Sponsors (5)
Introduced January 9, 2025 by Harriet Hageman · Last progress January 9, 2025
The bill speeds and expands federal coal leasing to deliver jobs, local revenue, and regulatory certainty for industry and some communities, at the cost of higher greenhouse gas emissions, greater local pollution and health risks, reduced environmental and judicial oversight, and potential long-term fiscal burdens on taxpayers.
Utilities and energy companies can resume or begin extracting federal coal sooner, increasing coal supply and near-term revenue for leaseholders.
Rural communities and local governments near federal coal leases can retain or gain mining jobs and local tax revenue tied to resumed or expanded leasing.
Lease applicants and Interior Department staff gain clearer, faster administrative processes and reduced regulatory uncertainty around federal coal leasing and fair market valuation.
All Americans and future generations face higher greenhouse gas emissions nationwide if expanded federal coal leasing increases coal production and combustion.
Rural communities and nearby residents are likely to experience increased local air and water pollution from accelerated or expanded coal mining, harming public health.
The bill reduces environmental review, public input, and judicial oversight by directing quicker lease issuance and limiting barriers, weakening administrative and legal checks on leasing decisions.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Directs Interior/BLM to promptly finish NEPA and administrative actions and grant pending coal lease applications once NEPA review has begun, and nullifies a prior Interior order restricting future coal leasing.
Requires the Interior Department (through the Bureau of Land Management) to promptly finish required environmental and administrative steps and to grant pending coal lease-by-application requests once NEPA review has begun. It also directs the department to provide any additional approvals needed for mining to start on previously awarded coal leases and expressly nullifies a prior Interior Department order that limited future coal leasing.