The federal Bureau of Land Management would be required to move forward and complete all pending coal lease applications on federal lands under the COAL Act of 2025, including finalizing environmental reviews and approving mining permits. The bill also nullifies a 2016 Obama administration order (Secretarial Order 3338) that placed a moratorium on new federal coal leasing, allowing new applications to proceed again. Companies with already-approved leases would also be able to get the remaining federal permits they need to begin mining operations. The bill was introduced by senators from Wyoming, two of the nation's top coal-producing states.
Environmental Concerns
- Federal coal-leasing moratorium — 2016 Secretarial Order 3338 nullified, ending the pause on new federal coal leasing
- Mandatory leasing for pending applications — Interior required to finalize and grant every pending qualified coal lease
- Public lands open to coal extraction — New federal acreage available for mining once pending applications are granted
Corporate Benefits
- Approval certainty for pending lease applicants — Interior required to grant qualified applications and issue mining approvals
- Permit completion for already-awarded leases — Remaining Department of the Interior approvals required to be issued
Congressional Summary
Combating Obstruction Against Leasing Act of 2025 or the COAL Act of 2025This bill requires the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to process certain pending applications to lease coal mineral estates owned by the federal government in order to develop coal.If the environmental review process under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 has commenced for an application, then the BLM must publish a draft environmental assessment and any applicable implementing regulations, finalize the fair market value of the coal tract for which a lease by application is pending, take all intermediate actions necessary to grant the application, and grant the application.With respect to previously awarded coal leases, the BLM must grant any additional approvals required for mining activities to commence.Finally, the bill nullifies the Department of the Interior's Secretarial Order 3338, which placed a hold on most new federal coal leases until the BLM completes a comprehensive review of the federal coal program.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- Senate
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in Senate
- Action Date
- 2025-10-23
- Date Added
- 2026-04-10
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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