112 
(6) fails to pay claim maintenance fees, rentals, 
or other moneys due and owing under this Act; or 
(7) with regard to plans conditionally approved 
under section 305(c)(2)— 
(A) fails to abate a violation to the satis-
faction of the Secretary concerned; or 
(B) the validity of the violation is upheld 
on the appeal which formed the basis for the 
conditional approval. 
(f) FALSE STATEMENTS; TAMPERING.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—A person who knowingly car-
ries out any of the following actions shall, upon an 
initial conviction, be fined not more than $10,000, 
imprisoned for not more than 2 years, or both, and, 
upon a subsequent conviction, be fined not more 
than $20,000, imprisoned for not more than 4 years, 
or both: 
(A) Make a false material statement, rep-
resentation, or certification in, or omit or con-
ceal material information from, or unlawfully 
alter, any mining claim, notice of location, ap-
plication, record, report, plan, or other docu-
ments filed or required to be maintained under 
this Act. 
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113 
(B) Falsify, tamper with, render inac-
curate, or fail to install any monitoring device 
or method required to be maintained under this 
Act. 
(2) SEPARATE VIOLATIONS.—Each day of con-
tinuing violation may be deemed a separate violation 
for purposes of penalty assessment under paragraph 
(1). 
(g) MINERAL ACTIVITIES WITHOUT A PERMIT.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—A person that knowingly 
carries out any of the following actions shall, upon 
an initial conviction, be fined not less than $5,000 
and not more than $50,000, imprisoned for not 
more than 3 years, or both, and, upon a subsequent 
conviction, be fined not less than $10,000, impris-
oned for not more than 6 years, or both: 
(A) Engage in mineral activities without a 
permit required under title II. 
(B) Violate any other requirement of a 
permit issued under this Act, or any condition 
or limitation thereof. 
(2) SEPARATE VIOLATIONS.—Each day of con-
tinuing violation shall be deemed a separate violation 
for purposes of penalty assessment under paragraph 
(1). 
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114 
(h) KNOWING AND WILLFUL VIOLATIONS.—A person 
that knowingly and willfully commits an act for which a 
civil penalty is provided in subsection (g)(1)(A) shall, upon 
conviction, be punished by a fine of not more than 
$50,000, or by imprisonment for not more than 2 years, 
or both. 
(i) PERSON DEFINED.—In this section, the term 
‘‘person’’ includes any officer, agent, or employee of a per-
son. 
SEC. 508. REGULATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary and the Secretary 
of Agriculture shall issue such regulations as are necessary 
to implement this Act. 
(b) REGULATIONS AFFECTING FOREST SERVICE.— 
Not later than 1 year after the effective date of this Act, 
the Secretary and the Secretary of Agriculture shall jointly 
issue regulations implementing titles II and III and this 
title that affect the Forest Service. 
SEC. 509. OIL SHALE CLAIMS. 
Section 2511(f) of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (30 
U.S.C. 242(f); Public Law 102–486) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘as prescribed by the Sec-
retary’’; and 
(2) by inserting before the period the following: 
‘‘in the same manner as required by title II of the 
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115 
Mining Waste, Fraud, and Abuse Prevention Act of 
2025’’. 
SEC. 510. SAVINGS CLAUSE. 
(a) SPECIAL APPLICATION OF MINING LAWS.—Noth-
ing in this Act shall be construed to— 
(1) repeal or modify any Federal law, regula-
tion, order, or land use plan in effect before the ef-
fective date of this Act that prohibits or restricts the 
application of the general mining laws, including 
laws that provide for special management criteria for 
operations under the general mining laws as in ef-
fect before the effective date of this Act, to the ex-
tent such laws provide for protection of natural and 
cultural resources and the environment greater than 
required under this Act; 
(2) apply to or limit mineral investigations, 
studies, or other mineral activities conducted by any 
Federal or State agency acting in the governmental 
capacity of such agency pursuant to other authority; 
or 
(3) affect or limit any assessment, investigation, 
evaluation, or listing pursuant to the Comprehensive 
Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liabil-
ity Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.) or the 
Solid Waste Disposal Act (42 U.S.C. 3251 et seq.). 
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116 
(b) CLAIMS CONVERTED TO LEASES.—Any Federal 
law described in subsection (a) shall remain in force and 
effect with respect to claims converted to leases under this 
Act. 
(c) EFFECT ON OTHER FEDERAL LAWS.— 
(1) GENERAL MINING LAWS.—The provisions of 
this Act shall supersede the general mining laws. 
(2) OTHER LAWS.—Except for the general min-
ing laws, nothing in this Act shall be construed to 
supersede, modify, amend, or repeal any provision of 
Federal law not expressly superseded, modified, 
amended, or repealed by this Act. 
(3) ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS.—Nothing in this 
Act shall be construed to alter, affect, amend, mod-
ify, or change, directly or indirectly, any law which 
refers to and provides authorities or responsibilities 
for, or is administered by, the Administrator of the 
Environmental Protection Agency, including— 
(A) the Federal Water Pollution Control 
Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.); 
(B) the National Environmental Policy Act 
of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); 
(C) title XIV of the Public Health Service 
Act (the Safe Drinking Water Act) (42 U.S.C. 
300f et seq.); 
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117 
(D) the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et 
seq.); 
(E) the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 
(42 U.S.C. 13101 et seq.); 
(F) the Toxic Substances Control Act (15 
U.S.C. 2601 et seq.); 
(G) the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and 
Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136 et seq.); 
(H) the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic 
Act (21 U.S.C. 301 et seq.); 
(I) the Motor Vehicle Information and 
Cost Savings Act (15 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.); 
(J) the Federal Hazardous Substances Act 
(15 U.S.C. 1261 et seq.); 
(K) the Endangered Species Act of 1973 
(16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.); 
(L) the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 
U.S.C. 2011 et seq.); 
(M) the Noise Control Act of 1972 (42 
U.S.C. 4901 et seq.); 
(N) the Solid Waste Disposal Act (42 
U.S.C. 6901 et seq.); 
(O) the Comprehensive Environmental Re-
sponse, Compensation, and Liability Act of 
1980 (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.); 
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118 
(P) the Superfund Amendments and Reau-
thorization Act of 1986 (Public Law 99–499; 
100 Stat. 1613); 
(Q) the Ocean Dumping Act (33 U.S.C. 
1401 et seq.); 
(R) the Environmental Research, Develop-
ment, and Demonstration Authorization Act of 
1978 (42 U.S.C. 4365); 
(S) the Pollution Prosecution Act of 1990 
(42 U.S.C. 4321 note; Public Law 101–593); 
(T) the Federal Facilities Compliance Act 
of 1992 (Public Law 102–386; 106 Stat. 
1505); and 
(U) any statute containing an amendment 
to any of such Acts. 
(4) FEDERAL
INDIAN
LAW.—Nothing in this 
Act shall be construed to modify or affect any provi-
sion of— 
(A) the Native American Graves Protection 
and Repatriation Act (25 U.S.C. 3001 et seq.); 
(B) the American Indian Religious Free-
dom Act (42 U.S.C. 1996); 
(C) the National Historic Preservation Act 
(16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.); 
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119 
(D) the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 
of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 2000bb et seq.); or 
(E) the Archaeological Resources Protec-
tion Act of 1979 (16 U.S.C. 470aa et seq.). 
(d) SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY
OF INDIAN TRIBES.— 
Nothing in this Act shall be construed so as to waive the 
sovereign immunity of any Indian Tribe. 
SEC. 511. AVAILABILITY OF PUBLIC RECORDS. 
Copies of records, reports, inspection materials, or in-
formation obtained by the Secretary or the Secretary of 
Agriculture under this Act shall be made immediately 
available to the public, consistent with section 552 of title 
5, United States Code, in central and sufficient locations 
in the county, multicounty, and State area of mineral ac-
tivities or reclamation and on the internet so that such 
information is conveniently available to residents in the 
area proposed or approved for mineral activities. 
SEC. 512. MISCELLANEOUS POWERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary concerned, in car-
rying out the duties of the Secretary concerned under this 
Act, may conduct any investigation, inspection, or other 
inquiry and may conduct, after notice, any hearing or 
audit, that is necessary and appropriate to carry out such 
duties. 
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120 
(b) ANCILLARY POWERS.—In connection with any 
hearing, inquiry, investigation, or audit under this Act, the 
Secretary concerned may carry out any of the following 
actions: 
(1) Require, by special or general order, any 
person to submit in writing such affidavits and an-
swers to questions as the Secretary concerned may 
reasonably prescribe, which submission shall be 
made within such reasonable period and under oath 
or otherwise, as may be necessary. 
(2) Administer oaths. 
(3) Require by subpoena the attendance and 
testimony of witnesses and the production of all 
books, papers, records, documents, matter, and ma-
terials as the Secretary concerned may request. 
(4) Order testimony to be taken by deposition 
before any person that is designated by the Sec-
retary concerned and that has the power to admin-
ister oaths, and compel testimony and the produc-
tion of evidence in the same manner as authorized 
under paragraph (3) of this subsection. 
(5) Pay witnesses the same fees and mileage as 
are paid in like circumstances in the courts of the 
United States. 
(c) ENFORCEMENT.— 
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121 
(1) IN GENERAL.—In cases of refusal to obey 
a subpoena served upon any person under this sec-
tion, the United States district courts for any dis-
trict in which such person is found, resides, or 
transacts business, upon application by the Attorney 
General at the request of the Secretary concerned 
and after notice to such person, shall have jurisdic-
tion to issue an order requiring such person to ap-
pear and produce documents before the Secretary 
concerned. 
(2) FAILURE TO OBEY.—Any failure to obey an 
order issued under paragraph (1) may be punished 
by the court that issued such order as contempt 
thereof and the person subject to such order shall be 
subject to a penalty of not more than $10,000 per 
day. 
(d) ENTRY AND ACCESS.—Without advance notice 
and upon presentation of appropriate credentials, the Sec-
retary concerned— 
(1) shall have the right of entry to, upon, and 
through the site of any claim, license, lease, mineral 
activities, or any premises in which any records re-
quired to be maintained under this Act are located; 
(2) may, at reasonable times and without delay, 
have access to records, inspect any monitoring 
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122 
equipment, and review any method of operation re-
quired under this Act; 
(3) may engage in any work and do all things 
necessary or expedient to implement and administer 
the provisions of this Act; 
(4) may, on any mining claim, license, or lease 
maintained in compliance with this Act, stop and in-
spect any motorized form of transportation that the 
Secretary concerned has probable cause to believe is 
carrying hardrock minerals, concentrates, or prod-
ucts derived therefrom from a claim site for the pur-
pose of determining whether the operator of such ve-
hicle has documentation related to such hardrock 
minerals, concentrates, or products derived there-
from as required by law, if such documentation is 
required under this Act; and 
(5) may, if accompanied by a appropriate law 
enforcement officer, or an appropriate law enforce-
ment officer alone, stop and inspect any motorized 
form of transportation which is not on a claim site 
if the Secretary concerned or the appropriate law en-
forcement officer has probable cause to believe such 
vehicle is carrying hardrock minerals, concentrates, 
or products derived therefrom from a claim site, li-
cense, or lease on Federal land or allocated to such 
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