In the News

House Democrats asked the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review potential environmental damages caused by idled coal mines. 

So-called zombie mines are often technically active under the law but have not been used for extraction for months or years, and due to lack of maintenance, they may be at risk for leaks that can do major environmental damage to the surrounding area.

The Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) requires mine operators to reclaim any lands disturbed during the mining process, but reclamation is usually funded by coal revenues, and as such, a mine may be less likely to be reclaimed the longer it remains idle. 

“Further, there have been at least 68 coal company bankruptcies since 2012, which draws attention to whether financial assurances obtained by the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement and state agencies will be adequate to reclaim the land should the operators fail to do so,” the lawmakers wrote. “As a result, taxpayers may ultimately get stuck paying the bill.”