§ 1245. Abandoned hardrock mine reclamation

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(a)Establishment Not later than 90 days after November 15, 2021, the Secretary of the Interior (referred to in this section as the “Secretary”) shall establish a program to inventory, assess, decommission, reclaim, respond to hazardous substance releases on, and remediate abandoned hardrock mine land based on conditions including need, public health and safety, potential environmental harm, and other land use priorities.

(b)Award of grants Subject to the availability of funds, the Secretary shall provide grants on a competitive or formula basis to States and Indian Tribes that have jurisdiction over abandoned hardrock mine land to reclaim that land.

(c)Eligibility Amounts made available under this section may only be used for Federal, State, Tribal, local, and private land that has been affected by past hardrock mining activities, and water resources that traverse or are contiguous to such land, including any of the following:

(1)Land and water resources that were—

(A)used for, or affected by, hardrock mining activities; and

(B)abandoned or left in an inadequate reclamation status before November 15, 2021.

(2)Land for which the Secretary makes a determination that there is no continuing reclamation responsibility of a claim holder, liable party, operator, or other person that abandoned the site prior to completion of required reclamation under Federal or State law.

(d)Eligible activities

(1)In general Amounts made available to carry out this section shall be used to inventory, assess, decommission, reclaim, respond to hazardous substance releases on, and remediate abandoned hardrock mine land based on the priorities described in subsection (a).

(2)Exclusion Amounts made available to carry out this section may not be used to fulfill obligations under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.) agreed to in a legal settlement or imposed by a court, whether for payment of funds or for work to be performed.

(e)Authorization of appropriations

(1)In general There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $3,000,000,000, to remain available until expended, of which—

(A)50 percent shall be for grants to States and Indian Tribes under subsection

(b)for eligible activities described in subsection (d)(1); and

(B)50 percent shall be for available to the Secretary for eligible activities described in subsection (d)(1) on Federal land.

(2)Transfer The Secretary may transfer amounts made available to the Secretary under paragraph (1)(B) to the Secretary of Agriculture for activities described in subsection

(a)on National Forest System land.

(Pub. L. 117–58, div. D, title VII, § 40704, Nov. 15, 2021, 135 Stat. 1093.)

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