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103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1137

To amend the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 (30 U.S.C. 1001–1027), and

for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FEBRUARY 24, 1993

Mr. WILLIAMS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the

Committee on Natural Resources

A BILL

To amend the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 (30 U.S.C.

1001–1027), and for other purposes.

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 ‘‘Old Faithful Protec5 tion Act of 1993’’.

6 SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO GEOTHERMAL STEAM ACT.

7 The Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 (30 U.S.C. 1001

8 and following) is amended by adding the following new

9 sections:
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1 ‘‘SEC. 30. The Congress hereby declares that any use

2 of, or production from, any existing geothermal well, or

3 any exploration for, or development of, any new geo4 thermal well or any facility related to the use of subsurface

5 geothermal resources within the Corwin Springs Known

6 Geothermal Resource Area (as designated in the July 22,

7 1975, Federal Register (Fed. Reg. Vol. 40, No. 141)) will

8 result in adverse effects on significant thermal features

9 in Yellowstone National Park. Notwithstanding any other

10 provision of law to the contrary, the Secretary shall pro11 hibit any use of, or production from, any existing geo12 thermal well or any exploration for, or development of, any

13 new geothermal well or any facility related to the use of

14 subsurface geothermal resources within the Corwin

15 Springs Known Geothermal Resource Area, including

16 lands and waters and interests or rights in such lands and

17 waters not owned by the United States. For the purposes

18 of this section, the term ‘geothermal well’ means a well

19 for geothermal steam and associated geothermal re20 sources.

21 ‘‘SEC. 31. The Secretary shall not issue any lease

22 under this Act for lands within a 15-mile radius of the

23 boundary of Yellowstone National Park. Nothing in this

24 section shall be construed to affect the ban or prohibition

25 referenced under section 28(f) and section 30.’’.
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1 SEC. 3. MORATORIUM AND STUDY.

2 (a) Any use of, or production from, any existing geo3 thermal well, or any exploration for, or development of,

4 any new geothermal well or any facility related to the use

5 of subsurface geothermal resources is prohibited on lands

6 and waters and interests or rights in such lands and wa7 ters not owned by the United States, within a 15-mile ra8 dius of the boundary of Yellowstone National Park, except

9 with respect to the Island Park Geothermal Area (as des10 ignated by the map in the ‘‘Final Environmental Impact

11 Statement of the Island Park Geothermal Area’’ (January

12 15, 1980, p. XI)), to which such prohibition shall apply

13 to lands and waters and interests or rights in such lands

14 and waters not owned by the United States within the full

15 extent of such Area, until 180 days after the receipt by

16 Congress of the study referred to in subsection (b). Noth17 ing in this section shall be construed to affect the ban or

18 prohibitions referenced under section 28(f), section 30,

19 and section 31 of the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970.

20 (b) The National Park Service, in consultation with

21 the Forest Service and the United States Geological Sur22 vey, shall conduct a study on the impact of potential geo23 thermal development on the thermal features of Yellow24 stone National Park. Such study shall not include the area

25 referred to under section 30 of the Geothermal Steam Act

26 of 1970, and shall not include Federal lands within the
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1 areas referred to in section 28(f) and section 31 of such

2 Act. The study shall be submitted to Congress no later

3 than 4 years after the date of enactment of this Act.

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