‘‘(2) Any agreement under this subsection shall be
subject to the existing rights of any affected Federal oil
and gas lessee. Each such agreement (and any extension
or renewal thereof) shall contain such terms and condi-
tions as deemed appropriate by the Secretary.
‘‘(3) This subsection shall not in any manner affect
or diminish the rights and obligations of the Secretary and
private parties under agreements to dispose of helium pro-
duced from Federal lands in existence at the enactment
of the Helium Act of 1995 except to the extent that such
agreements are renewed or extended after such date.
‘‘(b) STORAGE, TRANSPORTATION AND SALE.—The
Secretary is authorized to store, transport, and sell helium
only in accordance with this Act.
‘‘(c) MONITORING AND REPORTING.—The Secretary
is authorized to monitor helium production and helium re-
serves in the United States and to periodically prepare re-
ports regarding the amounts of helium produced and the
quantity of crude helium in storage in the United States.
‘‘SEC. 4. STORAGE AND TRANSPORTATION OF CRUDE
HELIUM.
‘‘(a) STORAGE
AND TRANSPORTATION.—The Sec-
retary is authorized to store and transport crude helium
and to maintain and operate existing crude helium storage
at the Bureau of Mines Cliffside Field, together with relat-
ed helium transportation and withdrawal facilities.
‘‘(b) CESSATION OF PRODUCTION, REFINING, AND
MARKETING.—Effective one year after the date of enact-
ment of the Helium Act of 1995, the Secretary shall cease
producing, refining and marketing refined helium and
shall cease carrying out all other activities relating to he-
lium which the Secretary was authorized to carry out
under this Act before the date of enactment of the Helium
Act of 1995, except those activities described in subsection
(a). The amount of helium reserves owned by the United
States and stored in the Bureau of Mines Cliffside Field
at such date of cessation, less 600,000,000 cubic feet,
shall be the helium reserves owned by the United States
required to be sold pursuant to section 8(b) hereof.
‘‘(c) DISPOSAL OF FACILITIES.—(1) Within one year
after the date of enactment of the Helium Act of 1995,
the Secretary shall dispose of all facilities, equipment, and
other real and personal property, together with all inter-
ests therein, held by the United States for the purpose
of producing, refining and marketing refined helium. The
disposal of such property shall be in accordance with the
provisions of law governing the disposal of excess or sur-
plus properties of the United States.
‘‘(2) All proceeds accruing to the United States by
reason of the sale or other disposal of such property shall
be treated as moneys received under this chapter for pur-
poses of section 6(f). All costs associated with such sale
and disposal (including costs associated with termination
of personnel) and with the cessation of activities under
subsection (b) shall be paid from amounts available in the
helium production fund established under section 6(f).
‘‘(3) Paragraph (1) shall not apply to any facilities,
equipment, or other real or personal property, or any in-
terest therein, necessary for the storage and transpor-
tation of crude helium or any equipment needed to main-
tain the purity, quality control, and quality assurance of
helium in the reserve.
‘‘(d) EXISTING CONTRACTS.—All contracts which
were entered into by any person with the Secretary for
the purchase by such person from the Secretary of refined
helium and which are in effect on the date of the enact-
ment of the Helium Act of 1995 shall remain in force and
effect until the date on which the facilities referred to in
subsection (c) are disposed of. Any costs associated with
the termination of such contracts shall be paid from the
helium production fund established under section 6(f).