Recently, I’ve participated in the announcement of five projects that will repurpose old coal mine lands for a variety of uses, from economic development to recreation. Securing federal money for these projects has been a priority of mine in the House of Representatives, and it has been a multi-year process.
Money for abandoned mine land (AML) reclamation for Kentucky, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania has been included in the spending bills that come to the House floor. While those states have more sites needing cleanup, Virginia’s legacy of mining also includes sites that need restoration.
In the previous two years, I have offered an amendment that would provide $10 million each to Virginia, Ohio, and Alabama for reclamation as well. These amendments were included in the spending bills signed into law.
This year, I again put forward this amendment and the House approved it. Although a final version of the spending bill has not been sent to the President’s desk, I am confident this latest installment of $10 million in reclamation funding for Virginia will be approved. It would be added to the $20 million already secured. And the sites eligible for it are clustered in the Ninth District.
Further, the pilot project supported by my amendment is in addition to the existing AML program, which cleans up coal mine sites abandoned before August 3, 1977, but aims to address hazards and environmental degradation – not development for economic use. The pilot project applies funding for both cleanup and economic development.
Funding is now being disbursed by the Treasury to projects, which in Virginia are selected through an application process by the Department of Mines, Minerals, and Energy. Five projects have already been announced which show the array of ways money can be used in reclamation. Jobs, industry, tourism, natural beauty, all benefit from the projects supported by the pilot program.
The grants awarded were:
- $3.5 million for a 200-acre industrial park in the City of Norton. The park is a product of regional cooperation in the Lonesome Pine Regional Industrial Facilities Authority (RIFA), which consists of Norton and the Counties of Lee, Scott, Wise, and Dickenson. An unstable highwall will be removed and onsite material will be used for earthwork.
- $3,199,553 to create an industrial site in Russell County. The site to be cleaned up once hosted the prominent Moss No. 3 coal preparation plant and a coal fines pit. It will become part of an industrial park encompassing 232 acres. Some old structures will be removed while others, such as rail siding and electric lines, will be repurposed to support the industrial site.
- $1.5 million for the Pocahontas Exhibition Mine in Tazewell County. Funding will support improvements to the mine and museum as well as reclamation of adjacent abandoned land for commercial development, enhancing the experience of future visitors.
- $711,100 to close nine old mine portals and convert an access road to a trail that connects with the Cranes Nest Trail in Dickenson County. The Cranes Nest Trail is available for hiking, biking, and equestrian use.
- $88,302 to improve the Devil’s Fork Loop Trail in Scott County. The trail showcases the famous Devil’s Bathtub. Funding will close an old mine portal, improve the trail, and expand parking at the site.
At the announcement in Russell County, an official with the U.S. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement noted that it felt good to reclaim land abandoned mine lands so that they can again be the site of industrial jobs.
That is the point of this program I brought to Virginia. One of the pillars of a strong economy is adaptability. In our part of Virginia, we are taking land that no longer serves its former purpose and recovering them for future use.
The reclamation work itself will create jobs, and the uses the land will be put to, whether industry or tourism, will support jobs and economic growth as well. The economic benefit can be industrial repurposing or tourism. It can be as big as a new industrial park or as simple as parking for a natural attraction.
Southwest Virginia’s way of life is closely tied to the land, which defines our culture and our economy. Federal support for abandoned mine land reclamation will help us define our own future. I am optimistic about the five projects that have been announced and look forward to the benefits they will provide for our communities.
If you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to contact my office. You can call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671. To reach my office via email, please visit my website at www.morgangriffith.house.gov.
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