May 10, 1977  

AMENDMENT NO. 259  

    S7321 (Order to be printed and to lie on the table.)  

    S7321 Mr. FORD.  Mr. President, the full energy and Natural Resources Committee has
approved an amendment to S. 7 that exempts small coal operators from certain provisions of the bill
for 30 months following enactment.  The committee amendment requires that this extension of time
pertains only to operations conducted under a permit issued before the date of enactment of the bill.  

    S7321 A question has been raised as to whether this provision would allow coal operations to
split up into smaller subsidiaries, each of which would fall under the small operator definition.  The
amendment that I now propose would prohibit any such evasion of the intent of the committee
amendment.  My amendment specifies that the operation must be under a permit granted before May
2, 1977, the date that the full Energy and Natural Resources Committee ordered S. 7 reported.