An Act to provide for the control and extinguishment of outcrop and under ground fires in coal formations, and for other purposes
PL 83-738 (H.R.270), enacted 08/31/1954

68 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 738-AUG. 31, 1954 
1009 
United States, including its Territories and possessions, when the 
employee has acquired eligibility for such transportation or when the 
public interest requires the return of the immediate family for com-
pelling personal reasons of a humanitarian or compassionate nature, 
such as may involve physical or mental health, death of any member 
of the immediate family, or obligation imposed by authority or cir-
cumstances over which the individual has no control: And 
provided 
further, That when an employee returns his immediate family and 
household goods to the United States, including its Territories and 
possessions, at his own expense prior to his return and for other than 
reasons of public interest, the Government shall reimburse him for 
proper transportation expenses at such time as he acquires eligibility 
therefor." 
Approved August 31, 1954. 
Public Law 738 
CHAPTER 1156 
AN ACT 
To provide for the control and extinguishment of outcrop and underground 
fires in coal formations, and for other purposes. 
August 31, 1954 
pl.R. 270] 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled-) That it is hereby 
I'ecognized that outcrop and underground fires in coal formations 
involve serious wastage of the fuel resources of the Nation, and 
constitute a menace to the health and safety of the public and to sur-
face property. 
It is therefore declared to be the policy of the Con-
gress to provide for the control and extinguishment of outcrop and 
underground coal fires and thereby to prevent injuries and loss of life, 
protect public health, conserve natural resources, and to preserve 
public and private surface property. 
SEC. 2. As used in this Act: 
"Coar* means any of the recognized classifications and ranks of 
coal, including anthracite, bituminous, semibituminous, subbitumi-
nous, and lignite. 
•'Outcrop'* means any place wliere a formation is visible or substan-
tially exposed at the surface. 
"Formation"' means any vein, seam, stratum, bed, or other naturally 
occurring deposit. 
•'Coal mine'' means any underground, surface, or strip mine from 
which coal is obtained. 
•'State" means any State or Territory of the United States, or any 
political subdivision thereof. 
"Person" means an individual, partnership, association, corporation, 
business trust, legal representative, or any organized group of persons. 
SEC. 3. The Secretary of the Interior, in order to effectuate the pol-
icy declared in section 1 of this Act, is hereby authorized— 
(a) to conduct surveys, investigations, and research relating to 
the causes and extent of outcrop and underground fires in coal 
formations and the methods for control or extinguishment of such 
fires; to publish the results of any such surveys, investigations, 
and researches; and to disseminate information concerning such 
method; and 
(b) to plan and execute projects for control or extinguishment 
of fires in coal formations. 
SEC. 4. The acts authorized in section 3 of this Act may be 
performed— 
F i r e s 
In coal 
mines, etc* 
Control. 
Definitions. 
Surveys, etc. 
Projects. 
30777 O—55—pt. 1-
-6G 
1010 
PUBLIC LAW 738-AUG. 31, 1954 
[68 S T A T . 
Requirements^ 
Personnel. 
63 Stat. 954. 
5 u s e 1071 note. 
A n i m a l s, 
h i d e s , etc. 
Contracts. 
A c q u i s ition of 
lands, etc. 
f, 
(a) on lands owned or controlled by the United States or any 
jj 
of its agencies, with the cooperation of the agency having juris-
diction thereof; and 
(b) on any other lands, upon obtaining proper consent or the 
necessary rights or interests in such lands: Provided, 
however, 
That expenditure of Federal funds for this purpose in any pri-
vately owned operating coal mine shall be limited to the acts 
authorized in section 3 ( a ) . 
SEC. 5. (a) As a condition to the extending of any benefits under 
section 3 (b) of this Act to any lands not owned or controlled by the 
United States or any of its agencies, except where such action is neces-
sary for the protection of lands or other property owned or controlled 
by the United States or any of its agencies, the Secretary of the Interior 
may require— 
(1) the enactment of State or local laws providing for the 
control and extinguishment of outcrop and underground fires in 
coal formations on State or privately owned land and the coopera-
tion of State or local authorities in the work; and 
(2) agreements or covenants as to the performance and main-
tenance of the work required to control or extinguish such fires. 
(b) The Secretary of the Interior shall require in connection with 
any project for the control or extinguishment of fires in any inactive 
coal mine on any lands not owned or controlled by the United States 
or any of its agencies, except where such project is necessary for the 
protection of lands or other property owned or controlled by the 
United States or any of its agencies, (1) that the State or person own-
ing or controlling such lands contribute on a matching basis 50 per 
centum of the cost of planning and executing such project, or (2), if 
such State or person furnishes evidence satisfactory to the Secretary 
of the Interior of an inability to make the matching contribution 
herein provided for, that such State or person pay to the Government, 
within such period of time as the Secretary of the Interior shall deter-
mine, an amount equal to 50 per centum of the cost of planning and 
executing such project. 
At least 75 per centum of the funds expended 
in any fiscal year, from any appropriation available to carry out the 
purposes of this Act, in connection with projects for the control or 
extinguishment of fires in inactive coal mines where such action is not 
necessary for the protection of lands or other property owned or 
controlled by the United States or any of its agencies, shall be ex-
pended in conformity with clause (1) of this subsection. 
SEC. 6. In carrying out the provisions of section 3 of this Act the 
Secretary of the Interior is authorized— 
(a) to secure, by contract or otherwise, and without regard 
to the civil service laws and the Classification Act of 1949, for 
work of a temporary, intermittent, or emergency character, such 
personal services as may be deemed necessary for the efficient and 
economical performance of the work; 
(b) to hire, with or without personal services, work animals and 
animal-drawn and motor-propelled vehicles and equipment, at 
rates to be approved by the Secretary of the Interior and without 
regard to the provisions of section 3709, Revised Statutes (41 
U. S. C , sec. 5); 
(c) to procure all or any part of the surveys, investigations, 
and control or extinguishment work by contracts with engineers, 
contractors, or firms or corporations thereof; 
(d) to acquire lands or rights and interests therein, including 
improvements, by purchase, lease, gift, exchange, condemnation, 
or otherwise, whenever necessary for the purposes of this Act; 
68 
S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 739-AUG. 31, 1954 
1011 
(e) to repair, restore, or replace private property damaged or 
destroyed as a result of, or incident to, operations under this Act; 
and 
(f) to receive and accept money and property, real or personal, 
or interests therein, as a gift, bequest, or contribution, for use in 
any of the activities authorized under this Act; and to conduct any 
of the activities authorized under this Act in cooperation with 
any person or agency, Federal, State, or private. 
Any money so 
received shall be deposited in the Treasury of the United States 
in an available trust fund to be disbursed by the Secretary of 
the Treasury upon certification by the Secretary of the Interior 
in accordance with the terms of the grant, and shall remain avail-
able until expended for the purposes for which received and 
accepted. 
SEC. 7. The Secretary of the Interior may issue rules and regula-
tions to effectuate the purposes of this Act. 
SEC. 8. There are hereby authorized to be appropriated such sums, 
not to exceed $500,000 annually, as may be necessary to carry out the 
provisions and purposes of this Act. 
Approved August 31, 1954. 
Property r e s t o-
ration. 
Contributions, 
Agency coopers 
tion. 
Rules and regu* 
lations. 
Appropriation. 
Public Law 739 
CHAPTER 1157 
AN ACT 
To provide for the conveyance of certain land and improvements to the England 
Special School District of the State of Arkansas. 
August 31, 1954 
[H. R. 4017] 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That the Secretary of schSoi^Dls^^l-Yif 
Agriculture is authorized and directed to convey by quitclaim deed, Ark. 
without monetary consideration therefor, to the England Special 
School District of the State of Arkansas, all the right, title, and in-
terest of the United States in and to a parcel of land, and all improve-
ments thereon, in the southwest quarter of section 35, township 1 north, 
range 10 west, in Lonoke County, Arkansas, such conveyance to be 
made only upon the agreement of the England Special School District 
that all proceeds from the sale of the said property shall be used 
exclusively to acquire permanent school fixtures for the England Spe-
cial School District, said property being more particularly described 
as follows: 
Commencing at the northeast corner of section 2, township 1 south, 
range 10 west, thence north eighty-nine degrees eight minutes west for 
a distance of two thousand and thirty feet to the west right-of-way 
line of project road; thence along said project road right-of-way line 
north one degree fifty-eight minutes east, for a distance of one thou-
sand one hundred and seventy-two feet, more or less, to an iron pipe 
for the point of beginning; thence north eighty-eight degrees two min-
utes west for a distance of three hundred and forty feet to an iron pipe, 
thence north one degree fifty-eight minutes east for a distance of seven 
hundred and eight feet to an iron pipe; thence north twenty-seven 
degrees thirty-two minutes east for a distance of three hundred and 
forty-seven feet to an iron pipe; thence south forty-four degrees thir-
teen minutes east for a distance of two hundred and sixty-three feet 
to an iron pipe; thence south one degree fifty-eight minutes west for 
a distance of eight hundred thirty-nine and five-tenths feet, more or 
less, to the point of beginning, containing seven and three one-hun-
dredths acres more or less. 
Approved August 31, 1954.