Preventing Government Waste and Protecting Coal Mining Jobs in America

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. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Preventing Government Waste and Protecting Coal Mining Jobs in America 2. Incorporation of surface mining stream buffer zone rule into State programs (a) In general Section 503 of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 ( 30 U.S.C. 1253 (e) Stream buffer zone management (1) In general In addition to the requirements under subsection (a), each State program shall incorporate the necessary rule regarding excess spoil, coal mine waste, and buffers for perennial and intermittent streams published by the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement on December 12, 2008 (73 Fed. Reg. 75813 et seq.). (2) Study of implementation The Secretary shall— (A) at such time as the Secretary determines all States referred to in subsection (a) have fully incorporated the necessary rule referred to in paragraph (1) of this subsection into their State programs, publish notice of such determination; (B) during the 5-year period beginning on the date of such publication, assess the effectiveness of implementation of such rule by such States; and (C) upon the conclusion of such period, submit a comprehensive report on the impacts of such rule to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate, including— (i) an evaluation of the effectiveness of such rule; (ii) an evaluation of any ways in which the existing rule inhibits energy production; and (iii) a description in detail of any proposed changes that should be made to the rule, the justification for such changes, all comments on such changes received by the Secretary from such States, and the projected costs and benefits of such changes. (3) Limitation on new regulations The Secretary may not issue any regulations under this Act relating to stream buffer zones or stream protection before the date of the publication of the report under paragraph (2), other than a rule necessary to implement paragraph (1). . (b) Deadline for State implementation Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, a State with a State program approved under section 503 of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 ( 30 U.S.C. 1253 February 28, 2014 Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

Summary: Preventing Government Waste and Protecting Coal Mining Jobs in America - Amends the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to require state programs for regulation of surface coal mining to incorporate the necessary rule concerning excess spoil, coal mine waste, and buffers for perennial and intermittent streams published by the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement on December 12, 2008. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to: (1) publish notice of a determination when all states that wish to assume exclusive jurisdiction of such mining regulation have incorporated the rule in their programs; (2) assess the effectiveness of the rule's implementation during the five-year period following such notice; (3) carry out all required consultation on the benefits and other impacts of the implementation of the rule to any threatened or endangered species, with the participation of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the United States Geological Survey (USGS); and (4) report to Congress an evaluation of the rule's effectiveness, any ways in which it inhibits energy production, and any proposed changes to the rule. Prohibits issuance of any regulations regarding stream buffer zones or protection before publication of the report, other than a rule necessary to implement incorporation of the December 2008 rule described in this Act. Requires each state with an approved program for regulation of surface coal mining to submit program amendments incorporating such rule within two years of enactment of this Act.