House passes Griffith amendment to fund abandoned mine land reclamation

The House of Representatives adopted an amendment co-sponsored by Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) to the Interior and Environment appropriations bill to continue funding for a pilot project to reclaim abandoned mine land.

Congressman Griffith issued the following statement:

“Many longtime coal mining communities stand to benefit from reclaiming abandoned mine lands. Such projects offer opportunities for valuable economic redevelopment and repurposing on land currently not employed for productive use.

“The amendment continues funding for a pilot project I have successfully championed over the past two years, distributing $10 million each to Virginia, Ohio, and Alabama for reclamation projects. This year, I was joined by Congressman Bill Johnson (R-OH) in the effort to maintain funding for the pilot program. We worked to ensure that federal support for the revitalization of coal communities goes on throughout central Appalachia.”