Title 42 — The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§16294 Research and development for coal mining technologies

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 149— - NATIONAL ENERGY POLICY AND PROGRAMS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER IX— - RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT › Part Part F— - Fossil Energy › § 16294

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary must run a research and development program on coal mining technologies. The program must work with federal agencies, coal producers, trade groups, equipment makers, and colleges with mining engineering programs. Research must follow priorities from the Mining Industry of the Future Program and National Academy of Sciences reports. It must study ways to cut contaminants, test electromagnetic wave imaging ahead of mining, develop imaging, reservoir-analysis, and horizontal-drilling methods to find high-gas areas, boost methane recovery, protect coal reserves, reduce water disposal from methane extraction, and grow university mining research.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §16294

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary shall carry out a program for research and development on coal mining technologies.

(b)In carrying out the program, the Secretary shall cooperate with appropriate Federal agencies, coal producers, trade associations, equipment manufacturers, institutions of higher education with mining engineering departments, and other relevant entities.

(c)The research and development activities carried out under this section shall—

(1)be guided by the mining research and development priorities identified by the Mining Industry of the Future Program and in the recommendations from relevant reports of the National Academy of Sciences on mining technologies;

(2)include activities exploring minimization of contaminants in mined coal that contribute to environmental concerns including development and demonstration of electromagnetic wave imaging ahead of mining operations;

(3)develop and demonstrate coal bed electromagnetic wave imaging, spectroscopic reservoir analysis technology, and techniques for horizontal drilling in order to—

(A)identify areas of high coal gas content;

(B)increase methane recovery efficiency;

(C)prevent spoilage of domestic coal reserves; and

(D)minimize water disposal associated with methane extraction; and

(4)expand mining research capabilities at institutions of higher education.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 16294

Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73