©2026 League of Conservation Voters
1972 Scorecard Vote
265
75
90
Issues
Coal Mine Surface Area Protection Act of 1972 (HR 6482). The vote is on final passage of the bill under suspension of rules, which requires a two-thirds majority. Although it failed to ban strip mining for coal, the bill did impose fairly strict regulations and specific reclamation requirements, especially on slopes greater than 20 degrees. It set up a permit program that required public hearings before each permit approval, but unfortunately gave federal jurisdiction to the Interior Department rather than to the Environmental Protection Agency. The bill was supported by the Coalition Against Strip Mining, and opposed by the National Coal Association and the American Mining Congress. The Nixon Administration took no official position but lobbied quietly against the bill. (Passed 265-75; October 11, 1972; “Yes” is the correct vote.)
©2026 League of Conservation Voters