Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act Amendments of 2021
This bill reauthorizes the Department of the Interior to collect fees on the production of coal through FY2036, expands the eligible uses of the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund, and revises requirements concerning the fund.
Under current law, operators of active coal mines must pay such fees through FY2021. Revenue from the fees are deposited into the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund, which is used for the reclamation of abandoned coal mines.
The bill authorizes Interior to reimburse states and tribal governments from the fund for the emergency restoration, reclamation, abatement, control, or prevention of adverse effects of coal mining practices. It also increases the minimum amount of funds from $3 million to $5 million that Interior must award to states and Indian tribes that have approved abandoned mine reclamation programs.