Funding was allowed to expire last week for the Abandoned Minelands Fund, a program set up to mitigate environmental and health impacts of abandoned coal mines. Congress failed to enact the $3.5 trillion dollar infrastructure bill that includes a renewal of the surcharge on coal mining companies. Funding could be restored, if the bipartisan infrastructure bill passes into law.
The cost of reclaiming all abandoned minelands has been estimated at anywhere from 11 to over 20 billion dollars, mostly for repairing damage in Central Appalachian states. Advocates say that in addition to preventing landslides and other environmental impact, reclaiming abandoned coal mines could create billions of dollars in benefit for Appalachian states through new jobs and economic opportunity.
