PUBLIC LAW 109–58—AUG. 8, 2005
119 STAT. 711
environmental risks of onshore orphaned or abandoned oil or gas wells on State and private land. (3) ACTIVITIES.—The program under paragraph (1) shall include— (A) mechanisms to facilitate identification, if feasible, of the persons currently providing a bond or other form of financial assurance required under State or Federal law for an oil or gas well that is orphaned or abandoned; (B) criteria for ranking orphaned or abandoned well sites based on factors such as public health and safety, potential environmental harm, and other land use priorities; (C) information and training programs on best practices for remediation of different types of sites; and (D) funding of State mitigation efforts on a cost-shared basis. (h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— (1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2010. (2) USE.—Of the amounts authorized under paragraph (1), $5,000,000 are authorized for each fiscal year for activities under subsection (f). SEC. 350. COMBINED HYDROCARBON LEASING.
(a) SPECIAL PROVISIONS REGARDING LEASING.—Section 17(b)(2) of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 226(b)(2)) is amended— (1) by inserting ‘‘(A)’’ after ‘‘(2)’’; and (2) by adding at the end the following: ‘‘(B) For any area that contains any combination of tar sand and oil or gas (or both), the Secretary may issue under this Act, separately— ‘‘(i) a lease for exploration for and extraction of tar sand; and ‘‘(ii) a lease for exploration for and development of oil and gas. ‘‘(C) A lease issued for tar sand shall be issued using the same bidding process, annual rental, and posting period as a lease issued for oil and gas, except that the minimum acceptable bid required for a lease issued for tar sand shall be $2 per acre. ‘‘(D) The Secretary may waive, suspend, or alter any requirement under section 26 that a permittee under a permit authorizing prospecting for tar sand must exercise due diligence, to promote any resource covered by a combined hydrocarbon lease.’’. (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 17(b)(1)(B) of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 226(b)(1)(B)) is amended in the second sentence by inserting ‘‘, subject to paragraph (2)(B),’’ after ‘‘Secretary’’. (c) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 45 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue final regulations to implement this section. SEC. 351. PRESERVATION OF GEOLOGICAL AND GEOPHYSICAL DATA.
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as the ‘‘National Geological and Geophysical Data Preservation Program Act of 2005’’.
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Deadline. 30 USC 226 note.
National Geological and Geophysical Data Preservation Program Act of 2005. 42 USC 15908.
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