Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-110
§8401 Assistance to Areas Impacted by Increased Coal or Uranium Production
Title 42 › CHAPTER 92 — POWERPLANT AND INDUSTRIAL FUEL USE › SUBCHAPTER VI — FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE › § 8401
Summary
Governors can ask the federal government for help when coal or uranium jobs jump by 8% in one year or are expected to grow 8% a year for the next 3 years, and that growth creates big needs for housing or public services that the state and local governments cannot pay for in a reasonable time. The Secretary of Agriculture must write rules for these designations within 180 days. The law counts new related state or local revenue (like severance taxes and royalties) when checking whether money is lacking. The Agriculture Department can give grants to pay for planning (100% of plan cost, but total planning grants in a year can’t exceed 10% of the money set aside for this program). If a plan shows land is needed for housing or public facilities, the Department can buy property or give grants for buying and preparing sites (up to 75% of costs). Priority goes to empty or previously mined land. Indian trust land can’t be taken by condemnation, and National Forest land can’t be exchanged. Help is by application, can go to local governments, and must not reduce state or local spending or duplicate other federal aid. “Coal or uranium development activities” means producing, processing, or moving coal or uranium. “Site development” means off-site work like sewer, water, and access roads, not building the housing or public buildings themselves. Companies in a designated area must give 3-year job and production forecasts and housing plans within 90 days after the governor asks. The Farmers Home Administration will run the program for the Agriculture Department. The law provided $60,000,000 for fiscal year 1979 and $120,000,000 for fiscal year 1980, with the Energy and Agriculture Departments agreeing on how to divide and transfer the money. Federal safety agencies must use their powers to protect nearby housing and people from hazards at mines. The powers given to the Agriculture and Energy Secretaries under this law cannot be moved to other agencies unless a new law after November 9, 1978 says so; they may still delegate work inside their own departments.
Full Legal Text
Title 42, §8401
The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Designation of impacted areas
(1)In accordance with such criteria and guidelines as the Secretary of Agriculture shall, by rule, prescribe, the Governor of any State may designate any area within such State for the purposes of this section, if he finds that—
(A)either (i) employment in coal or uranium production development activities in such area has increased for the most recent calendar year by 8 percent or more from the immediately preceding year or (ii) employment in such activities will increase 8 percent or more per year during each of the 3 calendar years beginning after the date of such finding;
(B)such employment increase has required or will require substantial increases in housing or public facilities and services or a combination of both in such area; and
(C)the State and the local government or governments serving such area lack the financial and other resources to meet any such increases in public facilities and services within a reasonable time.
The Secretary of Agriculture shall prescribe a rule containing criteria and guidelines for making a designation under this subsection, after consultation with the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Energy, not later than 180 days after the effective date of this chapter.
(2)For purposes of paragraph (1)(C), increased revenues, including severance tax revenues, royalties, and similar fees to the State and local governments which are associated with the increase in coal or uranium development activities and which are not prohibited from being used under provisions of law in effect on November 9, 1978, shall be taken into account in determining if a State or local government lacks financial resources.
(3)The Secretary shall, after consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, approve any designation of an area under paragraph (1) only if—
(A)the Governor of the State making the designation provides the Secretary in writing with the data and information on which such designation was made, together with such additional information as the Secretary may require to carry out the purposes of this section; and
(B)the Secretary determines that the requirements of subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of paragraph (1) have been met.
(b)Planning grants
(1)The Secretary of Agriculture may make a grant to any State in which there is an area designated and approved under subsection (a) for the purposes of developing a plan for such area which shall include determinations of—
(A)the anticipated level of coal or uranium production activities in such area;
(B)the socio-economic impacts which have occurred or which are reasonably projected to occur as a result of the increase in coal or uranium production activities;
(C)the availability and location of resources within such area to meet the increased needs resulting from socio-economic impacts determined under subparagraph (B) (such as any increased need for housing, or public facilities and services); and
(D)the nature and expense of measures necessary to meet within a reasonable time the increased needs resulting from such impact for which there are no resources reasonably available other than under this section.
(2)(A)Any grant for developing a plan under this subsection shall be for an amount equal to 100 percent of the costs of such plan, as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture.
(B)The aggregate amount granted under this subsection in any fiscal year may not exceed 10 percent of the total amount appropriated for purposes of this section for such year.
(3)The Governor of a State receiving a grant under this subsection for developing a plan shall submit a copy of such plan to the Secretary of Agriculture as soon as practicable after it has been prepared.
(c)Land acquisition and development grants
(1)In the case of any real property—
(A)within an area for which a plan meeting the requirements of subsection (b)(1) has been approved;
(B)which is for housing or public facilities determined in such plan as necessary due to an increase in employment due to coal or uranium development activities;
(C)with respect to which the Secretary of Agriculture has determined that the State and the local governments serving such area do not have the financial resources to acquire or the legal authority to acquire by condemnation; and
(D)with respect to which there has been an approval in writing by the Governor of such State that the Secretary of Agriculture exercise his authority under this paragraph;
the Secretary of Agriculture may acquire such real property or interest therein, by purchase, donation, lease, or exchange. Property so acquired shall be transferred to the State under such terms and conditions as the Secretary of Agriculture deems appropriate. Such terms and conditions shall provide for the reimbursement to the Secretary of Agriculture for the fair market value of the property, as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture. The value of any improvement of such property made after such acquisition shall not be taken into account in determining the fair market value of such property under this subsection. Amounts so received by the Secretary of Agriculture shall be deposited in the Treasury of the United States as miscellaneous receipts.
(2)Any approval by a Governor of a State under paragraph (1)(D) shall constitute a binding commitment of such State to accept the property to be acquired and to provide reimbursement for the amount of the fair market value of such property, as determined under paragraph (1).
(3)The Secretary of Agriculture may acquire property under paragraph (1) by condemnation only if he finds that—
(A)such property is not available by means other than condemnation at a price which does not substantially exceed the fair market value of such property;
(B)other real property is not similarly available which is within the same designated area and which is suitable for the purposes to which the property involved is to be applied; and
(C)the State and the local governments serving such area lack the legal authority to acquire such property by condemnation.
(4)(A)In the case of any real property which meets the requirements of subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of paragraph (1), the Secretary of Agriculture may make a grant to the State in which such property is located for the purposes of acquiring such property, and for any site development which is consistent with the plan developed under subsection (b).
(B)In the case of property acquired by the Secretary of Agriculture under paragraph (1) and transferred to the State, the Secretary of Agriculture may make a grant to such unit of government for the purposes of site development which is consistent with such plan.
(C)Grants for real property acquisition or site development or both under this paragraph may not exceed 75 percent of the costs thereof, as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture.
(5)In the selection of real property for acquisition and in such acquisition under this subsection, preference shall be given to real property which the Secretary of Agriculture determines at such time to be unoccupied or previously mined and abandoned.
(6)(A)Property held by the United States in trust for Indians or any Indian tribe may not be acquired by condemnation under this section.
(B)No property within the National Forest System (as defined in section 1609 of title 16) may be exchanged by the Secretary in any acquisition under paragraph (1).
(d)General requirements regarding assistance
(1)Assistance under this section shall be provided only upon application, which application shall contain such information as the Secretary of Agriculture shall prescribe.
(2)The Secretary of Agriculture may make any grant under this section in whole or in part to the local government or governments serving an area designated and approved under subsection (a), or to a council of local governments which includes one or more local governments serving such area (in lieu of making such grant solely to the State), if he has determined, after consultation with the Governor of the State, that to do so would be appropriate.
(3)The Secretary of Agriculture shall prescribe, by rule, criteria for the allocation of assistance under this section. Such criteria shall give due weight to the magnitude of the employment increase involved, the financial resources of the designated area, and the ratio of the financial burden on the area to the resources available to such area.
(4)Assistance under this section shall be provide only if the Secretary of Agriculture is satisfied that—
(A)the amounts expended by the State and the local governments involved for the same purposes for which such assistance is provided will not be reduced; and
(B)the amount of such assistance does not reflect any amount for which other Federal financial assistance is provided or on proper application would be provided.
(e)“Coal or uranium development activities” and “site development” defined
For the purposes of this section
(1)
(2)The term “site development” means necessary off-site improvements, such as the construction of sewer and water connections, construction of access roads, and appropriate site restoration, but does not include any portion of the construction of housing or public facilities.
(f)Reports
Any person regularly engaged in any coal or uranium development activity within an area designated and approved under subsection (a) shall prepare and transmit a report to the Secretary of Energy within 90 days after a written request to such person by the Governor of the State in which such area is located. Such report shall include—
(1)projected employment levels for such activity by such person within such area during each of the following 3 calendar years;
(2)the projected increase in employees in such area to engage in such activity during each of such calendar years;
(3)the projected quantity of coal (or uranium) to be produced, processed, or transported by such person during each of such calendar years; and
(4)actions such companies plan to take or are taking to provide needed housing and other facilities for their employees directly or by providing funds to the States or local communities for this purpose.
Copies of the report shall be provided to the Secretary of Energy and the Secretary shall, subject to the provisions of section 796(d) of title 15, provide the report to the Secretary of Agriculture, the Governor, and the appropriate county or local officials and make it available for public review.
(g)Administration
The Secretary of Agriculture shall carry out his responsibilities under this section through the Farmers Home Administration and such other agencies within the Department of Agriculture as he may determine appropriate.
(h)Appropriations authorization
(1)There is hereby authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Energy for purposes of this section, $60,000,000 for fiscal year 1979 and $120,000,000 for fiscal year 1980. The Secretary of Energy and the Secretary of Agriculture shall enter into an agreement for the allocation of funds appropriated pursuant to this section for carrying out their respective responsibilities under this section, including the amounts for personnel and administrative costs, and upon such agreement, the Secretary of Energy shall transfer to the Secretary of Agriculture amounts determined under that agreement.
(i)Protection from certain hazardous actions
Federal agencies having responsibilities concerning the health and safety of any person working in any coal, uranium, metal, or nonmetallic mine regulated by any Federal agency shall interpret and utilize their authorities fully and promptly, including the promulgation of standards and regulations, to protect existing and future housing, property, persons, and public facilities located adjacent to or near active and abandoned coal, uranium, metal, and nonmetallic mines from actions occurring at such activities that pose a hazard to such property or persons.
(j)Reorganization
The authority of the Secretary of Agriculture and the authority of the Secretary of Energy under this section may not be transferred to any other Secretary or to any other Federal agency under chapter 9 of title 5 or under any other provision of law, other than under specific provisions of a law enacted after November 9, 1978. The preceding provisions of this subsection shall not preclude either Secretary from delegating any such authority to any officer, employee, or entity within such Secretary’s department.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
The
Effective Date
of this chapter, referred to in subsec. (a)(1), is the
Effective Date
of Pub. L. 95–620. See section 901 of Pub. L. 95–620, set out as an
Effective Date
note under section 8301 of this title. Section 1609 of title 16, referred to in subsec. (c)(6)(B), was in the original “section 10 of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974”. Such section 10 is classified to section 1608 of title 16 but has been editorially translated as section 1609 of title 16 as the probable intent of Congress in that the properties defined as being in the National Forest System appear in section 1609.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
42 U.S.C. § 8401
Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare
Last Updated
Sep 23, 2026
Release point: 119-110