42 USC § 13336 - Coalbed methane recovery

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t42/s13336"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "42 USC § 13336 - Coalbed methane recovery"
title_number: 42
title_name: "THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE"
section_number: "13336"
section_name: "Coalbed methane recovery"
chapter_number: 134
chapter_name: "ENERGY POLICY"
subchapter_number: "VI"
subchapter_name: "COAL"
part_number: "A"
part_name: "Research, Development, Demonstration, and Commercial Application"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 102–486, title XIII, § 1306, Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 2974.)"
---


# § 13336. Coalbed methane recovery

**(a)** **Study of barriers and environmental and safety aspects** The Secretary, in consultation with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Secretary of the Interior, shall conduct a study of—

Within two years after October 24, 1992, the Secretary shall submit a report to the Congress detailing the results of such study.

**(1)** technical, economic, financial, legal, regulatory, institutional, or other barriers to coalbed methane recovery, and of policy options for eliminating such barriers; and

**(2)** the environmental and safety aspects of flaring coalbed methane liberated from coal mines.

**(b)** **Information dissemination** October 24, 1992

Beginning one year after , the Secretary, in consultation with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Secretary of the Interior, shall disseminate to the public information on state-of-the-art coalbed methane recovery techniques, including information on costs and benefits.

**(c)** **Demonstration and commercial application program** The Secretary, in consultation with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Secretary of the Interior, shall establish a coalbed methane recovery demonstration and commercial application program, which shall emphasize gas enrichment technology. Such program shall address—

**(1)** gas enrichment technologies for enriching medium-quality methane recovered from coal mines to pipeline quality;

**(2)** technologies to use mine ventilation air in nearby power generation facilities, including gas turbines, internal combustion engines, or other coal fired powerplants;

**(3)** technologies for cofiring methane recovered from mines, including methane from ventilation systems and degasification systems, together with coal in conventional or clean coal technology boilers; and

**(4)** other technologies for producing and using methane from coal mines that the Secretary considers appropriate.

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**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 102–486, title XIII, § 1306, Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 2974.)