COAL Act of 2025

Summary#

This bill directs the Secretary of the Interior to move forward on certain pending coal lease applications. It defines a "qualified application" as a coal lease application pending when the bill becomes law for which NEPA environmental review has already started. For each qualified application the Secretary must, as soon as practicable: publish a draft environmental assessment and any implementing regulations if not already published; finalize the fair market value for the coal tract; take intermediate steps needed to grant the application; and grant the coal lease. The bill also directs the Secretary to grant any additional Interior approvals needed for previously awarded coal leases so mining can begin. Finally, the bill removes the force of Secretarial Order 3338 (the 2016 Federal coal moratorium).

What it means for you#

• Companies with coal lease applications that were pending and had started NEPA review when the bill becomes law would be required to have those applications completed and granted.
• Holders of previously awarded coal leases would be eligible to receive remaining Interior approvals needed to start mining.
• The Bureau of Land Management would be required to publish draft environmental assessments and finalize fair market value for affected tracts if those steps had not already occurred.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

Proponents' View#

The bill’s sponsors direct Interior to complete processing and approve qualified coal lease applications and related approvals, and to revoke the 2016 Secretarial Order on coal leasing. This indicates supporters want pending coal leasing and mining approvals to proceed without further delay.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information.