IB 

Union Calendar No. 270 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 2824 

[Report No. 113–364] 

To amend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to 

stop the ongoing waste by the Department of the Interior of taxpayer 

resources and implement the final rule on excess spoil, mining waste, 

and buffers for perennial and intermittent streams, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 25, 2013 

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio (for himself and Mr. LAMBORN) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

FEBRUARY 28, 2014 

Additional sponsors: Mr. GOSAR, Mr. CRAMER, Mrs. LUMMIS, and Mr. 

DAINES

FEBRUARY 28, 2014 

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union 

and ordered to be printed 


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•HR 2824 RH

A BILL 

To amend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act 

of 1977 to stop the ongoing waste by the Department 

of the Interior of taxpayer resources and implement the 

final rule on excess spoil, mining waste, and buffers 

for perennial and intermittent streams, and for other 

purposes. 


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•HR 2824 RH

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Preventing Govern5 ment Waste and Protecting Coal Mining Jobs in Amer6 ica’’. 

7 SEC. 2. INCORPORATION OF SURFACE MINING STREAM 

8 BUFFER ZONE RULE INTO STATE PROGRAMS. 

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 503 of the Surface Min10 ing Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 

11 1253) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

12 ‘‘(e) STREAM BUFFER ZONE MANAGEMENT.— 

13 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In addition to the require14 ments under subsection (a), each State program 

15 shall incorporate the necessary rule regarding excess 

16 spoil, coal mine waste, and buffers for perennial and 

17 intermittent streams published by the Office of Sur18 face Mining Reclamation and Enforcement on De19 cember 12, 2008 (73 Fed. Reg. 75813 et seq.). 

20 ‘‘(2) STUDY OF IMPLEMENTATION.—The Sec21 retary shall— 

22 ‘‘(A) at such time as the Secretary deter23 mines all States referred to in subsection (a) 

24 have fully incorporated the necessary rule re25 ferred to in paragraph (1) of this subsection 


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•HR 2824 RH

1 into their State programs, publish notice of 

2 such determination; 

3 ‘‘(B) during the 5-year period beginning on 

4 the date of such publication, assess the effec5 tiveness of implementation of such rule by such 

6 States; and 

7 ‘‘(C) upon the conclusion of such period, 

8 submit a comprehensive report on the impacts 

9 of such rule to the Committee on Natural Re10 sources of the House of Representatives and the 

11 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of 

12 the Senate, including— 

13 ‘‘(i) an evaluation of the effectiveness 

14 of such rule; 

15 ‘‘(ii) an evaluation of any ways in 

16 which the existing rule inhibits energy pro17 duction; and 

18 ‘‘(iii) a description in detail of any 

19 proposed changes that should be made to 

20 the rule, the justification for such changes, 

21 all comments on such changes received by 

22 the Secretary from such States, and the 

23 projected costs and benefits of such 

24 changes. 


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•HR 2824 RH

1 ‘‘(3) LIMITATION ON NEW REGULATIONS.—The 

2 Secretary may not issue any regulations under this 

3 Act relating to stream buffer zones or stream protec4 tion before the date of the publication of the report 

5 under paragraph (2), other than a rule necessary to 

6 implement paragraph (1).’’. 

7 (b) DEADLINE FOR STATE IMPLEMENTATION.—Not 

8 later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this 

9 Act, a State with a State program approved under section 

10 503 of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act 

11 of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1253) shall submit to the Secretary 

12 of the Interior amendments to such program pursuant to 

13 part 732 of title 30, Code of Federal Regulations, incor14 porating the necessary rule referred to in subsection (e)(1) 

15 of such section, as amended by this section. 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 270 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 2824 

[Report No. 113–364] 

A BILL 

To amend the Surface Mining Control and Recand intermittent streams, and for other purposes. spoil, mining waste, and buffers for perennial sources and implement the final rule on excess by the Department of the Interior of taxpayer re- lamation Act of 1977 to stop the ongoing waste 

FEBRUARY 28, 2014 

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 

State of the Union and ordered to be printed 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with BILLS