The federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement has awarded Pennsylvania $244.9 million from federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to support abandoned mine reclamation in the Commonwealth.

This is the largest award expected to be distributed of $725 million in Fiscal Year 2022 funding the Department of the Interior has made available to 22 states and the Navajo Nation this year.

“I know first-hand what it looks like to live near a toxic, abandoned mine. In communities like my Pueblo of Laguna, people deal with the serious risks to our environment and our health that these legacy pollution sites pose,” said Secretary Deb Haaland. “We have a once-in-a-generation investment to address these sites with an eye toward marginalized communities. Thanks to President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, I believe the reclamation landscape of tomorrow presents endless opportunities for innovation, efficiency and partnership.”

AML funding will enable states to remediate abandoned mines that are leaking methane – a key contributor to climate change. This comes as part of the Biden-Harris administration’s unprecedented investments in coal, oil and gas and power plant communities.

This effort also advances the President’s Justice40 Initiative which commits to delivering 40% of the benefits of certain climate and clean energy investments to disadvantaged communities.

These investments supplement traditional annual AML grants, which are funded by coal operators and ensured to be provided through 2034 thanks to language in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Under the AML reclamation program, OSMRE has provided more than $8 billion to reclaim lands and waters that were mined or affected by mining prior to 1977, when SMCRA was enacted by Congress.

Click Here for the complete announcement.

For more information, visit DEP’s Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program and Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization (AMLER) Program webpages.

Related Articles:

-- Federal Office Of Surface Mining Awards PA $26.63 Million For Mine Reclamation Projects Related To Economic Development [PaEN]

-- DEP Begins Accepting Applications For $103.4 Million In Abandoned Mine Reclamation Grants Starting Oct. 24 [PaEN]

-- PA AML Campaign: Urge Sen. Toomey To Support Abandoned Mine Remediation STREAM Act [PaEN]

 -- 180+ Attended 2022 PA Abandoned Mine Reclamation Conference; MayFly Award Winners Recognized [PaEN]

[Posted: November 3, 2022]

11/7/2022