June 1, 2026 - House lawmakers are pushing a legislative package to curb coal mine pollution as the Trump administration moves to boost fossil fuels.

It’s an early sign of where Democrats want to go in overhauling U.S. mining policy if they retake power in Washington, but the effort faces pushback from the mining sector.

Democratic Reps. Summer Lee and Chris DeLuzio of Pennsylvania and Don Beyer of Virginia introduced a trio of bills last week that would reform the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA), the primary federal law that regulates the environmental effects of U.S. coal mining. The goal, the lawmakers say, is to clean up “zombie mines” — idled, polluting sites that can pose a threat to public health.

Included in the package is Deluzio’s H.R. 7249, the “Bond Improvement and Reclamation Assurance Act,” which would require regulators to consider additional factors when calculating reclamation bonds or financial guarantees that mining companies must post before they’re allowed to operate to ensure land is restored.