# Understanding the ACHE Act of 2025

This bill would pause new coal mining permits in parts of Appalachia while the federal government investigates whether mountaintop removal mining is harming people's health. Mountaintop removal is a type of surface mining that uses explosives to blast away the tops of mountains in Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Virginia to access coal seams underneath. The bill's supporters point to research suggesting this mining practice may be linked to birth defects, lung disease, heart problems, and other serious health issues in nearby communities.

Here's what would actually happen if this bill becomes law. First, no new federal permits for mountaintop removal mining could be issued, and existing permits couldn't be renewed, until federal health agencies complete a comprehensive study and determine whether the mining poses health risks to people living nearby. This is a complete freeze on new projects and expansions. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences would lead this study, working with the EPA and other relevant agencies. During this pause, mining companies operating existing projects would have to continuously monitor water, air, noise, and soil pollution at their sites and submit monthly reports to the Department of Health and Human Services. These reports would be made public in a searchable database within a week, so communities could see what pollution is being detected near mining operations.

The bill includes enforcement teeth: if a mining company fails to do the required monitoring or submit reports, they lose the ability to get any new federal permits or renew existing ones. To pay for the health study and monitoring requirements, the bill would charge a one-time fee to all companies currently operating or that have previously operated mountaintop removal mines. This fee would cover the federal costs of implementing the study and monitoring program. The monitoring requirements would end once the federal government publishes its determination about whether mountaintop removal mining poses health risks, meaning this isn't necessarily a permanent ban—it depends on what the health study concludes.