Strip Mine Control Act

Strip Mine Control Act - Provides that no person shall engage in or carry out any activity with respect to the extraction of minerals from a surface mine subject to the provisions of this Act by strip mining methods, unless such person has first obtained a permit from the Secretary of the Interior.

Provides that the application for such permit shall include a description and location of the land upon which the applicant proposes to engage in strip mining operations; the consent of the owner to reclamation within five years of the end of such operations; the name and address of the owners of all surface areas within five hundred feet of any part of the proposed area of affected land; a statement of the number, if any, of other permits held by the applicant; the name and address of every officer, partner, director, or person performing a function similar to a director, of the applicant; a statement as to whether the applicant or an associate has ever had a permit revoked; and a complete plan of reclamation for the area of land to be affected.

Provides that the Secretary may deny such permit on a finding that the requirements of this Act, or standards and regulations adopted thereunder, will not be observed, that an area of critical environmental concern or historical value would be destroyed by the proposed strip mining, or that there is probable cause to believe that the reclamation of the area of affected land cannot be achieved.

Provides that the Secretary may require the applicant to post a bond on the basis of the anticipated costs of carrying out the reclamation plan not in an amount less than $1,000 per acre to be reclaimed, and in no case less than $10,000 for any strip mine operation.

Provides for the establishment of a Strip Mine Reclamation Fund. Authorizes the appropriation of $100,000,000 for such Fund. Authorizes the Secretary to acquire by purchase, donation, or otherwise, land which has been affected by strip mining and has not been reclaimed, and to prepare plans and specifications for the reclamation of such lands.

Provides for the resale of reclaimed land at a fair price under such regulations as the Secretary may promulgate to insure that such lands are put to a proper use. Provides that the Secretary may direct that reclaimed land may be improved for water-based or other recreational purposes.

Provides that the Secretary may revoke any permit, after a public hearing, if he determines that the operator has violated any provision of this Act or any standard or regulation issued pursuant to this Act.

Provides that the operator shall submit to the Secretary detailed annual and semi-annual reports on the progress of the operation. Provides for the release of the operator's bond when the Secretary finds that the reclamation meets the requirement of this Act.

Provides that the Secretary shall establish, along with the Strip Mining Advisory Commission, mandatory standards covering strip mining operations and reclamation programs. Provides that such standards must be published in the Federal Register to invite comment from interested persons before such standards may become finalized.

Provides for the establishment of the Strip Mining Advisory Commission. Provides for a fine of not more than $50,000 or imprisonment for not more than two years, or both, for those who knowlingly violate any provision of this Act.

Provides for the delegation, under certain circumstances, of the enforcement powers of this Act to the State in which the alleged offense occurs. Provides that the Secretary shall report to Congress each year on the progress made in regulating strip mining and providing for reclamation during the preceding year, together with his recommendations for such legislative or administrative action he deems appropriate to carry out the purposes of this Act.