House Democrats recently reintroduced legislation to revive a federal study examining the impact of surface coal mining on public health in Central Appalachia. The research, previously halted under the Trump administration, would be conducted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
House Natural Resources ranking member Raúl Grijalva and Rep. Morgan McGarvey presented H.R. 8614, a bill aimed at studying how Appalachian surface coal mining affects human health. Specifically, the study would investigate how living in close proximity to coal mining operations, including unreclaimed, idle, and abandoned sites, can lead to increased health risks for communities in the surrounding areas.
McGarvey emphasized the need for federal support to address the health concerns of residents in Kentucky and other parts of Appalachia, rather than prioritizing the interests of fossil fuel executives. He took over the position in the House from John Yarmuth, a prominent opponent of mountaintop mining, last year.
