legislation: 102-hr-2614
Data license: Public Domain (U.S. Government data) · Data source: Federal Register API & Regulations.gov API
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| 102-hr-2614 | 102 | hr | 2614 | Mining Law Reform Act of 1991 | Energy | 1991-06-11 | 1992-06-24 | See H.R.918. | House | Rep. DeFazio, Peter A. [D-OR-4] | OR | D | D000191 | 3 | Mining Law Reform Act of 1991 - Title I: Disposition of Mineral Deposits - Declares that all public domain mineral lands shall be open to any person for location of a mining claim according to prescribed recordation requirements and filings. Reserves to the United States all surface and subsurface rights and interests (including royalties) in claimed lands, except for locatable minerals subject to a claim under this Act. Declares that claims shall be conclusively presumed to be abandoned 20 years after the location notice is filed unless locatable minerals have been or are being produced in sufficient quantities. Prescribes guidelines for: (1) an annual holding fee to maintain a claim; (2) surface use permits for milling, processing or beneficiation activities; (3) a mining plan of operations; (4) mineral production royalty payments; and (5) the allocation of royalty receipts between the States and the Federal Government. Title II: Environmental Protection - Directs the Secretary of the Interior (the Secretary) to take action to assure that all mineral activities are conducted in a manner to minimize adverse impact upon the environment. Prescribes criteria for development of: (1) mineral activites' plan of operations; (2) land use planning guides; (3) land reclamation standards; and (4) financial guarantees for mining area reclamation activities. Requires the Secretary to conduct quarterly compliance inspections. Requires the Secretary to order an immediate cessation of all mineral activities if a claim holder does not abate surface management violations within the time allotted. Sets forth civil and criminal penalties for violations of this Act. Authorizes citizens' suits to compel compliance with this Act. Title III: Hardrock Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund - Establishes the Abandoned Hardrock Mine Reclamation Fund to be administered by the Secretary (acting thorugh the Director, Bureau of Land Management) for the reclamation and restoration of land and water resources adversely affected by past hardrock mining. Outlines lands and waters eligible for reclamation expenditures. Provides for Fund allocation on an annual basis in the form of grants to eligible States. Prescribes criteria for State reclamation programs eligible for Fund expenditures. Authorizes appropriations. Title IV: Hardrock Mining Impact Assistance Trust Fund - Establishes the Hardrock Mining Impact Assistance Trust Fund to be administered by the Secretary and funded by private donations and royalty receipts under this Act. Title V: Savings and Administrative Provisions - Subjects mining claims and patents to the requirements of this Act, including certain existing claims. Amends Federal law to provide that no mineral deposit material (including sand, stone, gravel, pumice, pumicite, cinders, or clay) shall have such distinct and special value as to be deemed a valuable mineral deposit within the meaning of U.S. mining laws. Sets forth conversion guidelines for mineral materials asserted to have some property giving them distinct and special value under the Mining Law of 1872. Repeals the Building Stone Act and the Saline Placer Act. Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to administer Federal mining law activities on National Forest System lands. Directs the Secretary to collect user fees from claimants to reimburse Federal administrative expenses. Repeals the Mining Law of 1872, and certain filing requirements of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976. | 2025-08-26T15:17:12Z |