Interior Provides More Than $22.8 Million in Conservation Funding for
West Virginia to Reclaim and Repurpose Abandoned Coal Mines

AML funds improve coal communities and the lives of their residents

WASHINGTON - U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt today announced that the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) will provide $22,865,581 to West Virginia in Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Reclamation grants, to clean up and repurpose abandoned coal mines. More than $170 million in AML Reclamation funding will be available to states and tribes in FY 2020.

“AML grants provide states, tribes and local partners with important resources to reclaim lands and waters impacted by abandoned mines, restoring the promise of the outdoors for hardworking Americans in coal country,” said Secretary Bernhardt.

“OSMRE is proud to announce today the 2020 AML grants availability,” said Principal Deputy Director exercising the authority of the OSMRE Director Lanny E. Erdos. “These grants will continue to ensure our state and tribal partners have the resources needed to continue their decades of successful work on our nation's AML sites.”

“AML reclamation grants help diversify West Virginia’s economy by cleaning up old mine lands for new development,” said U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (WV). “They help keep lands and waters clean and enable the ability to reuse land for community benefit. I’m grateful this funding is coming to our state, and I’m excited to see continued economic growth in coal country.”

“I am pleased West Virginia will receive $22 million dollars to reclaim abandoned mine lands (AML). These grants, which are financed by fees paid by coal companies, go directly towards addressing the environmental legacy of the coal mining industry,” said U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (WV). "These funds make West Virginia safer and healthier. I thank Secretary Bernhardt and Lanny Erdos for recognizing the necessity of this program. Additionally, the AML fee collection authority is set to expire in 2021, and its extension remains one of my top priorities.”

“West Virginia’s coal industry is a cornerstone of our history, our heritage, and our economy. It is important that we prioritize innovation in our mines, even at the end of their intended use,” said U.S. Rep. Carol Miller (WV). “This funding ensures abandoned mine land is refurbished to better our coal communities by bringing new business opportunities to our state, creating good-paying jobs, and encouraging conservation in the region.”

“I am pleased to hear that West Virginia will receive more funding to do important reclamation work on AML sites across our state,” said U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney (WV). “The reclamation funds will keep West Virginia ‘Wild and Wonderful’ by ensuring our streams and rivers are clean and any abandoned mine shafts are safely and properly closed.”

OSMRE provides AML grants to the 25 coal-producing states and three tribes based on a congressionally mandated formula that evaluates past and current coal production by these entities. 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 AML Grants are funded in part by a fee collected on all coal produced in the United States. Under the AML Reclamation Program, OSMRE has distributed billions in grants to states and tribes. The funds have directly contributed to AML Reclamation Program achievements including the closure of over 45,000 abandoned underground mine shafts and openings, the elimination of over 960 miles of dangerous highwalls and the restoration of over 850,000 acres of clogged streams and land.

OSMRE and its state and tribal partners have worked for more than 42 years to address the physical hazards posed by lands and waters mined and abandoned or left inadequately restored before 1977 when the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) was enacted.

The FY 2020 AML Reclamation funding available to states and tribes is as follows:

To watch videos featuring award-winning AML reclamation projects, please visit OSMRE’s YouTube Channel.

###