Title 30Mineral Lands and MiningRelease 119-73

§4 Investigation of lignite coal and peat

Title 30 › Chapter CHAPTER 1— - UNITED STATES BUREAU OF MINES › § 4

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of the Interior must have the U.S. Bureau of Mines run tests and studies on lignite coal and peat. The goal is to find out if they can be used in a useful and cost‑effective way to make things like fuel oil, gasoline substitutes, ammonia, tar, solid fuels, gas for power, and similar products. Under the rules in chapters 1 to 11 of title 40 and division C of subtitle I of title 41 (except sections 3302, 3306(f), 3307(e), 3501(b), 3509, 3906, 4104, 4710, and 4711), the Secretary must sell or otherwise dispose of any property, plant, or machinery bought for these tests once the work is finished. The Secretary must report the test results to Congress.

Full Legal Text

Title 30, §4

Mineral Lands and Mining — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The Secretary of the Interior is authorized and directed to make experiments and investigations, through the United States Bureau of Mines, of lignite coals and peat, to determine the commercial and economic practicability of their utilization in producing fuel oil, gasoline substitutes, ammonia, tar, solid fuels, gas for power, and other purposes. The Secretary of the Interior is authorized and directed subject to applicable regulations under chapters 1 to 11 of title 40 and division C (except section 3302, 3306(f), 3307(e), 3501(b), 3509, 3906, 4104, 4710, and 4711) of subtitle I of title 41 to sell or otherwise dispose of any property, plant, or machinery purchased or acquired under the provisions of this section, as soon as the experiments and investigations authorized have been concluded, and report the results of such experiments and investigations to Congress.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification In text, “chapters 1 to 11 of title 40 and division C (except section 3302, 3306(f), 3307(e), 3501(b), 3509, 3906, 4104, 4710, and 4711) of subtitle I of title 41” substituted for “the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, as amended” on authority of Pub. L. 107–217, § 5(c), Aug. 21, 2002, 116 Stat. 1303, which Act enacted Title 40, Public Buildings, Property, and Works, and Pub. L. 111–350, § 6(c), Jan. 4, 2011, 124 Stat. 3854, which Act enacted Title 41, Public Contracts. First sentence of this section is from first clause of section 1 of act Feb. 25, 1919. Second sentence is from section 2 of said act.

Amendments

1951—Act Oct. 31, 1951, inserted reference to applicable

Regulations

of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, as amended.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

“United States Bureau of Mines” substituted in text for “Bureau of Mines” pursuant to section 10(b) of Pub. L. 102–285, set out as a note under section 1 of this title. For provisions relating to closure and

Transfer of Functions

of the United States Bureau of Mines, see

Transfer of Functions

note set out under section 1 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

30 U.S.C. § 4

Title 30Mineral Lands and Mining

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73