PA Environment Digest

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PA Coal Alliance: Mining Companies Reclaimed 240 Acres Of Abandoned Mines In PA

In honor of Earth Day this year, the PA Coal Alliance is proud to recognize mining companies for their contributions to environmental stewardship through abandoned mine land reclamation in Pennsylvania.

In 2016, nearly 240 acres of abandoned mine land was reclaimed, with a taxpayer benefit of $10.9 million. Today there are an additional 1,582 acres of active reclamation projects in Pennsylvania, with a taxpayer benefit of over $70 million. Of those, 440 acres are anticipated to be completed in 2017.

Pennsylvania’s surface and underground coal mining companies pay a federal Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fee on the tonnage of clean coal mined, which is dedicated to funding the restoration of abandoned mines that were left without adequate reclamation prior to 1977.

Future planned reclamation projects in Pennsylvania will reclaim over 2,200 acres of abandoned mine land resulting in a $101 million dollar benefit to the Pennsylvania taxpayers.

Nationally, according to the National Mining Association, the U.S. mining industry has paid more than $10 billion to restore mines that were abandoned prior to laws requiring their restoration, and U.S. mining companies have restored more than 2.9 million acres of mined land.

[Note: The federal reclamation fee on coal production expires in 2021 and there is already an effort underway to reauthorize the fee in Pennsylvania.]

Pennsylvania mining companies, which last year ranked third in the nation for coal production, fully employ environmentally responsible and safe mining practices and demonstrate a continued dedication to preserving and enhancing Pennsylvania’s environment for future generations.

For more information on coal mining from an industry perspective, visit the PA Coal Alliance website.

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Op-Ed: Reclaiming PA’s Coal Heritage With New Federal Legislation-- RECLAIM

U.S. House Hearing On RECLAIM Making $200M Available For Mine Reclamation

Bipartisan RECLAIM Reintroduced In Congress To Cleanup Abandoned Mine Lands

Op-Ed: EPCAMR: Federal RECLAIM Act Can Help In Reshaping Northeast PA’s Economy