A bill to further amend the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 (30 U.S.C. 201 (a) ), to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to exchange Federal Coal leases and to encourage recovery of certain coal deposits, and for other purposes.

[AI summary unavailable — showing source text] Amends the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 to authorize the Secretary of the Interior, other provisions of such Act notwithstanding, to acquire Federal coal leases or rights to Federal coal leases by purchase, exchange, or condemnation upon finding that development of the the lease would (1) result in unacceptable damage to other resource values or (2) conflict with a previously unconsidered specific proposal for use of the land for public purposes. Authorizes the Secretary to grant access to tunnels or surface rights-of-way through coal deposits through negotiated sales, notwithstanding competitive bidding requirements. States that nothing in the section which authorizes the Secretary to approve the inclusion of additional coal lands under a lease shall require the Secretary to apply minimum royalty provisions to any lands covered by the modified lease prior to modification.…