PUBLIC LAW 94-377—AUG. 4, 1976 "SEC. 3, Any person, association, or corporation holding a lease of coal lands or coal deposits under the provisions of this Act may with the approval of the Secretary of the Interior, upon a finding by him that it would be in the interest of the United States, secure modifications of the original coal lease by including additional coal lands or coal deposits contiguous to those embraced in such lease, but in no event shall the total area added by such modifications to an existing coal lease exceed one hundred sixty acres, or add acreage larger than that in the original lease. The Secretary shall prescribe terms and conditions which shall be consistent with this Act and applicable to all of the acreage in such modified lease.". SEC. 14. Section 39 of the Mineral Lands Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 209) is amended by adding the following sentence at the end thereof: "Nothing in this section shall be construed as granting to the Secretary the authority to waive, suspend, or reduce advance royalties.". SEC. 15. Section 27 of the Mineral Lands Leasing Act of 1920 (30 U.S.C. 184) is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new subsection: "(1)(1) At each stage in the formulation and promulgation of rules and regulations concerning coal leasing pursuant to this Act, and at each stage in the issuance, renewal, and readjustment of coal leases under this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall consult with and give due consideration to the views and advice of the Attorney General of the United States. "(2) No coal lease may be issued, renewed, or readjusted under this Act until at least thirty days after the Secretary of the Interior notifies the Attorney General of the proposed issuance, renewal, or readjustment. Such notification shall contain such information as the Attorney General may require in order to advise the Secretary of the Interior as to whether such lease would create or maintain a situation inconsistent with the antitrust laws. If the Attorney General advises the Secretary of the Interior that a lease would create or maintain such a situation, the Secretary of the Interior may not issue such lease, nor may he renew or readjust such lease for a period not to exceed one year, as the case may be, unless he thereafter conducts a public hearing on the record in accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act and finds therein that such issuance, renewal, or readjustment is necessary to effectuate the purposes of this Act, that it is consistent with the public interest, and that there are no reasonable alternatives consistent with this Act, the antitrust laws, and the public interest. "(3) Nothing in this Act shall be deemed to convey to any person, association, corporation, or other business organization immunity from civil or criminal liability, or to create defenses to actions, under any antitrust law. "(4) As used in this subsection, the term 'antitrust law' means— "(A) the Act entitled 'An Act to protect trade and commerce against unlawful restraints and monopolies', approved July 2, 1890 (15 U.S.C. 1 et seq.), as amended; "(B) the Act entitled 'An Act to supplement existing laws against unlawful restraints and monopolies, and for other purposes', approved October 15, 1914 (15 U.S.C. 12 et seq.), as amended:
90 STAT. 1091 Lease modifications,
Terms and conditions,
-= ':
Consultation,
Notification,
Hearing,
5 USC 551 prec. note.
"Antitrust law."
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