The Biden administration has committed $22 million to reclaim abandoned coal mines in Southwest Virginia, the New River Valley and Central Virginia.
The investment, announced last week, builds on $45.6 million from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda allocated to Virginia for abandoned mine land reclamation in fiscal years 2022 and 2023.
Virginia also received $300,000 to update its abandoned mine land inventory in support of future remediation efforts.
“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law infuses coal communities with the funding necessary to turn past pollution into future prosperity,” said Sharon Buccino, the principal deputy director of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement. “This historic funding is making people safer, cleaning up the environment, and creating jobs outcomes that these communities need and deserve.”
Abandoned mine land reclamation supports jobs in coal communities by investing in projects that close dangerous mine shafts, reclaim unstable slopes, improve water quality by treating acid mine drainage, and restore water supplies damaged by mining.
Awards can also enable economic revitalization by reclaiming hazardous land for recreational facilities and other forms of redevelopment, such as advanced manufacturing and renewable energy deployment.
As directed by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, OSMRE is prioritizing projects that employ current and former employees of the coal industry.
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Chris Graham
