[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 425 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 425

 Calling for the full appropriation of the State and tribal shares of 
                  the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 25, 2002

    Mrs. Cubin (for herself, Mr. Hansen, Mr. Rahall, Mr. Gekas, Mr. 
  Shuster, Mr. Hilliard, Mr. Kanjorski, Mr. Strickland, Mr. Udall of 
   Colorado, Mr. Holden, Ms. Hart, Mr. Schaffer, and Mr. Greenwood) 
 submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to 
                       the Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Calling for the full appropriation of the State and tribal shares of 
                  the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund.

Whereas the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (33 U.S.C. 1201 
        et seq.) created the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund capitalized with a 
        reclamation fee assessed on every ton of domestic coal production, for 
        the purposes of protecting the environment by restoring lands and waters 
        adversely affected by past mining practices;
Whereas under the Act, each State and Indian tribe having a federally approved 
        abandoned mine reclamation program is to be allocated 50 percent of the 
        reclamation fees collected in such State, or collected with respect to 
        Indian lands under the jurisdiction of such tribe, respectively, subject 
        to appropriations;
Whereas by the end of March 2002, $6,400,000,000 in reclamation fees had been 
        deposited into the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund, but only 
        $5,000,000,000 had been appropriated from the fund, leaving an 
        unappropriated balance of $1,400,000,000;
Whereas by the end of March 2002, the State and tribal share of the 
        unappropriated balance in the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund was 
        $876,000,000;
Whereas--

    (1) the State of Alabama should have received $15,000,000 of the 
unappropriated balance in the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund;

    (2) the State of Alaska should have received $1,800,000 of such 
unappropriated balance;

    (3) the State of Arkansas should have received $4,000 of such 
unappropriated balance;

    (4) the State of Colorado should have received $19,300,000 of such 
unappropriated balance;

    (5) the State of Illinois should have received $26,000,000 of such 
unappropriated balance;

    (6) the State of Iowa should have received $38,000 of such 
unappropriated balance;

    (7) the State of Kansas should have received $393,000 of such 
unappropriated balance;

    (8) the State of Kentucky should have received $109,800,000 of such 
unappropriated balance;

    (9) the State of Louisiana should have received $1,100,000 of such 
unappropriated balance;

    (10) the State of Maryland should have received $2,600,000 of such 
unappropriated balance;

    (11) the State of Missouri should have received $901,000 of such 
unappropriated balance;

    (12) the State of Montana should have received $39,800,000 of such 
unappropriated balance;

    (13) the State of New Mexico should have received $18,200,200 of such 
unappropriated balance;

    (14) the State of North Dakota should have received $10,200,000 of such 
unappropriated balance;

    (15) the State of Ohio should have received $21,500,000 of such 
unappropriated balance;

    (16) the State of Oklahoma should have received $1,900,000 of such 
unappropriated balance;

    (17) the State of Pennsylvania should have received $51,600,000 of such 
unappropriated balance;

    (18) the State of Texas should have received $17,300,000 of such 
unappropriated balance;

    (19) the State of Utah should have received $12,300,000 of such 
unappropriated balance;

    (20) the State of Virginia should have received $23,200,000 of such 
unappropriated balance;

    (21) the State of West Virginia should have received $107,400,000 of 
such unappropriated balance;

    (22) the State of Wyoming should have received $323,900,000 of such 
unappropriated balance;

    (23) the Crow Tribe should have received $6,200,000 unappropriated 
balance;

    (24) the Hopi Tribe should have received $4,700,000 unappropriated 
balance;

    (25) the Navajo Tribe should have received $26,000,000 unappropriated 
balance; and

Whereas such States and tribes are being denied the use of the unappropriated 
        balance in the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund for the benefit of their 
        citizenry and their environment: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That the Federal budget for fiscal year 2004 should keep faith with the 
goals of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (30 
U.S.C. 1201 et seq.) by providing to eligible States and Indian tribes 
their lawful share of the unappropriated balance in the Abandoned Mine 
Reclamation Fund so that they may further protect and enhance the 
environments of their States and tribal lands.
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