CLEAN UP Mines Act of 2026
Coal Mining: Stricter Cleanup and Environmental Rules
The CLEAN UP Mines Act of 2026 is currently in the early stages of the legislative process. It was recently introduced and sent to the House Committee on Natural Resources for review. There are no upcoming votes scheduled at this time.
Legislative Progress
This bill faces strong opposition from the mining industry and currently lacks the broad bipartisan support needed to pass through a divided Congress.
Key Points
- This bill requires coal companies to clean up and restore land much faster after they finish mining. Companies would have to start filling in holes and leveling the ground within 180 days of the last coal being pulled out. They must also finish planting new grass and trees within three years of the mine closing.
- Coal mining companies would face stricter rules and more frequent inspections. If a mine stops working for six months, the company must either prove they are following cleanup rules or show a plan to start mining again within a year. This is meant to prevent companies from leaving empty mines that sit for years without being fixed.
- The bill demands better protection for local water sources. It requires companies to test surface and groundwater every three months to check for pollution. It also requires an annual checkup on the health of nearby streams and special inspections after heavy rainstorms to make sure runoff is not damaging the environment.
- To make sure the work gets done, the government would change how it handles the insurance money companies pay before they start mining. Companies would only get their money back if they meet these new, faster deadlines for restoring the land and water to a healthy state.
Impact Analysis
Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.
Milestones
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
News
No related news coverage found for this legislation yet.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
CLEAN UP Mines Act of 2026
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(2)Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.