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Answer. Acreage of public lands classified as containing or suitable for production of uranium resources:

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b. The number and acreage of leases, permits, claims or patents newly filed or issued, and averages outstanding in the years 1953–1972 (In the case of oil and gas, and coal, new leases and acreage should be subdivided into competitive and non-copetitive (or preference) leases).

Answer. Data available only for calendar years 1968 through 1971:

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c. The names of the ten persons or companies (including affiliated or subsidiary companies) holding the greatest (chargeable or other) acreage of leases, permits, or claims in each of these energy resources and the percentage of total lands under lease, permits, sales or claims by these persons or companies. Anwer. The procedures for reporting uranium claims under the mining laws do not make it feasible to develop this type of data.

d. The estimated proved reserves, and probable and potential resources on lands now under lease, permit, or claim. (indicate these as proportions of total reserves or resources on U.S. public lands and in the U.S.)

Answer. The estimated proven reserves and potential resources on claims on the public domain and under lease on the Indian lands are tabulated in the answer to Question 22.

e. What proportion of the total number and acreage of leases, permits, or claims, is actually under commercial production?

Answer. Proportion of number and acreage of claims actually under commercial uranium production (for year 1971):

Number (percent): 110 claims producing 480,000 total.

Acreage (percent) : 2.200 acres producing 9,580,000 total.

f. The number and acreage, by kind, of permits or leases expiring or subject to preview in each of the next ten years.

Answer. The AEC does not have this information on uranium in general. It will be available with respect to AEC-controlled lands when the leasing program is instituted.

(24) For each energy resource, for the year 1953-1971 and by region (for coal, subdivide by state), summarize the production and value of production from U.S. public lands. Compare these amounts of total production and value of production in the U.S.

Answer. See attachment.

(25) For each resource for the years 1953-1971 and by region, (for coal, subdivide by state) summarize the receipts of the Federal Government from royalties, bonuses, minimum royalties, rentals, filing fees and other landowner remitances.

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Note: The Atomic Energy Commission has received no royalties or other income from uranium leases since 1962.

U.S. URANIUM PRODUCTION BY REGIONS, 1953-71

[Value of production from public lands, thousands of dollars; tons of U30s in concentrate produced from public lands; percent of total value derived from public lands]

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Note: Regions-1, Alaska; II, basin and range; III, Colorado Plateau; IV, Wyoming basins; V, Rocky Mountains; and VI, other.

SUBMISSION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY,
Washington, D.C., September 21, 1972.

Hon. HENRY M. JACKSON,

Chairman, Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs,

U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C.

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: I am writing in response to your request of June 1, 1972, for the Environmental Protection Agency's comments on certain questions related to leasing and disposal policies for energy resources on the public lands. In this letter, I shall outline briefly the general authorities which the Environmental Protection Agency has to regulate pollution, and their general application to energy resources. The attached document discusses more extensively the specific environmental problems that arise or may arise in leasing and disposal of energy resources and the application of our laws and regulations, in the contexts of the questions to which we were asked to respond.

The exploration, development, and production of energy resources on the public lands by lessees are subject to the same Federal environmental laws and regulations as those carried out on private lands. Legislative authority for EPA involvement in the area is contained in the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended (33 U.S.C. 1151 et seq., P.L. 91-224); Section 13 of the River and Harbor Act of 1899 (commonly referred to as the "Refuse Act") (33 U.S.C. 407, 30 Stat. 1152); the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 1857 et seq., P.L. 91-604), and applicable Executive Orders of the President; Section 274 of the Atomic Energy Act (42 U.S.C. 2021 (h), establishing the Federal Radiation Council, whose functions have been transferred to EPA), and those other provisions of the Atomic Energy Act which relate to establishment of generally applicable environmental radiation standards.

The relevant water pollution control regulations originate from Federal-State standards promulgated under Section 10 of FWPCA, as amended (33 U.S.C. 1160), and from Section 11 (33 U.S.C. 1161) of the same Act, dealing with control of pollution by oil. Implementation and enforcement of § 10 of the FWPCA, as amended, are carried out by the States and the Environmental Protection Agency. Executive Order 11548 (35 F.R. 11677), assigns responsibility for implementation of § 11 to the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Transportation.

In addition to these authorities, § 13 of the River and Harbor Act provides civil and criminal sanctions for the deposit of refuse in navigable waters. Under the provisions of Executive Order 11574 (35 F.R. 19627), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency administer the permit program provided for by the statute.

The portions of the Clean Air Act most relevant to control of air pollution from energy source facilities are §§ 107-110 (42 U.S.C. 1857c-2), dealing with air quality control regions and criteria, ambient air quality standards, and State implementation plans, and § 111 (42 U.S.C. 1857c-6), standards of performance for new stationary sources. Section 111, as now implemented, does not bear directly on the exploration, development, or production activities of energy sources Additional regulatory authority not included within the foregoing general regulatory authority of EPA will be discussed in the subsequent section to which it may apply.

The environmental effects of exploration, development, and production activities associated with non-conventional aspects of the nuclear stimulation of oil and natural gas and the recovery of geothermal energy have yet to be deter mined. It is difficult to project the impact of environmental regulations upon these activities. In general, however, it is anticipated that they would be regulated by existing legislation along presently existing lines used for other aspects of the energy industry.

Although the Environmental Protection Agency is not assigned any explicit authorities under the National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. §§ 4321 et seq., P.L. 91-190), we do have a responsibility to comment on draft environmental impact statements concerning major Federal actions. This includes many

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