84 STAT. ]
PUBLIC LAW 91-581-DEC. 24, 1970
1573
and directed to institute an appropriate proceeding in the United States district court of the district in which such lands are located, to quiet the title of the United States in such resources, and if the court determines that the reservation of minerals to the United States in the lands involved included the geothermal resources, to enjoin their production otherwise than under the terms of this Act: Provided, That upon an authoritative judicial determination that Federal mineral reservation does not include geothermal steam and associated geothermal resources the duties of the Secretary of the Interior to report and of the Attorney General to institute proceedings, as hereinbefore set forth, shall cease. SEC. 22. Nothing in this Act shall constitute an express or implied claim or denial on the part of the Federal Government as to its exemption from State water laws. SEC. 23. (a) All leases under this Act shall be subject to the condi- ^J^^^^' P--^^^"tion that the lessee will, in conducting his exploration, development, and producing operations, use all reasonable precautions to prevent waste of geothermal steam and associated geothermal resources developed in the lands leased. (b) Rights to develop and utilize geothermal steam and associated geothermal resources underlying lands owned by the United States may be acquired solely in accordance with the provisions of this Act. SEC. 24. The Secretary shall prescribe such rules and regulations as j^^^lf/ ^""^ '^^^"' he may deem appropriate to carry out the provisions of this Act. Such regulations may include, without limitation, provisions for (a) the prevention of waste, (b) development and conservation of geothermal and other natural resources, (c) the protection of the public interest, (d) assignment, segregation, extension of terms, relinquishment of leases, development contracts, unitization, pooling, and drilling agreements, (e) compensatory royalty agreements, suspension of operations or production, and suspension or reduction of rentals or royalties, (f) the filing of surety bonds to assure compliance with the terms of the lease and to protect surface use and resources, (g) use of the surface by a lessee of the lands embraced in his lease, (h) the maintenance by the lessee of an active development program, and (i) protection of water quality and other environmental qualities. SEC. 25. As to any land subject to geothermal leasing under section 3 of this Act, all laws which either (a) provide for the disposal of land by patent or other form of conveyance or by grant or by operation of law subject to a reservation of any mineral or (b) prevent or restrict the disposal of such land because of the mineral character of the land, shall hereafter be deemed to embrace geothermal steam and associated geothermal resources as a substance which either must be reserved or must prevent or restrict the disposal of such land, as the case may be. This section shall not be construed to affect grants, patents, or other forms of conveyances made prior to the date of enactment of this Act. SEC. 26. The first two clauses in section 11 of the Act of August 13, 1954 (68 Stat. 708, 716), are amended to read as follows: 3o use 530. "As used in this Act, 'mineral leasing laws' shall mean the Act of February 25, 1920 (41 Stat. 437); the Act of April 17, 1926 (44 Stat, ^o use isi. 301); the Act of February 7, 1927 (44 Stat. 1057); Geothermal Steam ^° "f^ 271. Act of 1970, and all Acts heretofore or hereafter enacted which are 30 USC 281. " "^ " ' amendatory of or supplementary to any of the foregoing Acts; 'Leasing Act mmerals' shall mean all minerals which, upon the effective date of this Act, are provided in the mineral leasing laws to be disposed of thereunder and all geothermal steam and associated geothermal resources which, upon the effective date of the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970, are provided in that Act to be disposed of thereunder;".
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