693 



erally owned to go to the States to be used for planning, construction, 

 and maintenance of public facilities and the provision of public serv- 

 ices for areas primarily that are socially or economically impacted. 



We have some 19 or 20 cosponsors. Both the manager of the bill and 

 the minority leader have agreed to accept the amendement. 



Mr. McGee. Mr. President, I join in sponsoring and supporting this 

 amendment with my distinguished colleague from Wyoming (Mr. 

 Hansen). Basically, it would do for inland States that are suffering 

 social and economic impacts from intensified energy production what 

 S. 586 would do for the coastal States. The States of Wyoming, Mon- 

 tana, and the Dakotas, in particular, are experiencing servere im- 

 pacts from energy production, including surface mining of coal and the 

 consti-uction of powerplants. In order to achieve some relief for these 

 States, we offer this amendment. 



Our proposal would increase the returns to the States in which min- 

 ing takes place from 37.5 percent to 60 percent of the royalties which 

 are paid to the Federal Government by mining companies extracting 

 minerals in the public lands States. The additional 22.5 percent would 

 be taken from the reclamation fund portion of the Federal royalties. 

 This additional amount to be returned to the States would be ear- 

 marked specifically for planning, construction and maintenance of 

 public facilities and for providing other necessary public services in 

 those areas suffering impact problems as a result of energy develop- 

 ment. The amendment would still leave 30 percent of the royalty pay- 

 ments in the reclamation fund. 



Mr. President, the idea of providing assistance to States suffering 

 development impact due to the energy crisis is not new. You will recall 

 that the Surface Mining and Reclamation Act which was passed by 

 Congress this year and subsequently vetoed by President Ford con- 

 tained provisions which would finance aid to impacted areas within 

 those States where surface mining operations are being drastically 

 increased. The Senate overwhelmingly supported these provisions, and 

 I hope that my colleagues will support the amendment which we offer 

 today. 



Mr. Stevens. We are prepared to accept this and go to conference 

 with it. I do not know what the House will do with it, but we certainly 

 will take it to conference. 



Mr. HoLLiNGS. I yield back the remainder of our time, Mr. President. 

 I have checked this with the Senators. 



Mr. Jackson. Vote. Vote. 



The Presiding Officer. The question is on agreeing the amendment. 



The amendment was agreed to. 



Mr. Hansen. Mr. President, because of the attention which has been 

 focused on coal development in the West, a national awareness of the 

 impact tliis development has had on the towns of Rock Springs and 

 Gillette, Wyo., in particular, is well known. Basically these towns are 

 typical of the same dilemma which faces other western towns. De- 

 mands for all types of community facilities such as hospitals, schools, 

 sewers, recreation, police protection, to name but a few, have arisen. 

 The known abilities of these same communities to have the funds ade- 

 quately to provide the necessary services and facilities fall far short 

 of the need- 



