On June 30 the fee supporting the federal Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund will expire and a coalition of environmental groups in Pennsylvania are urging watershed groups and others to write emails and letters of support for its reauthorization.

Last September, the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, representing the over 200 member groups in the PA AML Campaign, testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources in support of reauthorizing the reclamation fee.

Pennsylvania’s Congressional Delegation has been very supportive of reauthorization efforts, but they need your help and encouragement to meet the June 30 deadline.

In addition, the Pennsylvania Senate and House passed a joint resolution – House Resolution 382 (Frankel-D-Allegheny) on January 30 urging Congress to reauthorize funding for the federal Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund.

The Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers and the Western Pennsylvania Watershed Program are asking watershed groups, their members and other interested organizations to write key members of Pennsylvania’s Congressional Delegation to support their efforts to reauthorize the reclamation program.

They are asking that four members be contacted: Senator Rick Santorum (Attention: Ashley Horning), Senator Arlen Specter (Attention: Tom Dower), Congressman John Peterson (Attention: Jeff Vorgerger) and Congressman John Murtha (Attention: Brad Clemenson), as well as your local member of Congress.

For a sample letter (or better yet email or fax), to local your member of Congress and other background information, go to the POWR AML Reauthorization webpage. Contact your Member of the U.S. House or U.S. Senator.

2/24/2006