§ 203 TITLE 30—MINERAL LANDS AND MINING Page 66

lessees in such logical mining unit, and, if so included, shall be subject to the provisions of this

section.

(6) Lessee required to form unit

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.

(7) Required acreage

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.

(8) Acreage limitations for coal leases not waived

Nothing in this section shall be construed to

waive the acreage limitations for coal leases

contained in section 184(a) of this title.

(Feb. 25, 1920, ch. 85, §2(d), as added Pub. L.

94–377, §5(b), Aug. 4, 1976, 90 Stat. 1086.)

REFERENCES IN TEXT

The date of enactment of this Act, referred to in par.

(5), probably means the date of enactment of Pub. L.

94–377, which was approved Aug. 4, 1976.

This section, referred to in pars. (5) and (8), is section

2 of act Feb. 25, 1920, as amended, which is comprised

of subsecs. (a) to (d). Subsecs. (a) and (b) of section 2

are classified to section 201 of this title, subsec. (c) of

section 2 is classified to section 202 of this title, and

subsec. (d) of section 2, as added by section 5(b) of Pub.

L. 94–377, is classified to this section.

CODIFICATION

Section is comprised of subsec. (d) of section 2 of act

Feb. 25, 1920, as added by Pub. L. 94–377. Subsecs. (a)

and (b) of said section 2 are classified to section 201 of

this title. Subsec. (c) of said section 2 is classified to

section 202 of this title.

SECTION REFERRED TO IN OTHER SECTIONS

This section is referred to in sections 203, 1272 of this

title.

§ 203. Additional contiguous or cornering lands

allowed lessees; application of production or

mining plan requirements and minimum royalty provisions

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, upon a

finding by him that it would be in the interest

of the United States, secure modifications of the

original coal lease by including additional coal

lands or coal deposits contiguous or cornering to

those embraced in such lease, but in no event

shall the total area added by such modifications

to an existing coal lease exceed one hundred

sixty acres, or add acreage larger than that in

the original lease. 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.

The minimum royalty provisions of section

207(a) of this title shall not apply to any lands

covered by this modified lease prior to a modification until the term of the original lease or

extension thereof which became effective prior

to the effective date of this Act has expired.

(Feb. 25, 1920, ch. 85, §3, 41 Stat. 439; Pub. L.

94–377, §13(b), Aug. 4, 1976, 90 Stat. 1090; Pub. L.

95–554, §3, Oct. 30, 1978, 92 Stat. 2074.)

REFERENCES IN TEXT

Sections 202a(2) and 207(c) of this title, referred to in

text, was in the original ‘‘section 2(d)(2) and 7(c) of this

Act (30 U.S.C. 201(d)(2) and 207(c))’’, but was translated

as sections 202a(2) and 207(c) of this title as the probable intent of Congress.

The effective date of this Act, referred to in text,

probably means the date of enactment of Pub. L. 95–554,

which was approved Oct. 30, 1978.

AMENDMENTS

1978—Pub. L. 95–554 authorized modification of leases

to include coal lands or coal deposits cornering to those

embraced in the leases and inserted provision respecting application of production or mining plan requirements of sections 202a(2) and 207(c) and minimum royalty provisions of section 207(a) of this title.

1976—Pub. L. 94–377 struck out the advantage to the

lessee as one of the conditions for modification of the

original lease, substituted provision prohibiting the addition of total area in excess of 160 acres or adding

acreage larger than that in the original lease for provision limiting the total area embraced in such modified

lease to an aggregate of 2560 acres, and inserted provision authorizing the Secretary to prescribe terms and

conditions consistent with this chapter which shall be

applicable to the total acreage in the modified lease.

SAVINGS PROVISION

Section 13(b) of Pub. L. 94–377 provided that the

amendment made by that section is subject to valid existing rights.

CROSS REFERENCES

Surrender of leases, see section 188a of this title.

SECTION REFERRED TO IN OTHER SECTIONS

This section is referred to in sections 208, 1272 of this

title; title 10 sections 7421, 7435; title 16 section 460ll–3.

§ 204. Repealed. Pub. L. 94–377, § 13(a), Aug. 4,

1976, 90 Stat. 1090

Section, act Feb. 25, 1920, ch. 85, §4, 41 Stat. 439, provided for the leasing of an additional tract of land or

coal deposit, not to exceed 2560 acres, upon a showing

by a lessee that all workable deposits of coal would be

exhausted, worked out, or removed within three years

thereafter.

SAVINGS PROVISION

Section 13(a) of Pub. L. 94–377 provided that the repeal of this section is subject to valid existing rights.

§ 205. Consolidation of leases

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.

(Feb. 25, 1920, ch. 85, §5, 41 Stat. 439.)

CROSS REFERENCES

Surrender of leases, see section 188a of this title.

SECTION REFERRED TO IN OTHER SECTIONS

This section is referred to in section 208 of this title;

title 10 sections 7421, 7435.