A bill to allow certain Federal minerals to be mined consistent with the Bull Mountains Mining Plan Modification, and for other purposes.
Summary
What This Bill Does
The bill authorizes certain federal minerals to be mined consistent with Amendment 3 to the Bull Mountains Mine No. 1 Mining Plan Modification for Federal Coal Lease MTM 97988. It is a targeted coal-mining authorization that favors continued mine operations under the referenced plan rather than leaving the federal minerals blocked by litigation or administrative uncertainty.
Who Benefits and How
The Bull Mountains mine operator benefits because the bill authorizes mining under the specified plan modification. Coal miners at the Bull Mountains mine benefit if the authorization preserves jobs tied to the federal coal lease. Local tax bases benefit if continued mine production preserves royalties, wages, and business activity. Coal customers benefit from continued access to production from the covered federal lease.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Interior Department mining officials must treat the plan modification as authorized. Environmental litigants bear a policy loss if statutory authorization overrides objections to the mine plan. Federal land managers must administer the lease consistent with the bill's authorization. Nearby residents may face continued mining traffic, dust, reclamation, or environmental risks.
Key Provisions
- Adds a definition of the Bull Mountains Mining Plan Modification.
- Authorizes federal minerals to be mined consistent with the specified plan.
- Provides application to Federal Coal Lease MTM 97988.
- Limits legal uncertainty for continued mining at Bull Mountains Mine No. 1.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Authorizes mining of federal coal consistent with the Bull Mountains Mining Plan Modification, overriding barriers to that specific federal minerals plan.
Key Policy Areas
Mining, Public Lands, Energy
Primary Purpose
Authorizes mining of federal coal consistent with the Bull Mountains Mining Plan Modification, overriding barriers to that specific federal minerals plan.
Policy Domains
Bill provisions
Identified Gains
- Bull Mountains mine operator
- Coal miners
- Local tax bases
- Coal customers
Identified Costs
- Interior Department mining officials
- Environmental litigants
- Federal land managers
- Nearby residents
Sponsors
Steve Daines
R-MT | Primary Sponsor
Legislative Progress
ReportedPlaced on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. …
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Lee …
Reported by Mr. Lee, with an amendment
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported …
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported …
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held. Hearings printed: …
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and …
Mr. Daines (for himself and Mr. Sheehy) introduced the following …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Federal land managers, Interior Department mining officials
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "secretary"
- → Secretary of the Interior
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology