(d) Penalty(1) Any person, corporate officer, agent or director, on behalf of a coal mine operator, who knowingly makes any false statement, representation or certification, or knowingly fails to make any statement, representation or certification required in this section shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not more than $10,000, or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or both.
(2) The Secretary shall conduct such audits of coal production and the payment of fees under this subchapter as may be necessary to ensure full compliance with the provisions of this subchapter. For purposes of performing such audits the Secretary (or any duly designated officer, employee, or representative of the Secretary) shall, at all reasonable times, upon request, have access to, and may copy, all books, papers, and other documents of any person subject to the provisions of this subchapter. The Secretary may at any time conduct audits of any surface coal mining and reclamation operation, including without limitation, tipples and preparation plants, as may be necessary in the judgment of the Secretary to ensure full and complete payment of the fees under this subchapter.
(g) Allocation of funds(1) Except as provided in subsection (h), moneys deposited into the fund shall be allocated by the Secretary to accomplish the purposes of this subchapter as follows:(A) 50 percent of the reclamation fees collected annually in any State (other than fees collected with respect to Indian lands) shall be allocated annually by the Secretary to the State, subject to such State having each of the following:(i) An approved abandoned mine reclamation program pursuant to section 1235 of this title.
(ii) Lands and waters which are eligible pursuant to section 1234 of this title (in the case of a State not certified under section 1240a(a) of this title) or pursuant to section 1240a(b) of this title (in the case of a State certified under section 1240a(a) of this title).
(B) 50 percent of the reclamation fees collected annually with respect to Indian lands shall be allocated annually by the Secretary to the Indian tribe having jurisdiction over such lands, subject to such tribe having each of the following:(i) an 22 So in original. Probably should be capitalized.
approved abandoned mine reclamation program pursuant to section 1235 of this title. (ii) Lands and waters which are eligible pursuant to section 1234 of this title (in the case of an Indian tribe not certified under section 1240a(a) of this title) or pursuant to section 1240a(b) of this title (in the case of a tribe certified under section 1240a(a) of this title).
(C) The funds allocated by the Secretary under this paragraph to States and Indian tribes shall only be used for annual reclamation project construction and program administration grants.
(D) To the extent not expended within 3 years after the date of any grant award under this paragraph (except for grants awarded during fiscal years 2008, 2009, and 2010 to the extent not expended within 5 years), such grant shall be available for expenditure by the Secretary under paragraph (5).
(2) In making the grants referred to in paragraph (1)(C) and the grants referred to in paragraph (5), the Secretary shall ensure strict compliance by the States and Indian tribes with the priorities described in section 1233(a) of this title until a certification is made under section 1240a(a) of this title.
(3) Amounts available in the fund which are not allocated to States and Indian tribes under paragraph (1) or allocated under paragraph (5) are authorized to be expended by the Secretary for any of the following:(A) For the purpose of section 1257(c) of this title, either directly or through grants to the States, subject to the limitation contained in section 1231(c)(9) of this title.
(B) For the purpose of section 1240 of this title (relating to emergencies).
(C) For the purpose of meeting the objectives of the fund set forth in section 1233(a) of this title for eligible lands and waters pursuant to section 1234 of this title in States and on Indian lands where the State or Indian tribe does not have an approved abandoned mine reclamation program pursuant to
(D) For the administration of this subchapter by the Secretary.
(E) For the purpose of paragraph (8).
(4)(A) Amounts available in the fund which are not allocated under paragraphs (1), (2), and (5) or expended under paragraph (3) in any fiscal year are authorized to be expended by the Secretary under this paragraph for the reclamation or drainage abatement of lands and waters within unreclaimed sites which are mined for coal or which were affected by such mining, wastebanks, coal processing or other coal mining processes and left in an inadequate reclamation status.
(B) Funds made available under this paragraph may be used for reclamation or drainage abatement at a site referred to in subparagraph (A) if the Secretary makes either of the following findings:(i) A finding that the surface coal mining operation occurred during the period beginning on August 4, 1977, and ending on or before the date on which the Secretary approved a State program pursuant to section 1253 of this title for a State in which the site is located, and that any funds for reclamation or abatement which are available pursuant to a bond or other form of financial guarantee or from any other source are not sufficient to provide for adequate reclamation or abatement at the site.
(ii) A finding that the surface coal mining operation occurred during the period beginning on August 4, 1977, and ending on or before November 5, 1990, and that the surety of such mining operator became insolvent during such period, and as of November 5, 1990, funds immediately available from proceedings relating to such insolvency, or from any financial guarantee or other source are not sufficient to provide for adequate reclamation or abatement at the site.
(C) In determining which sites to reclaim pursuant to this paragraph, the Secretary shall follow the priorities stated in paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 1233(a) of this title. The Secretary shall ensure that priority is given to those sites which are in the immediate vicinity of a residential area or which have an adverse economic impact upon a local community.
(D) Amounts collected from the assessment of civil penalties under section 1268 of this title are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this paragraph.
(E) Any State may expend grants made available under paragraphs (1) and (5) for reclamation and abatement of any site referred to in subparagraph (A) if the State, with the concurrence of the Secretary, makes either of the findings referred to in clause (i) or (ii) of subparagraph (B) and if the State determines that the reclamation priority of the site is the same or more urgent than the reclamation priority for eligible lands and waters pursuant to section 1234 of this title under the priorities stated in paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 1233(a) of this title.
(F) For the purposes of the certification referred to in section 1240a(a) of this title, sites referred to in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph shall be considered as having the same priorities as those stated in section 1233(a) of this title for eligible lands and waters pursuant to section 1234 of this title. All sites referred to in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph within any State shall be reclaimed prior to such State making the certification referred to in section 1240a(a) of this title.
(5)(A) The Secretary shall allocate 60 percent of the amount in the fund after making the allocation referred to in paragraph (1) for making additional annual grants to States and Indian tribes which are not certified under section 1240a(a) of this title to supplement grants received by such States and Indian tribes pursuant to paragraph (1)(C) until the priorities stated in paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 1233(a) of this title have been achieved by such State or Indian tribe. The allocation of such funds for the purpose of making such expenditures shall be through a formula based on the amount of coal historically produced in the State or from the Indian lands concerned prior to August 3, 1977. Funds made available under paragraph (3) or (4) of this subsection for any State or Indian tribe shall not be deducted against any allocation of funds to the State or Indian tribe under paragraph (1) or under this paragraph.
(B) Any amount that is reallocated and available under section 1240a(h)(3) of this title shall be in addition to amounts that are allocated under subparagraph (A).
(6)(A) Any State with an approved abandoned mine reclamation program pursuant to section 1235 of this title may receive and retain, without regard to the 3-year limitation referred to in paragraph (1)(D), up to 30 percent of the total of the grants made annually to the State under paragraphs (1) and (5) if those amounts are deposited into an acid mine drainage abatement and treatment fund established under State law, from which amounts (together with all interest earned on the amounts) are expended by the State for the abatement of the causes and the treatment of the effects of acid mine drainage in a comprehensive manner within qualified hydrologic units affected by coal mining practices.
(B) In this paragraph, the term “qualified hydrologic unit” means a hydrologic unit—(i) in which the water quality has been significantly affected by acid mine drainage from coal mining practices in a manner that adversely impacts biological resources; and
(ii) that contains land and water that are—(I) eligible pursuant to section 1234 of this title and include any of the priorities described in section 1233(a) of this title; and(II) the subject of expenditures by the State from the forfeiture of bonds required under section 1259 of this title or from other States sources to abate and treat acid mine drainage.
(7) In complying with the priorities described in section 1233(a) of this title, any State or Indian tribe may use amounts available in grants made annually to the State or tribe under paragraphs (1) and (5) for the reclamation of eligible land and water described in section 1233(a)(3) of this title before the completion of reclamation projects under paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 1233(a) of this title only if the expenditure of funds for the reclamation is done in conjunction with the expenditure before, on, or after December 20, 2006, of funds for reclamation projects under paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 1233(a) of this title.
(8)(A) In making funds available under this subchapter, the Secretary shall ensure that the grant awards total not less than $3,000,000 annually to each State and each Indian tribe having an approved abandoned mine reclamation program pursuant to section 1235 of this title and eligible land and water pursuant to section 1234 of this title, so long as an allocation of funds to the State or tribe is necessary to achieve the priorities stated in paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 1233(a) of this title.
(B) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, this paragraph applies to the States of Tennessee and Missouri.
(Pub. L. 95–87, title IV, § 402, Aug. 3, 1977, 91 Stat. 457; Pub. L. 100–34, title I, § 101, May 7, 1987, 101 Stat. 300; Pub. L. 101–508, title VI, §§ 6003, 6004, Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1388–290, 1388–291; Pub. L. 102–486, title XIX, § 19143(b)(1), (2), (3)(B), title XXV, § 2515, Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 3056, 3113; Pub. L. 108–447, div. E, title I, § 135(a), Dec. 8, 2004, 118 Stat. 3068; Pub. L. 109–13, div. A, title VI, § 6035, May 11, 2005, 119 Stat. 289; Pub. L. 109–54, title I, § 129, Aug. 2, 2005, 119 Stat. 525; Pub. L. 109–234, title VII, § 7007, June 15, 2006, 120 Stat. 483; Pub. L. 109–432, div. C, title II, § 202, Dec. 20, 2006, 120 Stat. 3008; Pub. L. 110–343, div. C, title VI, § 602, Oct. 3, 2008, 122 Stat. 3911; Pub. L. 114–223, div. C, § 167(b), (c), as added Pub. L. 114–254, div. A, § 101(3), Dec. 10, 2016, 130 Stat. 1009, 1010; Pub. L. 114–223, div. C, § 202(b), as added Pub. L. 115–30, par. (2), Apr. 28, 2017, 131 Stat. 134; Pub. L. 115–31, div. M, title I, § 104(a), May 5, 2017, 131 Stat. 803; Pub. L. 116–94, div. M, §§ 102(a), 103, Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 3091, 3094; Pub. L. 116–260, div. Y, § 2(a), (b), Dec. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 2417, 2418; Pub. L. 117–58, div. D, title VII, § 40702, Nov. 15, 2021, 135 Stat. 1092.)