In the News

Acid mine drainage funding bill headed to Biden’s desk

Times Leader

Washington, December 28, 2022

Tags: Jobs and the Economy , Fiscal Responsibilty , Energy and Environment , Local Issues

”The unprecedented levels of funding in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, maximized by The STREAM ACT, will help restore safe drinking water, bring impaired ecosystems back to life and, in the process, revive economic and recreational opportunities by eliminating our legacy coal pollution,” Cartwright said.

After passing both houses of Congress, the Safeguarding Treatment for the Restoration of Ecosystems from Abandoned Mines (STREAM) Act now heads to President Joe Biden’s desk.

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Moosic, along with U.S. Rep. David McKinley, R-West Virginia, this week announced passage of the STREAM Act via the Fiscal Year 2023 spending bill.

The STREAM Act now goes to the President’s desk to be signed into law.

According to a joint news release from the three members of Congress, acid mine drainage (AMD) — the release of highly acidic water from abandoned mines — is one of the largest sources of water pollution throughout the country and threatens the health and safety of Americans living near abandoned mine lands.

This legislation would allow states and tribes to set aside a portion of the abandoned mine land funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to treat AMD specifically, reducing long-term water pollution and investing in the economic health of their communities.