Amendment to the List of Affected States Under Federal Coalbed Methane Recovery Regulations

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The Energy Policy Act of 1992 (the Act) Pub. L. 102-486) requires that the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) administer a Federal program to regulate coalbed methane development in states where coalbed methane development has been impeded by disputes or uncertainty over ownership of coalbed methane gas. As required by the Act, the Department of the Interior, with the participation of the Department of Energy, developed a List of Affected States to which this program would apply (58 FR 21589, April 22, 1993). The List of Affected States is currently comprised of the States of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. The legislative body of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the form of a resolution passed on June 28, 1995, petitioning the Secretary of the Interior for removal from the List of Affected States. The resolution stated that the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania request the Secretary of the Interior to remove and delete Pennsylvania from the list of ``Affected States'' that will be subject to Federal regulations implementing section 1339 of the Energy Policy Act of 1992. Section 1339 of the Act provides three mechanisms by which a