View all text of Part A [§ 15901 - § 15912]
§ 15908. Preservation of geological and geophysical data
(a) Short title
(b) Program
The Secretary shall carry out a National Geological and Geophysical Data Preservation Program in accordance with this section—
(1) to archive geologic, geophysical, and engineering data, maps, well logs, and samples;
(2) to provide a national catalog of such archival material;
(3) to provide technical and financial assistance related to the archival material; and
(4) to provide for preservation of samples to track geochemical signatures from critical mineral (as defined in section 1606(a) of title 30) ore bodies for use in provenance tracking frameworks.
(c) Plan
(d) Data archive system
(1) Establishment
(2) System components
(3) Limitation of designation
(4) Data from Federal land
The data archive system shall provide for the archiving of relevant subsurface data and samples obtained from Federal land—
(A) in the most appropriate repository designated under paragraph (2), with preference being given to archiving data in the State in which the data were collected; and
(B) consistent with all applicable law and requirements relating to confidentiality and proprietary data.
(e) National catalog
(1) In general
As soon as practicable after August 8, 2005, the Secretary shall develop and maintain, as a component of the Program, a national catalog that identifies—
(A) data and samples available in the data archive system established under subsection (d);
(B) the repository for particular material in the system; and
(C) the means of accessing the material.
(2) Availability
(f) Advisory Committee
(1) In general
(2) New duties
In addition to its duties under the National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992 (43 U.S.C. 31a et seq.), the Advisory Committee shall perform the following duties:
(A) Advise the Secretary on developing guidelines and procedures for providing assistance for facilities under subsection (g)(1).
(B) Review and critique the draft implementation plan prepared by the Secretary under subsection (c).
(C) Identify useful studies of data archived under the Program that will advance understanding of the Nation’s energy and mineral resources, geologic hazards, and engineering geology.
(D) Review the progress of the Program in archiving significant data and preventing the loss of such data, and the scientific progress of the studies funded under the Program.
(E) Include in the annual report to the Secretary required under section 5(b)(3) 1
1 See References in Text note below.
of the National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992 (43 U.S.C. 31d(b)(3)) an evaluation of the progress of the Program toward fulfilling the purposes of the Program under subsection (b).(g) Financial assistance
(1) Archive facilities
(2) Studies
(3) Federal share
(4) Private contributions
(h) Report
The Secretary shall include in each report under section 8 of the National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992 (43 U.S.C. 31g)—
(1) a description of the status of the Program;
(2) an evaluation of the progress achieved in developing the Program during the period covered by the report; and
(3) any recommendations for legislative or other action the Secretary considers necessary and appropriate to fulfill the purposes of the Program under subsection (b).
(i) Maintenance of State effort
(j) Definitions
In this section:
(1) Advisory Committee
(2) Program
(3) Secretary
(4) Survey
(k) Authorization of appropriations
(Pub. L. 109–58, title III, § 351, Aug. 8, 2005, 119 Stat. 711; Pub. L. 116–260, div. Z, title VII, § 7002(l), Dec. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 2575; Pub. L. 117–58, div. D, title II, § 40203, Nov. 15, 2021, 135 Stat. 959.)