Abandoned Hardrock Mines Reclamation Act

Bill: 108-hr-504
Sponsor: Rep. Udall, Mark [D-CO-2]
Introduced: 2003-01-29 in the House
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Administrative remedies
Animals
Commerce
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Delegation of powers
Drainage
Economics and Public Finance
Environmental Protection
Environmental Protection Agency
Federal aid to water pollution control
Federal-state relations
Fees
Government Operations and Politics
Government trust funds
Land subsidence
Law
Liability for environmental damages
Licenses
Mine wastes
Mine water
Mines and mineral resources
Mining claims
Mining royalties
Planning
Pollution measurement
Radioactive wastes
Reclamation of land
Restoration ecology
Revegetation
Sediment control
Soil erosion
Strip mining
Uranium
Water Resources Development
Water pollution control
Water quality
Wildlife conservation

Summary:
action_date: 2003-01-29
text: Abandoned Hardrock Mines Reclamation Act - Requires any person producing hardrock minerals from a mine within an unpatented mining claim, or a mine on land that was patented under the general mining laws, to pay the Secretary of the Interior a percentage-based reclamation fee for deposit into the Abandoned Minerals Mine Reclamation Fund.
Establishes in the Treasury an interest-bearing Abandoned Minerals Mine Reclamation Fund administered by the Secretary. Authorizes the Secretary to use the Fund for reclamation and restoration of eligible areas, and approved State reclamation programs and Federal remediation activities.
Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to authorize the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to issue an abandoned or inactive mined land waste remediation permit to a remediating party for discharges associated with remediation activity at abandoned or inactive mined land under certain conditions.
Prescribes guidelines for issuance of permits and application requirements. Authorizes the Administrator to delegate to the States the authority for issuance and review of reclamation permits.
Authorizes enforcement actions against parties who fail to comply with permit conditions.
Sunsets the authority to issue an abandoned or inactive mined land waste remediation permits.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-02-12
text: Executive Comment Requested from Interior.
action_date: 2003-02-12
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
action_date: 2003-02-06
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E154-155)
action_date: 2003-01-30
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
action_date: 2003-01-29
text: Referred to the Committee on Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2003-01-29
text: Referred to the Committee on Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2003-01-29
text: Referred to the Committee on Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2003-01-29
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E108-109)
action_date: 2003-01-29
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2003-01-29
text: Introduced in House