Provisions reauthorizing the federal Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fee were put into a controversial federal tax/minimum wage bill by the U.S. House this week and sent to the U.S. Senate on a take-it-or-leave-it deal. They left it and went home on summer break.

“Citizens throughout the state – from County Commissioners to Conservation Districts to anglers and hunters to public health officials and environmental activists – have worked ceaselessly to get permanent clean up funding for our terrible legacy of damage from coal mining,” said John Dawes of the Pennsylvania AML Campaign and the Western PA Watershed Program. “And we profoundly appreciate the exceptional leadership of Senator Santorum, supported by Senator Specter, in moving the issue this far.

“But the progress Senator Santorum made on our behalf is endangered because the House deliberately placed the AML legislation in a highly controversial tax relief bill, knowing that it may be rejected by the Senate,” Dawes added.

The legislation-- HR 5970-- contains provisions to increase the minimum wage, decrease the estate tax and grant other tax breaks to specific industries, in addition to permanent funding for AML clean up through an assessment on current mining operations, paying states their unpaid balances on the current funding and providing for retired miner health benefits.

NewsClips: Abandoned Mines Legislation Stalls in U.S. Senate

WY Senator Says Mining Legislation Still Has Hope

Job Not Finished on Reauthorizing Abandoned Mine Fund Fee

Petersons Lauds Passage of Abandoned Mine Bill

Editorial: Pass Abandoned Mine Bill

Link: Groups Rally to Support Santorum Bill to Restore Mine Reclamation Funding

8/4/2006