,i #aacth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #ebf ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,february #f1 #bjac ,mr4 ,yarmuth 7for himself1 ,ms4 ,slaughter1 ,mr4 ,conyers1 ,mr4 ,holt1 ,mr4 ,grijalva1 ,mr4 ,sarbanes1 ,mr4 ,moran1 ,ms4 ,edwards1 ,ms4 ,chu1 ,mr4 ,blumenauer1 ,mr4 ,ellison1 ,mr4 ,rangel1 ,mr4 ,huffman1 ,ms4 ,lee of ,california1 ,mr4 ,honda1 ,ms4 ,schakowsky1 ,mr4 ,de,fazio1 ,mr4 ,cartwright1 ,ms4 ,de,lauro1 ,ms4 ,roybal-,allard1 ,ms4 ,pingree of ,maine1 ,mr4 ,mc,dermott1 ,ms4 ,norton1 and ,mr4 ,polis7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,natural ,resources1 and in addition to the ,committees on ,transportation and ,infrastructure and ,energy and ,commerce1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to place a moratorium on permitting for mountaintop removal coal mining until health studies are conducted by the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,appalachian ,communities ,health ,emergency ,act or the ,,ache ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,communities surrounding mountaintop removal coal mining projects1 which involve surface coal mining including blasting with explosives in the steep slope regions of ,kentucky1 ,tennessee1 ,west ,virginia1 and ,virginia1 have raised concerns that pollution of the water1 air1 and soil that results from mountaintop removal coal mining may be causing health crises in their communities4 7#b7 ,peer-reviewed scientific research and reports have raised serious concerns about mountaintop removal mining with respect to elevated risks in categories of birth defects studied3 circulatory_/respiratory1 central nervous system1 musculoskeletal1 and gastrointestinal4 7#c7 ,mountaintop removal coal mining has also been associated with elevated levels of adult hospitalizations for chronic pulmonary disorders and hypertension that are elevated as a function of county-level coal production1 as are rates of mortality2 lung cancer2 and chronic heart1 lung1 and kidney disease4 ,these health problems strike both women and men in mountaintop removal coal mining communities4 ,these elevated levels of disease1 defects1 and mortality persist even after controlling for other variables4 7#d7 ,initial scientific evidence1 and the level of public concern1 warrant immediate action to stop new mountaintop removal coal mining permits and increase environmental and human health monitoring at existing mountaintop removal coal mining projects while the reported links between health effects and mountaintop removal coal mining are investigated by ,federal health agencies4 7#e7 ,the ,national ,institute of ,environmental ,health ,sciences is uniquely qualified to manage a working group of ,federal health agencies with expertise that is relevant to study of the reported links4 #c4 ,health studies 7a7 ,studies ,the ,director of the ,national ,institute of ,environmental ,health ,sciences1 in consultation with the ,administrator of the ,environmental ,protection ,agency and the heads of such other ,federal departments and agencies as the ,director deems appropriate1 shall-- 7#a7 conduct or support comprehensive studies on the health impacts1 if any1 of mountaintop removal coal mining on individuals in the surrounding communities2 and 7#b7 submit to the ,secretary1 and make publicly available1 a report on the results of such studies4 7b7 ,determination ,upon receipt of the report under subsection 7a77#b71 the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services shall publish a determination on whether mountaintop removal coal mining presents any health risks to individuals in the surrounding communities4 #d4 ,mountaintop removal coal mining permit moratorium ,until and unless the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services publishes a determination under section #c7;b7 concluding that mountaintop removal coal mining does not present any health risk to individuals in the surrounding communities1 a permit or other authorization may not be issued for any mountaintop removal coal mining project1 or for any expansion of such a project1 by-- 7#a7 the ,secretary of the ,army1 acting through the ,chief of ,engineers1 or a ,state1 under section #djd of the ,federal ,water ,pollution ,control ,act 7#cc ,u4,s4,c4 #acdd72 7#b7 the ,administrator of the ,environmental ,protection ,agency1 or a ,state1 under section #djb of the ,federal ,water ,pollution ,control ,act 7#cc ,u4,s4,c4 #acdb72 or 7#c7 the ,secretary of the ,interior1 acting through the ,office of ,surface ,mining ,reclamation and ,enforcement1 or a ,state1 under the ,surface ,mining ,control and ,reclamation ,act of #aigg 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4 #abja et seq474 #e4 ,mountaintop removal coal mining continuous health and environmental monitoring 7a7 ,requirement ,until the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services publishes a determination under section #c7;b7-- 7#a7 any person conducting a mountaintop removal coal mining project shall-- 7,a7 conduct continuous monitoring for any pollution of water and air 7including noise7 and frequent monitoring of soil as a result of such project for the purposes of comprehensively-- 7i7 characterizing any pollution emitted from the project2 and 7ii7 identifying ways in which members of affected communities might be exposed to these emissions2 and 7,b7 submit the results of such monitoring to the ,secretary on a monthly basis2 and 7#b7 the ,secretary shall make such results available to the public through the ,world ,wide ,web in a searchable database format not later than #g days after the date on which the ,secretary receives such results4 7b7 ,enforcement ,if a person conducting a mountaintop removal coal mining project fails to conduct monitoring and submit results in connection with such project as required by subsection 7a71 a permit or other authorization may not be issued for the mountaintop removal coal mining project1 or for an expansion of such project1 by-- 7#a7 the ,secretary of the ,army1 acting through the ,chief of ,engineers1 or a ,state1 under section #djd of the ,federal ,water ,pollution ,control ,act 7#cc ,u4,s4,c4 #acdd72 7#b7 the ,administrator of the ,environmental ,protection ,agency1 or a ,state1 under section #djb of the ,federal ,water ,pollution ,control ,act 7#cc ,u4,s4,c4 #acdb72 or 7#c7 the ,secretary of the ,interior1 acting through the ,office of ,surface ,mining ,reclamation and ,enforcement1 or a ,state1 under the ,surface ,mining ,control and ,reclamation ,act of #aigg 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4 #abja et seq474 #f4 ,fee to pay for health studies and monitoring 7a7 ,collection and assessment ,the ,president1 acting through the ,office of ,surface ,mining ,reclamation and ,enforcement of the ,department of the ,interior1 shall assess and collect from each person that1 as of the date of the enactment of this ,act1 is conducting a mountaintop removal coal mining project in the ,united ,states a one-time fee in an amount sufficient to recover the ,federal cost of implementing sections #c and #e4 7b7 ,use of fee ,amounts received by the ,united ,states as a fee under this section may be used1 to the extent and in the amount provided in advance in appropriations ,acts1 only to pay the ,federal cost of carrying out sections #c and #e4 #g4 definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 mountaintop removal coal mining ,the term mountaintop removal coal mining means surface coal mining that uses blasting with explosives in the steep slope regions of ,kentucky1 ,tennessee1 ,west ,virginia1 and ,virginia4 7#b7 steep slope ,the term steep slope has the meaning that term has under section #eae7;d77#d7 of the ,surface ,mining ,control and ,reclamation ,act of #aigg 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4 #abfe7;d77#d774