On November 2, the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement awarded Pennsylvania $26.63 million for abandoned mine reclamation projects related to improving economic development opportunities in communities.

“The AMLER program is one of the many ways in which the Biden-Harris administration is investing in coal communities,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Laura Daniel-Davis. “AMLER grants are community-driven projects that rehabilitate degraded and hazardous sites, while creating new economic opportunities and good-paying jobs for coal communities. We have already seen the impact of this program – with projects that are creating the foundation for economic opportunity for years to come.”

Established in 2016, the AMLER program funds projects that return legacy coal mining sites to productive uses through economic and community development.

AML reclamation projects support vitally needed jobs for coal communities by investing in projects that close dangerous mine shafts, reclaim unstable slopes, improve water quality by treating acid mine drainage, and restore water supplies damaged by mining.

The AMLER program has supported additional community revitalization by taking these blighted or polluted sites and turning them into recreation destinations, training facilities, agricultural processing centers, business parks, solar farms and more.

The Biden-Harris administration has made unprecedented investments in coal, oil and gas and power plant communities, including through the Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities, which coordinates federal investments to support economic revitalization in energy communities.

The AMLER program 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.

This funding is in addition to the regular federal mine reclamation and federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding.

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.

(Photo: Robert Hughes, Eastern PA Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation.)

Related Articles:

-- Pennsylvania Awarded $244.9 Million In Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding For Abandoned Mine Reclamation  [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