ACHE Act
- Last Action
- 2/10/2017
Actions
- 2017-02-10Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
- 2017-02-03Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
- 2017-02-02Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
- 2017-02-01Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2017-02-01Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2017-02-01Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2017-02-01Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2017-02-01Introduced in House
- 2017-02-01Introduced in House
CRS Summary
As of 2017-02-01 (00)
Appalachian Communities Health Emergency Act or ACHE Act
This bill requires the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to conduct or support studies on the health impacts of mountaintop removal coal mining on individuals in the surrounding communities. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), upon receiving the results of these studies, must determine whether such mining presents any health risks to individuals in those communities. This bill applies to surface coal mining that uses blasting with explosives in the steep slope regions of Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Virginia.
The bill prohibits authorization for any mountaintop removal coal mining project or expansion under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) or the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 unless HHS determines that such mining does not present any health risk to individuals in the surrounding communities. The bill requires monitoring of air, water, and soil for pollution, including noise pollution, until HHS makes its determination. HHS must publish pollution monitoring results.
The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement of the Department of the Interior must assess a one-time fee upon such mining projects, sufficient to cover the federal cost of the studies and pollution monitoring required by this bill.
Cosponsors (20)
- LOUISE SLAUGHTER (D-NY)
- Gerald Connolly (D-VA)
- DIANA DEGETTE (D-CO)
- BETTY MCCOLLUM (D-MN)
- Paul Tonko (D-NY)
- Matt Cartwright (D-PA)
- JANICE SCHAKOWSKY (D-IL)
- ELEANOR NORTON (D-DC)
- Donald Beyer (D-VA)
- Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ)
- PETER DEFAZIO (D-OR)
- BARBARA LEE (D-CA)
- ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA)
- EARL BLUMENAUER (D-OR)
- Jerry McNerney (D-CA)
- ZOE LOFGREN (D-CA)
- ROSA DELAURO (D-CT)
- Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH)
- JOHN CONYERS (D-MI)
- ALCEE HASTINGS (D-FL)
Subjects
- Air quality
- Coal
- Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
- Environmental health
- Health information and medical records
- Health programs administration and funding
- Kentucky
- Licensing and registrations
- Medical research
- Mining
- Noise pollution
- Research administration and funding
- Tennessee
- User charges and fees
- Virginia
- Water quality
- West Virginia
Sourced from Congress.gov (public domain).
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.