I 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4323 
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to promulgate regulations for the 
safe and environmentally responsible reopening of abandoned mines, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 6, 2016 
Mr. GRIJALVA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to promulgate regula-
tions for the safe and environmentally responsible re-
opening of abandoned mines, 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 ‘‘Abandoned Mine Rec-
lamation Safety Act’’. 
SEC. 2. REOPENING OF ABANDONED MINES. 
(a) REGULATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Inte-
rior, in consultation with other relevant agencies, 
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shall promulgate regulations for the safe and envi-
ronmentally responsible reopening of abandoned 
mines for the sole purpose of facilitating cleanup or 
remediation of conditions at such mines. 
(2) CONTENTS.—Such regulations shall— 
(A) be applicable to both coal mines and 
noncoal mines; 
(B) ensure that an abandoned mine is re-
opened in a manner that— 
(i) protects the safety of workers in-
volved in the reopening of the abandoned 
mine; and 
(ii) minimizes the risk of a blowout or 
other uncontrolled release of water into the 
environment; 
(C) require emergency response and notifi-
cation plans to be developed before reopening 
any abandoned mine that poses a risk of an un-
controlled release of water into the environ-
ment; 
(D) provide for the long-term care and 
maintenance of hardrock mine bulkheads; 
(E) require approval by a professional en-
gineer of plans to reopen abandoned mine sites; 
and 
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(F) incorporate recommendations from the 
Bureau of Reclamation report entitled ‘‘Tech-
nical Evaluation of the Gold King Mine Inci-
dent San Juan County, Colorado’’ and dated 
October 2015. 
(3) TIMING.—The Secretary shall publish pro-
posed regulations under this subsection by no later 
than 6 months after the completion of the study 
under subsection (b), or if no such study is con-
ducted, by no later than 18 months after the date 
of enactment of this Act. 
(b) STUDY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Inte-
rior may seek to enter into an arrangement with the 
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and 
Medicine to conduct a study to identify best prac-
tices for reopening abandoned mines for the purpose 
of facilitating cleanup or remediation of conditions 
at such mines, and to make recommendations for 
regulatory and legislative action with respect to such 
reopenings. 
(2) TIMING.—Any study under this subsection 
shall be completed by no later than 2 years after the 
date of enactment of this Act. 
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(c) IDENTIFICATION
OF HIGH-RISK SITES.—The 
Secretary of the Interior shall initiate a program to iden-
tify and regularly monitor known surface and under-
ground abandoned mine sites and features that pose the 
highest risk of an inadvertent release of water into the 
environment. 
(d) FINANCIAL ASSURANCE REQUIREMENTS NOT 
AFFECTED.—Nothing in this section affects the authority 
of the Secretary or any Federal agency from imposing any 
requirement to provide a bond, surety, or other financial 
assurance for abandoned mine cleanup. 
Æ 
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