Chapter 19 'THINGS DONE AND LEFT UNDONE': THIRTY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WITH THE SURFACE MINING CONTROL AND RECLAMATION ACT

摘要

The federal Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA) was enacted amidst a burst of congressional activity in 1976 and 1977. Over an 18-month period, Congress amended or enacted statutes pertaining to air quality, water, solid and hazardous waste, toxic substances,5 and the nation's coasts. During the same period, Congress substantially changed the public land laws governing the disposition and management of such lands, and revised major features of the federal coal leasing laws.8 This period of extraordinary activity reflected a remarkable convergence within Congress favoring a nascent envi-ronmentalism, a political party that achieved nearly unprecedented majorities after the 1974 congressional elections, and some exceptionally capable committee chairmen in the U.S. House of Representatives.