Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 92 Part 2.djvu/793

 PUBLIC LAW 95-554—OCT. 30, 1978

92 STAT. 2073

Public Law 95-554 95th Congress An Act To further amend the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 (30 U.S.C. 201(a)), to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to exchange Federal coal leases and to encourage recovery of certain coal deposits, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That (a) notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary and notwithstanding the provisions of section 2(a)(1) of the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended (30 U.S.C. 201(a)(1)), the Secretary of the Interior is authorized to issue leases for coal on other Federal lands in the State of Utah to the lease applicant named in preference right lease applications serial numbers U1362, U1363, U1375, U5233, U5234, U5235, U5236, and U5237 upon surrender and relinquishment by the applicant of such preference right lease applications and all right to lease the lands covered by such applications, such surrender and relinquishment to be made in exchange for the lease or leases to be issued by the Secretary. (b) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary and notwithstanding the provisions of section 2(a)(1) of the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended (30 U.S.C. 201(a)(1)), the Secretary of the Interior is authorized to issue leases for coal on other Federal lands in the State of Wyoming to the owner or owners of Federal coal leases serial numbers W0313666, W0111833, W073289, W0S12311, and W0313668, B025369, W0256663, W5035, W0322794 covering lands in the State of Wyoming upon the surrender and relinquishment of such leases or portions thereof. (c) The leases to be issued by the Secretary pursuant to the authority granted by subsections (a) and (b) of this Act and the leases or portions thereof or rights to leases to be exchanged therefor shall be of equal value. If such leases or portions thereof or rights to leases are not of equal value, the Secretary is authorized to receive, or pay out of funds available for that purpose, cash in an amount up to 25 per centum of the value of the coal lease or leases to be issued by the Secretary in order to equalize the value of the lease or lease rights to be exchanged. (d) Any exchange lease issued by the Secretary under the authority of this Act shall contain the same terms and conditions as those leases surrendered, or in case of a surrendered lease right, the same terms and conditions as those to which the lease applicant would be entitled. (e) This subsection does not require or obligate the Secretary to take any action or to make any commitment to a lessee or lease applicant with respect to issuance, administration, or development of any lease. SEC. 2. Section 2(a)(1) of the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended (30 U.S.C. 201(a)(1)), is further amended by striking the period at the end of the first sentence and inserting in lieu thereof the following:": Provided, That notwithstanding the competitive bidding requirement of this section, the Secretary may, subject to such conditions which he deems appropriate, negotiate the sale at fair market value of coal the removal of which is necessary and incidental to the

Oct. 30, 1978 [S. 3189]

Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, amendment. Coal lease authorizations.

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