Title 43 — Public LandsRelease 119-73
§869–2 Conditions of transfer by grantee; solid waste disposal
Title 43 › Chapter CHAPTER 20— - RESERVATIONS AND GRANTS TO STATES FOR PUBLIC PURPOSES › § 869–2
Summary
Owners who got land from the federal government under these laws cannot sell or give the land to someone else unless the Secretary of the Interior agrees and the new owner would meet the earlier qualification and acreage limits. They also must not change the land’s approved use unless the Secretary agrees and the new use would be one allowed under those laws. If the owner transfers the land or uses it differently without the Secretary’s consent, ownership will go back to the United States. If someone applies for land to use for solid waste disposal or any use that might involve hazardous substances, the Secretary will follow special steps. The Secretary must investigate first, including checking records and testing soil, water, and air. Land will not be transferred if hazardous substances are already present. The applicant must tell the EPA and other state and federal agencies about the request, promise to follow all state and federal laws about disposal and hazardous substances, and agree to protect the United States from liability for any law violations. The land can be transferred only if it meets state and local rules and is a reasonable size for the need. The deed will usually say the land returns to the United States unless most of it has been used for the approved purpose within five years. If any unused part is later sold, the original owner must pay the United States the fair market value of that part. Pricing otherwise follows the earlier rules, and any deed must state that land actually used for waste or other uses that may release hazardous substances will never revert. The term “hazardous substance” means the same as in the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.). For land conveyed or leased before November 10, 1988, the Secretary may renounce the United States’ reversion rights or convert leases to full ownership if the land has been used for disposal; after that the land will not revert.
Full Legal Text
Title 43, §869–2
Public Lands — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Title to lands conveyed by the Government under sections 869 to 869–4 of this title may not be transferred by the grantee or its successor except, with the consent of the Secretary of the Interior, to a transferee which would be a qualified grantee under section 869–1(a) or 869–1(c) of this title and subject to the acreage limitation contained in section 869(b) of this title. A grantee or its successor may not change the use specified in the conveyance to another or additional use except, with the consent of the Secretary, to a use for which such grantee or its successor could obtain a conveyance under sections 869 to 869–4 of this title. If at any time after the lands are conveyed by the Government, the grantee or its successor attempts to transfer title to or control over these lands to another or the lands are devoted to a use other than that for which the lands were conveyed, without the consent of the Secretary, title to the lands shall revert to the United States.
(b)(1)Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, if the Secretary receives an application for conveyance of land under sections 869 to 869–4 of this title for the express purpose of solid waste disposal or for another purpose which the Secretary finds may include the disposal, placement, or release of any hazardous substance, the Secretary may convey such land subject only to the provisions of this subsection.
(2)Prior to issuance of any conveyance of land under this subsection the Secretary shall investigate the land covered by an application for such conveyance to determine whether or not any hazardous substance is present on such land. Such investigation shall include a review of any available records as to the use of such land and all appropriate analysis of the soil, water and air associated with such land. No land shall be conveyed under this subsection if such investigation indicates that any hazardous substance is present on such land.
(3)No application for conveyance under this subsection shall be acted on by the Secretary until the applicant has furnished evidence, satisfactory to the Secretary, that a copy of the application and information concerning the proposed use of the land covered by the application has been provided to the Environmental Protection Agency and to all other State and Federal agencies with responsibility for enforcement of State and Federal laws applicable to lands used for the disposal, placement, or release of solid waste or any hazardous substance.
(4)No application for conveyance under this subsection shall be acted on by the Secretary until the applicant has given a warranty that use of the land covered by the application will be consistent with all applicable State and Federal laws, including laws dealing with the disposal, placement, or release of hazardous substances, and that the applicant will hold the United States harmless from any liability that may arise out of any violation of any such law.
(5)A conveyance under this subsection shall be made to the extent that the applicant has demonstrated to the Secretary that the land covered by an application meets all applicable State and local requirements and is appropriate in character and reasonable in acreage in order to meet an existing or reasonably anticipated need for solid waste disposal or for another proposed use that the Secretary finds may include the disposal, placement, or release of any hazardous substance.
(6)A conveyance under this subsection shall be subject to the following conditions:
(A)Except as otherwise provided in subparagraphs (B) and (D) of this paragraph, the document of conveyance shall provide that the lands conveyed under this subsection shall revert to the United States, unless substantially all of the lands have been used, on or before the date five years after the date of conveyance, for the purpose or purposes specified in the application, or for other use or uses authorized under subsection (a) with the consent of the Secretary.
(B)In the event that at any time after such conveyance any portion of such lands has not been used for the purpose or purposes specified in the application, and the party to whom such lands were conveyed by the Secretary shall transfer ownership of such unused portion to any other party, the party to whom such lands were conveyed by the Secretary shall be liable to pay the Secretary, on behalf of the United States, the fair market value of such transferred portion as of the date of such transfer, including the value of any improvements thereon. Subject to appropriations, all amounts received by the Secretary under this subparagraph shall be retained by the Secretary and used for the management of public lands and shall remain available until expended.
(C)Pricing for conveyances of land under this subsection shall be in accordance with the provisions of section 869–1 of this title, except that no compensation shall be required for the inclusion of only the limited reverter specified in this paragraph.
(D)Each patent issued under this subsection shall specify that no portion of the lands covered by such patent shall under any circumstances revert to the United States if such portion has been used for solid waste disposal or for any other purpose that the Secretary finds may result in the disposal, placement, or release of any hazardous substance.
(7)For purposes of this section the term “hazardous substance” has the same meaning as such term has when used in the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.).
(c)(1)Upon the application or with the concurrence of any party to whom the Secretary, prior to November 10, 1988, conveyed land under sections 869 to 869–4 of this title, the Secretary may renounce the reversionary interests of the United States in such land, or portion thereof, if the Secretary finds that such land, or portion thereof, has been used for solid waste disposal or for any other purpose which the Secretary finds may result in the disposal, placement, or release of any hazardous substance, and the Secretary may rescind any portion of any patent or other instrument of conveyance inconsistent with such renunciation. After such renunciation, affected lands shall not under any circumstances revert to the United States by the operation of law, and shall cease to be subject to the provisions of subsection (a) of this section.
(2)Upon the application or with the concurrence of a party to whom the Secretary, prior to November 10, 1988, leased lands pursuant to sections 869 to 869–4 of this title, the Secretary may convey in fee the lands covered by such lease or any portion thereof which have been used for solid waste disposal or for any other purpose that the Secretary finds may result in the disposal, placement, or release of any hazardous substance. Notwithstanding any other provision of sections 869 to 869–4 of this title, a patent issued pursuant to this paragraph shall not contain a reverter provision and the lands covered by such patent shall not under any circumstances revert to the United States by operation of law after the issuance of such patent and shall not be subject to the provisions of subsection (a) of this section.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, referred to in subsec. (b)(7), probably means the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, Pub. L. 96–510, Dec. 11, 1980, 94 Stat. 2767, which is classified principally to chapter 103 (§ 9601 et seq.) of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see
Short Title
note set out under section 9601 of Title 42 and Tables.
Prior Provisions
on the subject of reverter were formerly contained in section 869 of this title. See 1954 Amendment note set out under that section. Those
Prior Provisions
permanently restricted the lands conveyed to a single use, and did not provide, as in this section, for transfer by the original grantee or its successor.
Amendments
1988—Pub. L. 100–648 designated existing provision as subsec. (a) and added subsecs. (b) and (c). 1959—Pub. L. 86–292 struck out sentence which provided that this section should cease to be in effect as to any lands patented under sections 869 to 869–4 of this title twenty-five years after the issuance of patent for such lands.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Savings Provision
s Pub. L. 100–648, § 3, Nov. 10, 1988, 102 Stat. 3815, provided that: “Nothing in this Act [amending section 869–2 of this title and enacting provisions set out as notes under section 869 and 869–2 of this title] or the
Amendments
made thereby shall be construed to affect the applicability and operation of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation[,] and Liability Act [of 1980] (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.) as amended, and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (42 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.), as amended.” Congressional Review of Conveyance of Land or Renunciation of Reversionary Interests Pub. L. 100–648, § 4, Nov. 10, 1988, 102 Stat. 3815, provided that: “(a) The Secretary shall not make any conveyance of land or renunciation of reversionary interests under this Act [amending section 869–2 of this title and enacting provisions set out as notes under section 869 and 869–2 of this title] until he has published in the Federal Register
Regulations
implementing this Act and until sixty days (not counting days on which the House of Representatives or the Senate has adjourned for more than three days) after these
Regulations
have been submitted to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs of the House of Representatives. [Implementing
Regulations
were published in the Federal Register July 23, 1992, 57 F.R. 32730.] “(b) During the first three years after enactment of this Act [Nov. 10, 1988] the Secretary shall not make any conveyance of land or renunciation of reversionary interests under this Act until thirty days (not counting days on which the House of Representatives or the Senate has adjourned for more than three days) after notice of intention to do so has been submitted to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs of the House of Representatives.”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
43 U.S.C. § 869–2
Title 43 — Public Lands
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73