The Department of the Interior and the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement recently awarded Pennsylvania more than $244 million in Abandoned Mine Land (AML) program funds.
The program invests in projects that address dangerous and polluting abandoned mine lands, improve water quality by treating acid mine drainage, close dangerous mine shafts, reclaim unstable slopes, and restore water supplies damaged by mining.
Funding also can be used to reclaim hazardous land for recreational facilities and redevelopment including advanced manufacturing sites and renewable energy deployment.
Funding is prioritized to projects that employ current and former coal industry employees.
“By reclaiming abandoned mine lands, we not only make our landscapes cleaner and safer, but we also create good-paying jobs and spur economic opportunities that will lift Pennsylvania’s middle class,” Ali Zaidi, White House national climate advisor, said. “The cleanup funded by these investments will allow Pennsylvania communities to position lands currently fenced away and idled as the sites for future manufacturing facilities or clean energy infrastructure. This investment to clean up legacy pollution in Pennsylvania is a win for the environment, a win for communities, and a win for local economies.”
Pennsylvania received more than $489.7 million for AML reclamation in fiscal years 2022 and 2023.