Coal mining moratorium tied to health study—industry pays for investigation
H.R. 4705 — ACHE Act of 2025 · Filed by Morgan McGarvey (D-KY) · 6 cosponsors · Introduced Jul 23, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill pauses new and renewed federal permits for mountaintop removal coal mining in Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Virginia until the federal government completes a health study on whether the practice harms nearby residents. While the study is underway, existing mining operations must monitor and publicly report water, air, soil, and noise pollution monthly. The coal industry pays a one-time fee to cover the cost of the study and monitoring program.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core mechanism is a permit freeze tied to health evidence, paired with mandatory pollution monitoring and public disclosure. It is fundamentally a precautionary public-health measure, not a deregulation or industry carve-out.
What the text implies
- The moratorium is indefinite until HHS publishes a determination that mountaintop removal 'does not present any health risks'—a high evidentiary bar that may effectively halt the practice permanently if health concerns are confirmed.
- Monthly public pollution data may expose mining operators to tort liability and regulatory enforcement beyond this bill, as documented pollution becomes part of the public record.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
Environmental health research institutions; Federal health agencies (NIEHS, EPA, HHS); Environmental monitoring and consulting firms