Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Reform Act of 2005

Bill: 109-s-1701
Sponsor: Sen. Thomas, Craig [R-WY]
Introduced: 2005-09-14 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Air pollution control
Coal
Collection of accounts
Consultants
Department of the Interior
Economics and Public Finance
Energy
Environmental Protection
Families
Federal-Indian relations
Federal-state relations
Fees
Finance and Financial Sector
Government Operations and Politics
Government trust funds
Governmental investigations
Health
Housing and Community Development
Indian lands
Interest
Labor and Employment
Labor unions
Law
Licenses
Liens
Mine wastes
Miners
Minorities
Reclamation of land
Research and development
Retiree health benefits
Strip mining
Survivors' benefits
Water pollution control

Summary:
action_date: 2005-09-14
text: 
Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Reform Act of 2005 - Amends the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to repeal the authorized use of certain moneys in the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund (Fund): (1) by the Secretary of Agriculture for reclamation of rural lands; and (2) by the Department of the Interior for studies by contract with organizations for advice and research and development projects and technical assistance.
 
Sets forth a sliding scale reduction for reclamation fees required to be paid by operators of coal mining operations for coal produced by surface coal mining, coal produced by underground mining, and lignite coal.
 
Extends to September 30, 2016, the period for payment of reclamation fees according to the existing formula.
 
Revises Fund allocation requirements governing: (1) reclamation fees; (2) use of funds for abatement of acid mine drainage; and (3) graduated payments to states and Indian tribes. 
 
Instructs the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) to use unexpended interest paid into the Fund to execute transfers into the United Mine Workers of America Combined Benefit Fund.
 
Directs the Secretary, upon the request of a state Governor or governing Indian tribal body, to enter into an agreement authorizing such entity to collect reclamation fees. 
 
Revises Fund objectives to repeal the objective of general welfare.
 
Revises the prohibition against filing a lien against any person who neither consented to, nor participated in, nor exercised control over a mining operation which necessitated reclamation. Repeals the limitation of such prohibition to persons who owned the surface before May 2, 1977.
 
Authorizes the Secretary to use amounts in the Fund to provide incentives to promote remining of eligible land.
 
Extends from 2004 to 2015 the exception to the prohibition against approval of a permit due to any uncorrected air or water environmental protection violations if such violations result from an unanticipated event or or condition at a surface coal mining operation on lands eligible for remining.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2005-09-27
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 109-256.
action_date: 2005-09-14
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2005-09-14
text: Introduced in Senate