Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Date: 2011-11-16 00:00:00

Fair Payment for Energy and Mineral Production on Public Lands Act - United States Exploration on Idle Tracts Act or USE IT Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) to issue regulations to establish a specified graduated annual production incentive fee with respect to federal onshore and offshore lands subject to a lease for production of oil or natural gas under which production is not occurring. Deficit Reduction Through Fair Oil Royalties Act - Prohibits the Secretary from issuing new oil or natural gas production leases in the Gulf of Mexico under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) to a person that does not renegotiate its existing leases in order to require royalty payments if oil and natural gas prices are greater than or equal to specified price thresholds. Requires rentals or royalties received by the United States to be deposited in the Treasury for federal budget deficit reduction or, if there is no federal budget deficit, for reducing the federal debt. No Free Inspections for Oil Companies Act - Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to direct the Secretary to establish and collect inspection fees from operators of Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) facilities. Establishes in the Treasury the Ocean Energy Enforcement Fund as depository for such fees. Gulf Coast Oil and Gas Royalty Giveaway Repeal and Deficit Reduction Act - Amends the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 to direct the Secretary of the Treasury to deposit: (1) 87.5% of qualified outer Continental Shelf (OCS) revenues into the general fund of the Treasury, and (2) 12.5 % of qualified OCS revenues in a special account in the Treasury to be disbursed 100% to provide financial assistance to states. Requires rentals or royalties received by the United States from leases under such Act to be deposited into the Treasury and used for federal budget deficit reduction or, if there is no federal budget deficit, for reducing the federal debt. Hardrock Mining Reform and Deficit Reduction Act of 2011 - Applies this Act to any mining claim, millsite claim, or tunnel site claim located under the general mining laws or used for beneficiation or mineral processing activities, regardless of whether legal and beneficial title to the mineral is held by the United States. Conditions federal issuance of a patent for any such mining or millsite claim upon specified determinations by the Secretary. Subjects production of locatable minerals to a royalty of 12.5% of the gross income from mining. Prescribes a hardrock mining claim maintenance fee for each unpatented mining claim, mill, or tunnel site on federally owned lands. Designates certain wilderness study areas, areas of critical environmental concern, and related areas as not open to location of mining claims. Permits a state or local government or Indian tribe to petition the Secretary for withdrawal of specific federal land from operation of the general mining laws in order to protect specific values. Instructs the Secretary to ensure that mineral activities on federal land subject to a claim are carefully controlled to prevent undue degradation of public lands and resources. Prescribes requirements for the exploration permit process and for operations permits, including financial assurances. Requires restoration of lands to a condition capable of supporting prior uses or other beneficial uses. Amends the National Materials and Minerals Policy, Research and Development Act of 1980 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to initiate prompt actions to improve the availability and analysis of mineral data in public land use decision-making with respect to National Forest System lands. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to subject certain oil shale claims to the reclamation requirements of this Act. Repeals the Building Stone Act and the Saline Placer Act. Abandoned Mine Reclamation and Deficit Reduction Act of 2011 - Requires each operator of a hardrock mining operation to pay the Secretary a displaced material reclamation fee of 7 cents per ton of displaced material. Establishes the Abandoned Mine Cleanup Fund for: (1) deposit of such fees, and (2) use for grants to public entities for reclamation and restoration of land and water resources adversely affected by past mineral activities on certain federal lands. Amends the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to rename the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund as the Coal Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund. Revises requirements for allocation of amounts from the Fund to states and Indian tribes for reclamation grants, administrative grants, and related uses. Repeals authority to use such amounts for water supply restoration, certain agreements for reclamation of rural lands, and the filling of voids and sealing of tunnels. Prescribes requirements for state or Indian tribe application for reclamation funds. Administrative Cost Recovery for Oil and Natural Gas on Public Lands Act of 2011 - Amends the Mineral Leasing Act to repeal the prohibition against reducing for federal administrative costs any payments to states from the proceeds of sales, bonuses, and royalties paid to the United States under oil and natural gas rentals of public lands. Requires such payments, beginning in FY2013, to be reduced by 2% for any such costs.