I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2824 
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 pur-
poses. 
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 
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. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Preventing Govern-
ment Waste and Protecting Coal Mining Jobs in Amer-
ica’’. 
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SEC. 2. INCORPORATION OF SURFACE MINING STREAM 
BUFFER ZONE RULE INTO STATE PROGRAMS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 503 of the Surface Min-
ing Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 
1253) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(e) STREAM BUFFER ZONE MANAGEMENT.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In addition to the require-
ments 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 Sur-
face Mining Reclamation and Enforcement on De-
cember 12, 2008 (73 Fed. Reg. 75813 et seq.). 
‘‘(2) STUDY OF IMPLEMENTATION.—The Sec-
retary shall— 
‘‘(A) at such time as the Secretary deter-
mines all States referred to in subsection (a) 
have fully incorporated the necessary rule re-
ferred 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 effec-
tiveness of implementation of such rule by such 
States; and 
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‘‘(C) upon the conclusion of such period, 
submit a comprehensive report on the impacts 
of such rule to the Committee on Natural Re-
sources 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 pro-
duction; 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 protec-
tion before the date of the publication of the report 
under paragraph (2), other than a rule necessary to 
implement paragraph (1).’’. 
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