On January 12, Patrick Webb, Acting Director of DEP’s Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation, told the Mining and Reclamation Advisory Board DEP has 47 mine reclamation projects covering 977 acres in active construction at a cost of $123 million.

Webb said an additional 70 coal mine reclamation projects are in the queue covering 1,400 acres costing an estimated $106 million.

He said DEP is starting to use funding from the first payment of $244.9 million Pennsylvania received as a result of the federal taxpayer funded Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Program to pay for the reclamation projects.

Webb said in 2021 and 2022 private contractors completed coal mine reclamation projects covering 745 acres and costing $57.5 million.

He also explained DEP completed 50 emergency mine subsidence and reclamation projects in 2021 at a cost of $2.1 million and 86 emergency projects at a cost of $3.7 million in 2022.

In addition, a separate project to repair the Rouch Creek mine drainage treatment plant cost an additional $3.7 million.

Click Here for a list of projects referred to in Webb’s presentation.

Webb said DEP will be receiving 14 more annual payments of $244.9 million to pay for mine reclamation projects from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Program.

Mine Reclamation Grants

Webb noted the deadline for local groups to apply for the initial $103.4 million in federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding for local mine reclamation projects is January 13.  Read more here.

He said there will be other opportunities for groups to apply in the future, so they should not worry if they miss this deadline.

“On April 20 this year, we're doing the same thing again. We're going to be advertising the Federal Civil Award Program and that's going to begin sometime in March,” said Webb.  “And we're going to have three rounds now for this year of the same type of advertisement that's currently out there that ends here on Friday.

“So on grant applicants, if they are getting down to the wire and if they don't think they're going to make it or if they're rushing, it's okay, this isn't going away.”

STREAM Act

Webb said passage of the STREAM Act allowing states to set aside 30 percent of the BIL funding they receive for mine reclamation project maintenance and mine subsidence and mine fire work was a major accomplishment.  Read more here.

For Pennsylvania, the estimated annual value is about $73.4 million for a total of $1.1 billion over 15 years.

To learn more about Pennsylvania’s mine reclamation programs, visit DEP’s Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation webpage.  Click Here for a report on overall program accomplishments.

(Photos: Little Conemaugh River before and after mine drainage treatment.)

Related Articles:

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

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

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

-- Federal Office Of Surface Mining Recognizes DEP Anthracite Outdoor Adventure - Bear Valley Mine Reclamation Project In Northumberland County With National Award

-- Appalachian Voices: Final FY2023 Federal Budget Includes STREAM Act, Abandoned Mine Land Economic Program Increase, Not Black Lung Benefits

-- Appalachian Region Independent Power Producers Assn. Accepting Applications For Mine Reclamation Grants

-- Federal Office Of Surface Mining Awards Grants To 8 Projects To Extract Critical Minerals From Mine Waste, Including To The University Of Pittsburgh & Partners

[Posted: January 13, 2023]

1/16/2023