HR 5959 · 112th Congress 2011–2013, ended

ACHE Act

Introduced Jun 19, 2012 Originated House Sponsor Dennis J. Kucinich D-OH

Fact sheet Spreadsheet

Latest action · Jun 26, 2012 Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.

Progress

Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.

  1. IntroducedJun 19, 2012
  2. Passed HouseNot reached
  3. Passed SenateNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

Appalachian Communities Health Emergency Act or the ACHE Act - Requires the Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to conduct or support comprehensive studies on the health impacts of mountaintop removal coal mining on individuals in the surrounding communities. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), upon receipt of a report on study results, to publish a determination of whether such mining presents any health risks to individuals in those communities. Defines "mountaintop removal coal mining" as surface coal mining that uses blasting with explosives in the steep slope regions of Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Virginia.

Prohibits issuance of an 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, until and unless the Secretary publishes a determination that such mining does not present any health risk to individuals in the surrounding communities. Imposes requirements for continuous monitoring of air, noise, and water pollution and frequent monitoring of soil until a determination by the Secretary is made.

Assesses a one-time fee upon persons that conduct such mining projects, sufficient to cover the federal cost of the health studies and pollution monitoring required by this Act.

Cosponsors 26

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jun 19, 2012 to Sep 20, 2012; 13 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
D-MDDonna F. EdwardsOriginalJun 19, 2012
D-OREarl BlumenauerOriginalJun 19, 2012
D-VAJames P. MoranOriginalJun 19, 2012
D-KYJohn A. YarmuthOriginalJun 19, 2012
D-MIJohn Conyers, Jr.OriginalJun 19, 2012
D-CAJudy ChuOriginalJun 19, 2012
D-MNKeith EllisonOriginalJun 19, 2012
D-NYLouise McIntosh SlaughterOriginalJun 19, 2012
D-CALucille Roybal-AllardOriginalJun 19, 2012
D-CALynn C. WoolseyOriginalJun 19, 2012
D-NYMaurice D. HincheyOriginalJun 19, 2012
D-CAMichael M. HondaOriginalJun 19, 2012
D-AZRaúl M. GrijalvaOriginalJun 19, 2012
D-CTRosa L. DeLauroJun 27, 2012
D-NJRush HoltJun 27, 2012
D-CABarbara LeeJul 17, 2012
D-MEChellie PingreeJul 23, 2012
D-CABob FilnerJul 25, 2012
D-CAFortney Pete StarkAug 2, 2012
D-CAAdam B. SchiffSep 10, 2012
D-ILJanice D. SchakowskySep 10, 2012
D-MDJohn P. SarbanesSep 14, 2012
D-CAJerry McNerneySep 19, 2012
D-MAJohn W. OlverSep 19, 2012
D-CASam FarrSep 19, 2012
D-COJared PolisSep 20, 2012

Committees 3

Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.

ChamberCommitteeWhat it did
HouseNatural Resources Committee
Referred Jun 19, 2012
Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee
Referred Jun 26, 2012
HouseTransportation and Infrastructure Committee
Referred Jun 19, 2012
Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee
Referred Jun 20, 2012
HouseEnergy and Commerce Committee
Referred Jun 19, 2012

Actions 4

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Jun 26, 2012Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
  2. Jun 20, 2012Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
  3. Jun 19, 2012Introduced in House
  4. Jun 19, 2012Referred 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.

In the Congressional Record 1

Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.

WhereIn the RecordMembersDate
HouseLists H3807H.R. 5959–5971—Jun 19, 2012

Research

What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.

Constitutional authority

Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant to the following: Article 1, Section 8, Clause III of the Constitution.

The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the page H3807.

Titles 3

Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.

Official Title as Introduced
To place a moratorium on permitting for mountaintop removal coal mining until health studies are conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services, and for other purposes.
Short Titles as Introduced
ACHE Act
Appalachian Communities Health Emergency Act

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Health.

Text 1

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. Jun 19, 2012Introduced in House

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Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.