Bill > S1169

This bill, the Limestone Hills Training Area Withdrawal Act of 2013, withdraws approximately 18,644 acres of public land in Broadwater County, Montana, from all forms of appropriation under public land laws, including mining and leasing laws, to be reserved for military training and related purposes by the Armed Forces and the Montana Department of Military Affairs, as well as for training by state and local law enforcement, civil defense organizations, and educational institutions. The bill outlines special rules for the Indian Creek Mine, including the removal of unexploded ordnance (UXO) by the Secretary of the Army, and establishes an agreement process between the Secretaries of the Army and the Interior to coordinate mining activities with defense uses and UXO removal. It also addresses grazing permits, requiring joint safety procedures between the Secretaries of the Interior and the Army, and mandates the Secretary of the Army to prevent and suppress brush and range fires caused by military activities and to maintain a decontamination program for any contamination resulting from defense-related uses. The withdrawal is set to terminate on March 31, 2039, with provisions for the Secretary of the Army to notify the Secretary of the Interior of any continuing defense needs and to apply for an extension, and for the Secretary of the Interior to manage the reopening of lands to public appropriation after the withdrawal ends, including procedures for decontaminating any relinquished lands.