Communities Say Congress Broke Its Promise to Clean Up Abandoned Coal Mine Lands

"We were to the moon," said Amanda Pitzer, the executive director at Friends of the Cheat, a nonprofit organization in West Virginia that works to restore the Cheat River watershed. "Once that big influx of money was announced, with West Virginia on track to receive $2.1 billion over those 15 years, we thought, 'Now's the time. Now's the time to invest in water treatment.'"

"Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an appropriations bill that would withdraw $500 million of the money allocated in 2021 for abandoned mine cleanup projects. The states that stand to lose the most are Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Illinois and Kentucky, according to an analysis by Appalachian Voices, an environmental organization that works on conservation issues in central and southern Appalachia. The bill must still pass the Senate, which plans to take it up this week, and be signed by the president before it becomes law."

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act authorized more than $11 billion in 2021 to reclaim lands and waterways damaged by abandoned coal mines, prompting restoration groups to plan major water treatment investments. West Virginia alone was projected to receive about $2.1 billion over 15 years to build and maintain treatment systems. The U.S. House passed an appropriations measure to withdraw $500 million from that allocation, with Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Illinois and Kentucky facing the largest losses. The measure still requires Senate approval and the president's signature. Reduced funding would limit reclamation and acid mine drainage cleanup efforts.

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