Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 91.djvu/484

 91 STAT. 450 Rules and regulations.

Post, p. 507.

Publication in Federal Register. 30 USC 801 note.

Conflict of interest. Penalties.

PUBLIC LAW 95-87—AUG. 3, 1977 (2) publish and promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the purposes and provisions of this Act; (3) administer the State grant-in-aid program for the development of State programs for surface and mining and reclamation operations provided for in title V of this Act; (4) administer the program for the purchase and reclamation of abandoned and unreclaimed mined areas pursuant to title IV of this Act; (5) administer the surface mining and reclamation research and demonstration project authority provided for in this Act; (6) consult with other agencies of the Federal Government having expertise in the control and reclamation of surface mining operations and assist States, local governments, and other eligible agencies in the coordination of such programs; (7) maintain a continuing study of surface mining and reclamation operations in the United States; (8) develop and maintain an Information and Data Center on Surface Coal Mining, Reclamation, and Surface Impacts of Underground Mining, which will make such data available to the public and the Federal, regional, State, and local agencies conducting or concerned with land use planning and agencies concerned with surface and underground mining and reclamation operations; (9) assist the States in the development of State programs for surface coal mining and reclamation operations which meet the requirements of the Act, and at the same time, reflect local requirements and local environmental and agricultural conditions; (10) assist the States in developing objective scientific criteria and appropriate procedures and institutions for determining those areas of a State to be designated unsuitable for all or certain types of surface coal mining pursuant to section 522; (11) monitor all Federal and State research programs dealing with coal extraction and use and recommend to Congress the research and demonstration projects and necessary changes in public policy which are designated to (A) improve feasibility of underground coal mining, and (B) improve surface mining and reclamation techniques directed at eliminating adverse environmental and social impacts; (12) cooperate with other Federal agencies and State regulatory authorities to minimize duplication cf inspections, enforcement, and administration of this Act; and (13) perform such other duties as may be provided by law and relate to the purposes of this Act. (d) The Director shall not use either permanently or temporarily any person charged with responsibility of inspecting coal mines under the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969, unless he finds and publishes such finding in the Federal Register, that such activities would not interfere with such inspections under the 1969 Act. (e) The Office shall be considered an independent Federal regulatory agency for the purposes of sections 3502 and 3512 of title 44 of the United States Code. (f) No employee of the Office or any other Federal employee performing any function or duty under this Act shall have a direct or indirect financial interest in underground or surface coal mining operations. Whoever knowingly violates the provisions of the above sentence shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not more than $2,500, or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or both.

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