This week the Department of Environmental Protection provided the Senate and House environmental committees with copies of the 2004 Remining Incentives Report which details how programs like financial guarantees, bond credits, mine operator assistance, government-financed reclamation contracts and other initiatives have promoted the remining and reclamation of abandoned mine areas.

Since 1996 more than 2,924 acres of abandoned mine land have been reclaimed under these incentive programs by mine operators. Reclamation of these areas would have cost state taxpayers more than $17.5 million if DEP had to complete the work.

As an additional incentive to remining, DEP recommended in the report amending state law to allow “lands eligible for remining” to be released from further reclamation liability two years after they last reclamation activity to be consistent with federal law.

Commenting on the report, DEP’s Mining and Reclamation Advisory Board made several recommendations—

· DEP apply concepts used in the Land Recycling Program to redevelop brownfields to remining and mine reclamation projects;

· Remining projects should receive priority funding under the Growing Greener Program;

· Legislation should be enacted to provide a tax credit to mine operators for each ton of coal from remining projects; and

· Agreed with the agency’s recommendation to provide liability release on remining project consistent with federal law.

The entire 2004 Remining Incentives Report is available online.

NewsClip: DEP Awards No Cost Reclamation Contract

7/15/2005