sec. 203. Use and objectives of the Fund.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





Sec. 204. Eligible lands and waters.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





Sec. 205. Expenditures.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





Sec. 206. Availability of amounts.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

TITLE III--EFFECTIVE DATE

Sec. 301. Effective date.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS AND REFERENCES.

(a) In General- As used in this Act:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) The term ‘affiliate’ means with respect to any person, any of the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) Any person who controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with such person.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) Any partner of such person.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) Any person owning at least 10 percent of the voting shares of such person.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) The term ‘applicant’ means any person applying for a permit under this Act or a modification to or a renewal of a permit under this Act.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) The term ‘beneficiation’ means the crushing and grinding of locatable mineral ore and such processes as are employed to free the mineral from other constituents, including but not necessarily limited to, physical and chemical separation techniques.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) The term ‘claim holder’means a person holding a mining claim, millsite claim, or tunnel site claim located under the general mining laws and maintained in compliance with such laws and this Act. Such term may include an agent of a claim holder.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(5) The term ‘control’ means having the ability, directly or indirectly, to determine (without regard to whether exercised through one or more corporate structures) the manner in which an entity conducts mineral activities, through any means, including without limitation, ownership interest, authority to commit the entity’s real or financial assets, position as a director, officer, or partner of the entity, or contractual arrangement.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(6) The term ‘exploration’--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) subject to subparagraphs (B) and (C), means creating surface disturbance other than casual use, to evaluate the type, extent, quantity, or quality of minerals present;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) includes mineral activities associated with sampling, drilling, and analyzing locatable mineral values; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) does not include extraction of mineral material for commercial use or sale.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(7) The term ‘Federal land’means any land, and any interest in land, that is owned by the United States and open to location of mining claims under the general mining laws.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(8) The term ‘hardrock mineral’ has the meaning given the term ‘locatable mineral’ except that legal and beneficial title to the mineral need not be held by the United States.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(9) The term ‘Indian lands’ means lands held in trust for the benefit of an Indian tribe or individual or held by an Indian tribe or individual subject to a restriction by the United States against alienation.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(10) The term ‘Indian tribe’ means any Indian tribe, band, nation, pueblo, or other organized group or community, including any Alaska Native village or regional corporation as defined in or established pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), that is recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(11) The term ‘locatable mineral’--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) subject to subparagraph (B), means any mineral, the legal and beneficial title to which remains in the United States and that is not subject to disposition under any of--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(i) the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.);CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(ii) the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 (30 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.);CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(iii) the Act of July 31, 1947, commonly known as the Materials Act of 1947 (30 U.S.C. 601 et seq.); orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(iv) the Mineral Leasing for Acquired Lands Act (30 U.S.C. 351 et seq.); andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) does not include any mineral that is subject to a restriction against alienation imposed by the United States and is--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(i) held in trust by the United States for any Indian or Indian tribe, as defined in section 2 of the Indian Mineral Development Act of 1982 (25 U.S.C. 2101); orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(ii) owned by any Indian or Indian tribe, as defined in that section.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(12) The term ‘mineral activities’means any activity on a mining claim, millsite claim, or tunnel site claim for, related to, or incidental to, mineral exploration, mining, beneficiation, processing, or reclamation activities for any locatable mineral.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(13) The term ‘operator’means any person proposing or authorized by a permit issued under this Act to conduct mineral activities and any agent of such person.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(14) The term ‘person’ means an individual, Indian tribe, partnership, association, society, joint venture, joint stock company, firm, company, corporation, cooperative, or other organization and any instrumentality of State or local government including any publicly owned utility or publicly owned corporation of State or local government.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(15) The term ‘processing’ means processes downstream of beneficiation employed to prepare locatable mineral ore into the final marketable product, including but not limited to smelting and electrolytic refining.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(16) The term ‘Secretary’means the Secretary of the Interior, unless otherwise specified.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(17) The term ‘temporary cessation’means a halt in mine-related production activities for a continuous period of no longer than 5 years.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) References to Other Laws- (1) Any reference in this Act to the term general mining laws is a reference to those Acts that generally comprise chapters 2, 12A, and 16, and sections 161 and 162, of title 30, United States Code.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) Any reference in this Act to the Act of July 23, 1955, is a reference to the Act entitled ‘An Act to amend the Act of July 31, 1947 (61 Stat. 681) and the mining laws to provide for multiple use of the surface of the same tracts of the public lands, and for other purposes’ (30 U.S.C. 601 et seq.).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 3. APPLICATION RULES.

(a) In General- This Act applies to any mining claim, millsite claim, or tunnel site claim located under the general mining laws, before, on, or after the date of enactment of this Act, except as provided in subsection (b).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Preexisting Claims- (1) Any unpatented mining claim or millsite claim located under the general mining laws before the date of enactment of this Act for which a plan of operation has not been approved or a notice filed prior to the date of enactment shall, upon the effective date of this Act, be subject to the requirements of this Act, except as provided in paragraph (2).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2)(A) If a plan of operations is approved for mineral activities on any claim or site referred to in paragraph (1) prior to the date of enactment of this Act but such operations have not commenced prior to the date of enactment of this Act--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(i) during the 10-year period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, mineral activities at such claim or site shall be subject to such plan of operations;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(ii) during such 10-year period, modifications of any such plan may be made in accordance with the provisions of law applicable prior to the enactment of this Act if such modifications are deemed minor by the Secretary concerned; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(iii) the operator shall bring such mineral activities into compliance with this Act by the end of such 10-year period.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) Where an application for modification of a plan of operations referred to in subparagraph (A)(ii) has been timely submitted and an approved plan expires prior to Secretarial action on the application, mineral activities and reclamation may continue in accordance with the terms of the expired plan until the Secretary makes an administrative decision on the application.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Federal Lands Subject to Existing Permit- (1) Any Federal land shall be subject to the requirements of section 101(a)(2) if the land is--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) subject to an operations permit; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) producing valuable locatable minerals in commercial quantities prior to the date of enactment of this Act.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) Any Federal land added through a plan modification to an operations permit on Federal land that is submitted after the date of enactment of this Act shall be subject to the terms of section 101(a)(3).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(d) Application of Act to Beneficiation and Processing of Non-Federal Minerals on Federal Lands- The provisions of this Act shall apply in the same manner and to the same extent to mining claims, millsite claims, and tunnel site claims used for beneficiation or processing activities for any mineral without regard to whether or not the legal and beneficial title to the mineral is held by the United States. This subsection applies only to minerals that are locatable minerals or minerals that would be locatable minerals if the legal and beneficial title to such minerals were held by the United States.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

TITLE I--MINERAL EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENTCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 101. ROYALTY.

(a) Reservation of Royalty-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) IN GENERAL- Except as provided in paragraph (2) and subject to paragraph (3), production of all locatable minerals from any mining claim located under the general mining laws and maintained in compliance with this Act, or mineral concentrates or products derived from locatable minerals from any such mining claim, as the case may be, shall be subject to a royalty of 8 percent of the gross income from mining. The claim holder or any operator to whom the claim holder has assigned the obligation to make royalty payments under the claim and any person who controls such claim holder or operator shall be liable for payment of such royalties.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) ROYALTY FOR FEDERAL LANDS SUBJECT TO EXISTING PERMIT- The royalty under paragraph (1) shall be 4 percent in the case of any Federal land that--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) is subject to an operations permit on the date of the enactment of this Act; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) produces valuable locatable minerals in commercial quantities on the date of enactment of this Act.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) FEDERAL LAND ADDED TO EXISTING OPERATIONS PERMIT- Any Federal land added through a plan modification to an operations permit that is submitted after the date of enactment of this Act shall be subject to the royalty that applies to Federal land under paragraph (1).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) DEPOSIT- Amounts received by the United States as royalties under this subsection shall be deposited into the Abandoned Mine Cleanup Fund established by section 201(a).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Duties of Claim Holders, Operators, and Transporters- (1) A person--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) who is required to make any royalty payment under this section shall make such payments to the United States at such times and in such manner as the Secretary may by rule prescribe; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) shall notify the Secretary, in the time and manner as may be specified by the Secretary, of any assignment that such person may have made of the obligation to make any royalty or other payment under a mining claim.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) Any person paying royalties under this section shall file a written instrument, together with the first royalty payment, affirming that such person is responsible for making proper payments for all amounts due for all time periods for which such person has a payment responsibility. Such responsibility for the periods referred to in the preceding sentence shall include any and all additional amounts billed by the Secretary and determined to be due by final agency or judicial action. Any person liable for royalty payments under this section who assigns any payment obligation shall remain jointly and severally liable for all royalty payments due for the claim for the period.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) A person conducting mineral activities shall--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) develop and comply with the site security provisions in the operations permit designed to protect from theft the locatable minerals, concentrates or products derived therefrom which are produced or stored on a mining claim, and such provisions shall conform with such minimum standards as the Secretary may prescribe by rule, taking into account the variety of circumstances on mining claims; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) not later than the 5th business day after production begins anywhere on a mining claim, or production resumes after more than 90 days after production was suspended, notify the Secretary, in the manner prescribed by the Secretary, of the date on which such production has begun or resumed.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) The Secretary may by rule require any person engaged in transporting a locatable mineral, concentrate, or product derived therefrom to carry on his or her person, in his or her vehicle, or in his or her immediate control, documentation showing, at a minimum, the amount, origin, and intended destination of the locatable mineral, concentrate, or product derived therefrom in such circumstances as the Secretary determines is appropriate.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements- A claim holder, operator, or other person directly involved in developing, producing, processing, transporting, purchasing, or selling locatable minerals, concentrates, or products derived therefrom, subject to this Act, through the point of royalty computation shall establish and maintain any records, make any reports, and provide any information that the Secretary may reasonably require for the purposes of implementing this section or determining compliance with rules or orders under this section. Such records shall include, but not be limited to, periodic reports, records, documents, and other data. Such reports may also include, but not be limited to, pertinent technical and financial data relating to the quantity, quality, composition volume, weight, and assay of all minerals extracted from the mining claim. Upon the request of any officer or employee duly designated by the Secretary conducting an audit or investigation pursuant to this section, the appropriate records, reports, or information that may be required by this section shall be made available for inspection and duplication by such officer or employee. Failure by a claim holder, operator, or other person referred to in the first sentence to cooperate with such an audit, provide data required by the Secretary, or grant access to information may, at the discretion of the Secretary, result in involuntary forfeiture of the claim.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(d) Audits- The Secretary is authorized to conduct such audits of all claim holders, operators, transporters, purchasers, processors, or other persons directly or indirectly involved in the production or sales of minerals covered by this Act, as the Secretary deems necessary for the purposes of ensuring compliance with the requirements of this section. For purposes of performing such audits, the Secretary shall, at reasonable times and upon request, have access to, and may copy, all books, papers and other documents that relate to compliance with any provision of this section by any person.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(e) Cooperative Agreements- (1) The Secretary is authorized to enter into cooperative agreements with the Secretary of Agriculture to share information concerning the royalty management of locatable minerals, concentrates, or products derived therefrom, to carry out inspection, auditing, investigation, or enforcement (not including the collection of royalties, civil or criminal penalties, or other payments) activities under this section in cooperation with the Secretary, and to carry out any other activity described in this section.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) Except as provided in paragraph (3) of this subsection (relating to trade secrets), and pursuant to a cooperative agreement, the Secretary of Agriculture shall, upon request, have access to all royalty accounting information in the possession of the Secretary respecting the production, removal, or sale of locatable minerals, concentrates, or products derived therefrom from claims on lands open to location under this Act.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) Trade secrets, proprietary, and other confidential information protected from disclosure under section 552 of title 5, United States Code, popularly known as the Freedom of Information Act, shall be made available by the Secretary to other Federal agencies as necessary to assure compliance with this Act and other Federal laws. The Secretary, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and other Federal officials shall ensure that such information is provided protection in accordance with the requirements of that section.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(f) Interest and Substantial Underreporting Assessments- (1) In the case of mining claims where royalty payments are not received by the Secretary on the date that such payments are due, the Secretary shall charge interest on such underpayments at the same interest rate as the rate applicable under section 6621(a)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. In the case of an underpayment, interest shall be computed and charged only on the amount of the deficiency and not on the total amount.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) If there is any underreporting of royalty owed on production from a claim for any production month by any person liable for royalty payments under this section, the Secretary shall assess a penalty of not greater than 25 percent of the amount of that underreporting.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) For the purposes of this subsection, the term ‘underreporting’ means the difference between the royalty on the value of the production that should have been reported and the royalty on the value of the production which was reported, if the value that should have been reported is greater than the value that was reported.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) The Secretary may waive or reduce the assessment provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection if the person liable for royalty payments under this section corrects the underreporting before the date such person receives notice from the Secretary that an underreporting may have occurred, or before 90 days after the date of the enactment of this section, whichever is later.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(5) The Secretary shall waive any portion of an assessment under paragraph (2) of this subsection attributable to that portion of the underreporting for which the person responsible for paying the royalty demonstrates that--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) such person had written authorization from the Secretary to report royalty on the value of the production on basis on which it was reported;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) such person had substantial authority for reporting royalty on the value of the production on the basis on which it was reported;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) such person previously had notified the Secretary, in such manner as the Secretary may by rule prescribe, of relevant reasons or facts affecting the royalty treatment of specific production which led to the underreporting; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(D) such person meets any other exception which the Secretary may, by rule, establish.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(6) All penalties collected under this subsection shall be deposited in the Abandoned Mine Cleanup Fund established by section 201(a).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(g) Delegation- For the purposes of this section, the term ‘Secretary’ means the Secretary of the Interior acting through the Director of the Minerals Management Service.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(h) Expanded Royalty Obligations- Each person liable for royalty payments under this section shall be jointly and severally liable for royalty on all locatable minerals, concentrates, or products derived therefrom lost or wasted from a mining claim located under the general mining laws and maintained in compliance with this Act when such loss or waste is due to negligence on the part of any person or due to the failure to comply with any rule, regulation, or order issued under this section.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(i) Gross Income From Mining Defined- For the purposes of this section, for any locatable mineral, the term ‘gross income from mining’ has the same meaning as the term ‘gross income’ in section 613(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(j) Effective Date- The royalty under this section shall take effect with respect to the production of locatable minerals after the enactment of this Act, but any royalty payments attributable to production during the first 12 calendar months after the enactment of this Act shall be payable at the expiration of such 12-month period.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(k) Failure To Comply With Royalty Requirements- Any person who fails to comply with the requirements of this section or any regulation or order issued to implement this section shall be liable for a civil penalty under section 109 of the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act (30 U.S.C. 1719) to the same extent as if the claim located under the general mining laws and maintained in compliance with this Act were a lease under that Act.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 102. HARDROCK MINING CLAIM MAINTENANCE FEE.

(a) Fee-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) Except as provided in section 2511(e)(2) of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (relating to oil shale claims), for each unpatented mining claim, mill or tunnel site on federally owned lands, whether located before, on, or after enactment of this Act, each claimant shall pay to the Secretary, on or before August 31 of each year, a claim maintenance fee of $300 per claim to hold such unpatented mining claim, mill or tunnel site for the assessment year beginning at noon on the next day, September 1. 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 et seq.) and the related filing requirements contained in section 314(a) and (c) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1744(a) and (c)).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2)(A) The claim maintenance fee required under this subsection shall 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--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(i) held not more than 10 mining claims, mill sites, or tunnel sites, or any combination thereof, on public lands; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(ii) have performed assessment work required under the Mining Law of 1872 (30 U.S.C. 28 et seq.) 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.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) For purposes of subparagraph (A), with respect to any claimant, the term ‘all related parties’ means--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(i) the spouse and dependent children (as defined in section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986), of the claimant; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(ii) a person affiliated with the claimant, including--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(I) a person controlled by, controlling, or under common control with the claimant; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(II) a subsidiary or parent company or corporation of the claimant.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3)(A) The Secretary shall adjust the fees required by this subsection to reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor every 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act, or more frequently if the Secretary determines an adjustment to be reasonable.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) The Secretary shall provide claimants notice of any adjustment made under this paragraph not later than July 1 of any year in which the adjustment is made.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) A fee adjustment under this paragraph shall begin to apply the calendar year following the calendar year in which it is made.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) Moneys received under this subsection that are not otherwise allocated for the administration of the mining laws by the Department of the Interior shall be deposited in the Abandoned Mine Cleanup Fund established by section 201(a).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Location-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) Notwithstanding any provision of law, for every unpatented mining claim, mill or tunnel site located after the date of enactment of this Act and before September 30, 1998, the locator shall, at the time the location notice is recorded with the Bureau of Land Management, pay to the Secretary a location fee, in addition to the fee required by subsection (a) of $50 per claim.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) Moneys received under this subsection that are not otherwise allocated for the administration of the mining laws by the Department of the Interior shall be deposited in the Abandoned Mine Cleanup Fund established by section 201(a).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Transfer-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) Notwithstanding any provision of law, for every unpatented mining claim, mill, or tunnel site the ownership interest of which is transferred after the date of enactment of this Act, the transferee shall, at the time the transfer document is recorded with the Bureau of Land Management, pay to the Secretary a transfer fee, in addition to the fee required by subsection (a) of $100 per claim.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) Moneys received under this subsection that are not otherwise allocated for the administration of the mining laws by the Department of the Interior shall be deposited in the Abandoned Mine Cleanup Fund established by section 201(a).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(d) Co-Ownership- The co-ownership provisions of the Mining Law of 1872 (30 U.S.C. 28 et seq.) will remain in effect except that the annual claim maintenance fee, where applicable, shall replace applicable assessment requirements and expenditures.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(e) Failure To Pay- Failure to pay the claim maintenance fee as required by subsection (a) shall conclusively constitute a forfeiture of the unpatented mining claim, mill or tunnel site by the claimant and the claim shall be deemed null and void by operation of law.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(f) Other Requirements-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) Nothing in this section shall change or modify the requirements of section 314(b) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1744(b)), or the requirements of section 314(c) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1744(c)) related to filings required by section 314(b) of that Act, which remain in effect.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) Section 2324 of the Revised Statutes of the United States (30 U.S.C. 28) is amended by inserting ‘or section 102 of the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Act of 2009’ after ‘Act of 1993,’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 103. RECLAMATION FEE.

(a) Imposition of Fee-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) IN GENERAL- Except as provided in paragraph (2), each operator of a hardrock minerals mining operation shall pay to the Secretary, for deposit in the Abandoned Mine Cleanup Fund established by section 201(a), a reclamation fee of 0.3 percent of the gross income of the hardrock minerals mining operation for each calendar year.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) EXCEPTION- With respect to any calendar year required under subsection (b), an operator of a hardrock minerals mining operation shall not be required to pay the reclamation fee under paragraph (1) if--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) the gross annual income of the hardrock minerals mining operation for the calendar year is an amount less than $500,000; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) the hardrock minerals mining operation is comprised of--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(i) 1 or more hardrock mineral mines located in a single patented claim; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(ii) 2 or more contiguous patented claims.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Payment Deadline- The reclamation fee shall be paid not later than 60 days after the end of each calendar year beginning with the first calendar year occurring after the date of enactment of this Act.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Deposit of Revenues- Amounts received by the Secretary under subsection (a)(1) shall be deposited into the Abandoned Mine Cleanup Fund established by section 201(a).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(d) Effect- Nothing in this section requires a reduction in, or otherwise affects, any similar fee required under any law (including regulations) of any State.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 104. EFFECT OF PAYMENTS FOR USE AND OCCUPANCY OF CLAIMS.

Timely payment of the claim maintenance fee required by section 102(a) of this Act or any related law relating to the use of Federal land, asserts the claimant’s authority to use and occupy the Federal land concerned for prospecting and exploration, consistent with the requirements of this Act and other applicable law.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

TITLE II--ABANDONED MINE CLEANUP FUNDCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 201. ESTABLISHMENT OF FUND.

(a) Establishment- There is established on the books of the Treasury of the United States a separate account to be known as the Abandoned Mine Cleanup Fund (hereinafter in this title referred to as the ‘Fund’).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Investment- The Secretary shall notify the Secretary of the Treasury as to what portion of the Fund is not, in the Secretary’s judgment, required to meet current withdrawals. The Secretary of the Treasury shall invest such portion of the Fund in public debt securities with maturities suitable for the needs of such Fund and bearing interest at rates determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, taking into consideration current market yields on outstanding marketplace obligations of the United States of comparable maturities.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 202. CONTENTS OF FUND.

The following amounts shall be credited to the Fund:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) All donations by persons, corporations, associations, and foundations for the purposes of this title.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) All amounts deposited in the Fund under section 101 (relating to royalties and penalties for underreporting).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) All amounts received by the United States pursuant to section 102 as claim maintenance, location, and transfer fees minus the moneys allocated for administration of the mining laws by the Department of the Interior.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) All amounts received by the Secretary in accordance with section 103(a).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(5) All income on investments under section 201(b).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 203. USE AND OBJECTIVES OF THE FUND.

(a) In General- The Secretary is authorized, without further appropriation, to use moneys in the Fund for the reclamation and restoration of land and water resources adversely affected by past mineral activities on lands the legal and beneficial title to which resides in the United States, land within the exterior boundary of any national forest system unit, or other lands described in subsection (d), including any of the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) Protecting public health and safety.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) Preventing, abating, treating, and controlling water pollution created by abandoned mine drainage, including in river watershed areas.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) Reclaiming and restoring abandoned surface and underground mined areas.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) Reclaiming and restoring abandoned milling and processing areas.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(5) Backfilling, sealing, or otherwise controlling, abandoned underground mine entries.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(6) Revegetating land adversely affected by past mineral activities in order to prevent erosion and sedimentation, to enhance wildlife habitat, and for any other reclamation purpose.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(7) Controlling of surface subsidence due to abandoned underground mines.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Allocation- Expenditures of moneys from the Fund shall reflect the following priorities in the order stated:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) The protection of public health and safety, from extreme danger from the adverse effects of past mineral activities, especially as relates to surface water and groundwater contaminants.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) The protection of public health and safety, from the adverse effects of past mineral activities.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) The restoration of land, water, and fish and wildlife resources previously degraded by the adverse effects of past mineral activities, which may include restoration activities in river watershed areas.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Habitat- Reclamation and restoration activities under this title, particularly those identified under subsection (a)(4), shall include appropriate mitigation measures to provide for the continuation of any established habitat for wildlife in existence prior to the commencement of such activities.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(d) Other Affected Lands- Where mineral exploration, mining, beneficiation, processing, or reclamation activities have been carried out with respect to any mineral which would be a locatable mineral if the legal and beneficial title to the mineral were in the United States, if such activities directly affect lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management as well as other lands and if the legal and beneficial title to more than 50 percent of the affected lands resides in the United States, the Secretary is authorized, subject to appropriations, to use moneys in the Fund for reclamation and restoration under subsection (a) for all directly affected lands.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(e) Response or Removal Actions- Reclamation and restoration activities under this title which constitute a removal or remedial action under section 101 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9601), shall be conducted with the concurrence of the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. The Secretary and the Administrator shall enter into a Memorandum of Understanding to establish procedures for consultation, concurrence, training, exchange of technical expertise and joint activities under the appropriate circumstances, that provide assurances that reclamation or restoration activities under this title shall not be conducted in a manner that increases the costs or likelihood of removal or remedial actions under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.), and that avoid oversight by multiple agencies to the maximum extent practicable.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 204. ELIGIBLE LANDS AND WATERS.

(a) Eligibility- Reclamation expenditures under this title may be made with respect to Federal, State, local, tribal, and private land or water resources that traverse or are contiguous to Federal, State, local, tribal, or private land where such lands or water resources have been affected by past mineral activities, including any of the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) Lands and water resources which were used for, or affected by, mineral activities and abandoned or left in an inadequate reclamation status before the effective date of this Act.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) Lands for which the Secretary makes a determination that there is no continuing reclamation responsibility of a claim holder, operator, or other person who abandoned the site prior to completion of required reclamation under State or other Federal laws.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Specific Sites and Areas Not Eligible- The provisions of section 411(d) of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1240a(d)) shall apply to expenditures made from the Fund.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Inventory-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall prepare and maintain a publicly available inventory of abandoned locatable minerals mines on public lands and any abandoned mine on Indian lands that may be eligible for expenditures under this title, and shall deliver a yearly report to the Congress on the progress in cleanup of such sites.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) PRIORITY- In preparing and maintaining the inventory described in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give priority to abandoned locatable minerals mines in accordance with section 203(b).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) PERIODIC UPDATES- Not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act, and every 5 years thereafter, the Secretary shall update the inventory described in paragraph (1).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 205. EXPENDITURES.

Moneys available from the Fund may be expended for the purposes specified in section 203 directly by the Director of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement. The Director may also make such money available for such purposes to the Director of the Bureau of Land Management, the Chief of the United States Forest Service, the Director of the National Park Service, or Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, to any other agency of the United States, to an Indian tribe, or to any public entity that volunteers to develop and implement, and that has the ability to carry out, all or a significant portion of a reclamation program under this title.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 206. AVAILABILITY OF AMOUNTS.

Amounts credited to the Fund shall--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) be available, without further appropriation, for obligation and expenditure; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) remain available until expended.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

TITLE III--EFFECTIVE DATECommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 301. EFFECTIVE DATE.

This Act shall take effect on the date of enactment of this Act, except as otherwise provided in this Act.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink