In the News

U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt today announced that the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) will provide $32,171,975 to Pennsylvania 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.”

“Pennsylvania has more unreclaimed mine sites than any other state, and there are more than 300 in my district alone,” said U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright (PA). “Cleaning up these dangerous sites is a top priority for us in Northeastern Pennsylvania, but we need federal help to get it done. That’s why I’ve been a strong advocate for this program, and why I’m fighting to ensure the AML Trust Fund remains active for years to come. These grants will help our local governments clean up toxic mine drainage, restore blighted areas, and create jobs and economic opportunities on these previously unusable lands.”

“Pennsylvania’s Fifteenth Congressional District has more abandoned mine lands than any other nationwide and this funding will directly assist with our longtime AML reclamation goals,” said U.S. Rep. Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (PA). “I appreciate OSM’s support for this important work which benefits our historic coal communities, both environmentally and economically.

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.