1.This Act may be cited as the
National Strategic and Critical
Minerals Production Act of 2012
.
2.Congress finds the following:
(1)The
industrialization of China and India has driven demand for nonfuel mineral
commodities, sparking a period of resource nationalism exemplified by China’s
reduction in exports of rare-earth elements necessary for telecommunications,
military technologies, healthcare technologies, and conventional and renewable
energy technologies.
(2)The availability
of minerals and mineral materials are essential for economic growth, national
security, technological innovation, and the manufacturing and agricultural
supply chain.
(3)The exploration,
production, processing, use, and recycling of minerals contribute significantly
to the economic well-being, security and general welfare of the Nation.
(4)The United States
has vast mineral resources, but is becoming increasingly dependent upon foreign
sources of these mineral materials, as demonstrated by the following:
(A)Twenty-five years
ago the United States was dependent on foreign sources for 30 nonfuel mineral
materials, 6 of which the United States imported 100 percent of the Nation’s
requirements, and for another 16 commodities the United States imported more
than 60 percent of the Nation’s needs.
(B)By 2011 the United
States import dependence for nonfuel mineral materials had more than doubled
from 30 to 67 commodities, 19 of which the United States imported 100 percent
of the Nation’s requirements, and for another 24 commodities, imported more
than 50 percent of the Nation’s needs.
(C)The United States
share of world wide mineral exploration dollars was 8 percent in 2011, down
from 19 percent in the early 1990s.
(D)In the 2012 Ranking of Countries for Mining
Investment, out of 25 major mining countries, the United States ranked last
with Papua New Guinea in permitting delays, and towards the bottom regarding
government take and social issues affecting mining.
3.In this Act:
(1)Strategic and
critical mineralsThe term strategic and critical
minerals means minerals that are necessary—
(A)for national
defense and national security requirements;
(B)for the Nation’s
energy infrastructure, including pipelines, refining capacity, electrical power
generation and transmission, and renewable energy production;
(C)to support
domestic manufacturing, agriculture, housing, telecommunications, healthcare,
and transportation infrastructure; and
(D)for the Nation’s
economic security and balance of trade.
(2)The
term agency means any agency, department, or other unit of
Federal, State, local, or tribal government, or Alaska Native
Corporation.
(3)mineral
exploration or mine permitThe term mineral exploration or mine
permit includes plans of operation issued by the Bureau of Land
Management and the Forest Service pursuant to 43 CFR 3809 and 36 CFR 228A
respectively.
<enum>I</enum><header>Development of
Domestic Sources of Strategic and Critical Minerals</header>
<section id="H1571DA61ABE747BBB4C6A265FE8DB6B1"><enum>101.</enum><header>Improving
development of strategic and critical minerals</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Domestic mines that will provide strategic
and critical minerals shall be considered an <term>infrastructure
project</term> as described in Presidential Order <term>Improving Performance
of Federal Permitting and Review of Infrastructure Projects</term> dated March
22, 2012.</text>
</section><section id="HDB4A9BFA741C4C39AD8409544D6569C8"><enum>102.</enum><header>Responsibilities
of the lead agency</header>
<subsection display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HC5F5E39BF1F544309635810C68918668"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In
general</header><text>The lead agency with responsibility for issuing a mineral
exploration or mine permit shall appoint a project lead who shall coordinate
and consult with other agencies, cooperating agencies, project proponents and
contractors to ensure that agencies minimize delays, set and adhere to
timelines and schedules for completion of reviews, set clear permitting goals
and track progress against those goals.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="H6E337FA0CC0649A087B01CCC5D48C3C5"><enum>(b)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The lead agency with responsibility for
issuing a mineral exploration or mine permit shall determine any such action
would not constitute a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality
of the human environment within the meaning of the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969 if the procedural and substantive safeguards of the lead
agency’s permitting process alone, any applicable State permitting process
alone, or a combination of the two processes together provide an adequate
mechanism to ensure that environmental factors are taken into account.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="HDEF740CD90C84789AA9F8A90D2C2C95B"><enum>(c)</enum><text>The lead agency
with responsibility for issuing a mineral exploration or mine permit shall
enhance government coordination on permitting and review by avoiding
duplicative reviews, minimizing paperwork and engaging other agencies and
stakeholders early in the process. The lead agency shall consider the following
best practices:</text>
<paragraph id="H60C838B6CF5E4749AA3316107229A253"><enum>(1)</enum><text>Deferring to and
relying upon baseline data, analysis and reviews preformed by State agencies
with jurisdiction over the proposed project.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H2BB78A0647EC48BA9E1E538F9FFE4BE8"><enum>(2)</enum><text>Conducting reviews
concurrently rather than sequentially to the extent practicable and when such
concurrent review will expedite rather than delay a decision.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="HD1ACF387A3B94D5BA908D30A0ECC8FA5"><enum>(d)</enum><text>At the request of
a project proponent, the project lead of the agency with responsibility for
issuing a mineral exploration or mine permit shall enter into an agreement with
the project proponent and other cooperating agencies that sets time limits for
each part of the permit review process including the following:</text>
<paragraph id="H3E19E165CAE84B19A36854391F5F01BC"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The decision on whether to prepare a
document required under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HE2B096D300094C40897619A1DCF82748"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A determination of the scope of any
document required under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H12FB464750DE42FFAA64FF4B7F1DC19D"><enum>(3)</enum><text>The scope of and
schedule for the baseline studies required to prepare a document required under
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H91ABA120B88B4007B04FC4C580787CEC"><enum>(4)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Preparation of any draft document required
under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H09C26268C41542EF83D90A286170B74F"><enum>(5)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Preparation of a final document required
under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H3A6C21C8628342B8814414C81226CA6B"><enum>(6)</enum><text>Consultations
required under applicable laws.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H54DC71FCE30D47D38A052AA8ECD9E19D"><enum>(7)</enum><text>Submission and
review of any comments required under applicable law.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H803238AF46634AD699AAD0B536DBAF79"><enum>(8)</enum><text>Publication of any
public notices required under applicable law.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H554A950DC60E4072BAF67A77263B05C3"><enum>(9)</enum><text>A
final or any interim decisions.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H58697F9764C44C5F88AD1A4062170376"><enum>(e)</enum><text>In no case should
the total review process described in subsection (d) exceed 30 months unless
agreed to by the signatories of the agreement.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="H831B6D163D35409DB5691F72B9D1497B"><enum>(f)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The lead agency is not required to address
agency or public comments that were not submitted during the public comment
periods provided by the lead agency or otherwise required by law.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="HB5B3B8EB9A0448ECBC1ED88621BC5BA0"><enum>(g)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The lead agency will determine the amount
of financial assurance for reclamation of a mineral exploration or mining site,
which must cover the estimated cost if the lead agency were to contract with a
third party to reclaim the operations according to the reclamation plan,
including construction and maintenance costs for any treatment facilities
necessary to meet Federal, State or tribal environmental standards.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="HA0CA9137905443C38B68CB523BF6C0E8"><enum>(h)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">This section shall apply with respect to a
mineral exploration or mine permit for which an application was submitted
before the date of the enactment of this Act if the applicant for the permit
submits a written request to the lead agency for the permit. The lead agency
shall begin implementing this section with respect to such application within
30 days after receiving such written request.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="H48E26222B409404F8955D69141DBE097"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">With respect to strategic and critical
materials within a federally administered unit of the National Forest System,
the lead agency shall—</text>
<paragraph id="H78F6AF6BFA1842129938AAD2DF800A14"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">exempt all areas of identified mineral
resources in Land Use Designations, other than Non-Development Land Use
Designations, in existence as of the date of the enactment of this Act from the
procedures detailed at and all rules promulgated under part 294 of title 36,
Code for Federal Regulations;</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H75CDAD2D16AF4D47B7BA60B911330B0A"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">apply such exemption to all additional
routes and areas that the lead agency finds necessary to facilitate the
construction, operation, maintenance, and restoration of the areas of
identified mineral resources described in paragraph (1); and</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H679F6CB809DF4EAE8B1894944CB0A2AD"><enum>(3)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">continue to apply such exemptions after
approval of the Minerals Plan of Operations for the unit of the National Forest
System.</text>
</paragraph></subsection></section><section commented="no" id="HC24EA81B601F4750AA9E2B77FCB954B6"><enum>103.</enum><header>Conservation of
the resource</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">In developing the
mineral exploration or mine permit, the priority of the lead agency shall be to
maximize the development of the mineral resource, while mitigating
environmental impacts, so that more of the mineral resource can be brought to
the market place.</text>
</section><section id="H7DACC3624DD54F8785B39F5D80580CFD"><enum>104.</enum><header>Federal
register process for mineral exploration and mining projects</header>
<subsection id="HED401B1BEDC84620BBF76AFE59020DC5"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Preparation of
Federal Notices for Mineral Exploration and Mine Development
Projects</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The preparation of
Federal Register notices required by law associated with the issuance of a
mineral exploration or mine permit shall be delegated to the organization level
within the agency responsible for issuing the mineral exploration or mine
permit. All Federal Register notices regarding official document availability,
announcements of meetings, or notices of intent to undertake an action shall be
originated and transmitted to the Federal Register from the office where
documents are held, meetings are held, or the activity is initiated.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="H12DA96CDCBF14957B925A8A923708E08"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Departmental
Review of Federal Register Notices for Mineral Exploration and Mining
Projects</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Absent any
extraordinary circumstance or except as otherwise required by any Act of
Congress, each Federal Register notice described in subsection (a) shall
undergo any required reviews within the Department of the Interior or the
Department of Agriculture and be published in its final form in the Federal
Register no later than 30 days after its initial preparation.</text>
</subsection></section><enum>II</enum><header>Judicial review
of agency actions relating to Exploration and Mine Permits</header>
<section id="H817CA71337634CDA8754827BD6CA8A36"><enum>201.</enum><header>Definitions for
title</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">In this title the term
<term>covered civil action</term> means a civil action containing a claim under
<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/5/702">section
702</external-xref> of title 5, United States Code, regarding agency action
affecting a mineral exploration or mine permit.</text>
</section><section id="HC1A5AD581E044F2C92DBE51B9473E76C"><enum>202.</enum><header>Timely
filings</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">A covered civil action
is barred unless filed no later than the end of the 60-day period beginning on
the date of the final Federal agency action to which it relates.</text>
</section><section id="H0EF008D8EBF64FDDAA33FC4AFD1DE84A"><enum>203.</enum><header>Expedition in
hearing and determining the action</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">The court shall endeavor to hear and
determine any covered civil action as expeditiously as possible.</text>
</section><section id="HB13C703F81544F4584942381801D21B6"><enum>204.</enum><header>Limitation on
prospective relief</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">In a
covered civil action, the court shall not grant or approve any prospective
relief unless the court finds that such relief is narrowly drawn, extends no
further than necessary to correct the violation of a legal requirement, and is
the least intrusive means necessary to correct that violation.</text>
</section><section id="HC30C2CF8B5F740CB988375B76126FC7D"><enum>205.</enum><header>Limitation on
attorneys’ fees</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Sections 504
of title 5, United States Code, and 2412 of title 28, United States Code
(together commonly called the Equal Access to Justice Act) do not apply to a
covered civil action, nor shall any party in such a covered civil action
receive payment from the Federal Government for their attorneys’ fees,
expenses, and other court costs.</text>
</section>
Passed the House of
Representatives July 12, 2012.
Karen L. Haas,
Clerk