This part allows mining of federal coal next to state or private coal. It applies where a mining plan was already approved. The Interior Department must take the needed steps within 90 days. Environmental review is not blocked.
“Federal coal reserves located in Federal land subject to a mining plan previously approved by the Secretary of the Interior as of the date of enactment of this Act and adjacent to coal reserves in adjacent State or private land are authorized to be mined.”
The section authorizes mining of federal coal reserves on federal land that was already subject to a mining plan approved by the Secretary of the Interior at enactment and that sits next to coal reserves in adjacent State or private land, so as to give access to those adjacent reserves which without the authorization could not be mined economically.
What the document actually says
“Federal coal reserves located in Federal land subject to a mining plan previously approved by the Secretary of the Interior as of the date of enactment of this Act and adjacent to coal reserves in adjacent State or private land are authorized to be mined.”
That sentence, in plain words
Federal coal may be mined where two things hold. A mining plan for it was already approved. It sits next to coal on state or private land.
What this is about
The aim is to reach that next-door coal. Without this the neighbor's coal could not pay to mine. Only land already covered by a plan counts.
No action is recorded against this proposal. That is not evidence that none has been taken, and nobody has yet read it against the record. See what the tracker does not yet cover.
The document says “shall”Who acts: Secretary of the InteriorHow: statuteSec. 50204 in the PDF
What the document says
“Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall, without substantial modification, take such steps as are necessary to authorize the mining of Federal land described in subsection (a).”
The section requires the Secretary of the Interior, within 90 days of enactment and without substantial modification, to take the steps needed to authorize mining of the federal land the section describes.
What the document actually says
“Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall, without substantial modification, take such steps as are necessary to authorize the mining of Federal land described in subsection (a).”
That sentence, in plain words
The Interior Secretary must act within 90 days of this law. The steps taken must not change the plan much.
What this is about
The steps are whatever is needed to allow the mining. The words without substantial modification limit what may be altered. The clock starts the day this law passed.
No action is recorded against this proposal. That is not evidence that none has been taken, and nobody has yet read it against the record. See what the tracker does not yet cover.
The document says “may not be construed”Who acts: Secretary of the InteriorHow: statuteSec. 50204 in the PDF
What the document says
“Nothing in this section shall prevent a review under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).”
The section provides that nothing in it prevents a review under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).
What the document actually says
“Nothing in this section shall prevent a review under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).”
That sentence, in plain words
Nothing here stops a review under an older law. That law covers effects on the environment.
What this is about
The review may still go ahead. This part does not switch it off. What the older law requires is not recorded here.
No action is recorded against this proposal. That is not evidence that none has been taken, and nobody has yet read it against the record. See what the tracker does not yet cover.
Each distinct thing the section does: the authorization to mine, the duty to take the steps needed within 90 days, and the saving for environmental review.
Nothing in the section is left out. It has three subsections and each is recorded.
The section refers to mining plans previously approved by the Secretary of the Interior and to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, neither of which is indexed here.
