US abandoned mine land funds improve coal communities and the lives of their residents
Published by Tom Mostyn,
Editorial Assistant
World Coal,
On 19 March, US Acting Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt announced the availability of the fiscal year 2019 abandoned mine land (AML) reclamation grants through the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE). This year’s grants will provide more than US$291.2 million for states and tribes to reclaim and repurpose abandoned coal lands.
“These grants are a great example of Interior partnering with states, Tribes, and local governments to provide resources for conservation efforts and infrastructure and public safety improvements, like fixing embankments, stabilising land above underground mines and restoring streams,” said Acting Secretary Bernhardt.
“The investment we’re making back into coal country helps protect people, land, water and property, and enhances the lives of local citizens.”
OSMRE provides AML grants to the 25 coal-producing states and three tribes according to a congressionally mandated formula based on their past and current coal production. Each year, after the distribution is announced, eligible states and tribes apply for annual reclamation grants to access money in their allocations. OSMRE evaluates and verifies the requests, and makes the award amounts available.
The authority to collect AML reclamation fees is slated to expire in September 2021, unless Congress reauthorizes the fee, as it did in 2006.
Read the article online at: https://www.worldcoal.com/coal/20032019/us-abandoned-mine-land-funds-improve-coal-communities-and-the-lives-of-their-residents/
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