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H.R. 3872 · House bill · 119th Congress
This bill specifies that all federally acquired lands are eligible to be considered for hardrock mineral leasing under the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands (MLAAL). The bill defines the term hardrock mineral to (1) include deposits of minerals found in sedimentary or other rocks, base metals, precious metals, industrial minerals, and precious and semi-precious gemstones; and (2) exclude deposits of coal, oil, oil shale, gas, sodium, potassium, sulfur, or mineral materials subject to disposition under the Materials Act of 1947.
By way of background, hardrock minerals are not currently listed under the MLAAL as deposits subject to a lease, while mineral resources such as coal, phosphate, oil, gas, gilsonite, and sulfur are listed. As a result, federal lands may be leased for mining hardrock minerals only if the federal lands were acquired under a statute, such as the Weeks Act, that specifically authorizes the land to be used for hardrock mineral leasing.
The Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands (30 U.S.C. 351 et seq.) is amended—
(1) in section 2 (30 U.S.C. 351)—
(A) by striking “Act “United States”” and inserting the following:
“(1) United States.— The term United States”;
(B) by striking “Alaska. “Acquired lands”” and inserting the following:
“(2) Acquired lands; lands acquired by the United States.— The term acquired lands”;
(C) by striking “552). “Secretary”” and inserting the following:
“(3) Secretary.— The term Secretary”;
(D) by striking “Interior. “Mineral leasing laws” shall mean” and inserting the following:
“(4) Mineral leasing laws.— The term mineral leasing laws means”;
(E) by striking “Acts. “Lease”” and inserting the following:
“(5) Lease.— The term lease”;
(F) by striking “requires. The term” and inserting the following:
“(6) Oil.— The term”; and
(G) by adding at the end the following:
“(7) Hardrock mineral.— The term hardrock mineral—
(A) includes deposits of—
(i) minerals found in sedimentary or other rocks;
(ii) base metals;
(iii) precious metals;
(iv) industrial minerals; and
(v) precious and semi-precious gemstones; and
(B) does not include deposits of—
(i) coal;
(ii) oil;
(iii) oil shale;
(iv) gas;
(v) sodium;
(vi) potassium;
(vii) sulfur; or
(viii) mineral materials subject to disposition under the Act of July 31, 1947, commonly known as the Materials Act of 1947 (30 U.S.C. 601 et seq.).”; and
(2) in section 3 (30 U.S.C. 352), by striking “and sulfur” and inserting “sulfur, and hardrock minerals”.