30 U.S.C. § 1231 Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund

• Library: United States Statutes
• Edition: 2023
• Currency: Current through P.L. 118-34 (published on www.congress.gov on 12/26/2023), except for [P. L. 118-31]
• Year: 2023
• Citation: 30 U.S.C. § 1231

(a) Establishment; administration; State funds

There is created on the books of the Treasury of the United States a trust fund to be known as the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund (hereinafter referred to as the "fund") which shall be administered by the Secretary of the Interior. State abandoned mine reclamation funds (State funds) generated by grants from this subchapter shall be established by each State pursuant to an approved State program.

(b) Sources of deposits to fund

The fund shall consist of amounts deposited in the fund, from time to time derived from-

(1) the reclamation fees levied under section 1232 of this title;

(2) any user charge imposed on or for land reclaimed pursuant to this subchapter after expenditures for maintenance have been deducted;

(3) donations by persons, corporations, associations, and foundations for the purposes of this subchapter;

(4) recovered moneys as provided for in this subchapter; and

(5) interest credited to the fund under subsection (e).

(c) Use of moneys

Moneys in the fund may be used for the following purposes:

(1) reclamation and restoration of land and water resources adversely affected by past coal mining, including but not limited to reclamation and restoration of abandoned surface mine areas, abandoned coal processing areas, and abandoned coal refuse disposal areas; sealing and filling abandoned deep mine entries and voids; planting of land adversely affected by past coal mining to prevent erosion and sedimentation; prevention, abatement, treatment, and control of water pollution created by coal mine drainage including restoration of stream beds, and construction and operation of water treatment plants; prevention, abatement, and control of burning coal refuse disposal areas and burning coal in situ; prevention, abatement, and control of coal mine subsidence; and establishment of self-sustaining, individual State administered programs to insure private property against damages caused by land subsidence resulting from underground coal mining in those States which have reclamation plans approved in accordance with section 1253 of this title: Provided, That funds used for this purpose shall not exceed $3,000,000 of the funds made available to any State under section 1232(g)(1) of this title;

(2) acquisition and filling of voids and sealing of tunnels, shafts, and entryways under section 1239 of this title;

(3) acquisition of land as provided for in this subchapter;

(4) enforcement and collection of the reclamation fee provided for in section 1232 of this title;

(5) restoration, reclamation, abatement, control, or prevention of adverse effects of coal mining which constitutes an emergency as provided for in this subchapter;

(6) grants to the States to accomplish the purposes of this subchapter;

(7) administrative expenses of the United States and each State to accomplish the purposes of this subchapter;