[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2519 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

103d CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2519

To amend title IV of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 
  1977, to provide for acquisition and reclamation of land adversely 
    affected by past coal mining practices, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

            October 6 (legislative day, September 12), 1994

   Mr. Ford introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title IV of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 
  1977, to provide for acquisition and reclamation of land adversely 
    affected by past coal mining practices, and for other purposes.

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

  ACQUISITION AND RECLAMATION OF LAND ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY PAST COAL 
                            MINING PRACTICES

    Section 1. Section 401(c) of the Surface Mining Control and 
Reclamation Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1231(c)) is amended by inserting 
``or landslides caused by past coal mining activities'' after the 
phrase ``land subsidence resulting from underground coal mining''.
    Sec. 2. Section 407 (c) of the Surface Mining Control and 
Reclamation Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1237(c)) is amended by--
            (1) inserting ``or dwellings'' after the phrase, ``may 
        acquire any land'';
            (2) inserting ``or dwellings'' after the phrase, 
        ``acquisition of such land''; and
            (3) inserting ``except paragraph 4'' after the phrase, ``to 
        successful reclamation''.
    Sec. 3. Section 407(c) of the Surface Mining Control and 
Reclamation Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1237(c)) is amended by striking the 
period at the end of paragraph (3); inserting ``; or'', and adding the 
following new paragraph at the end:
            ``(4) acquisition of any interest in the threatened site in 
        lieu of performing reclamation activities, will protect the 
        public health and safety, and will result in significant cost 
        savings to the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund over performing 
        emergency reclamation activities.''.
    Sec. 4. Section 407(h) of the Surface Mining Control and 
Reclamation Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1237(h)) is amended by striking the 
sentence stating: ``No part of the funds provided under this title may 
be used to pay the actual construction costs of housing.'', and 
inserting in lieu thereof: ``Provided further, The Secretary or a State 
with an approved program, is authorized to utilize available funds to 
acquire comparable property, when necessary and when agreed to by the 
homeowner, and to relocate private residences that are threatened by 
past mining abuses in lieu of performing emergency reclamation 
activities at the site if such relocation will result in significant 
cost savings to the program over performing emergency reclamation 
activities, and safeguard the public health and safety.''.
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