On Tuesday morning, the House Natural Resources Committee passed the RECLAIM Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at revitalizing coal mining communities. The legislation would direct $1 billion over five years to restoring abandoned mine lands. Committee members also approved an…
If passed, the RECLAIM Act could provide much needed funding to clean up abandoned mine lands and prepare these sites for economically beneficial uses.
Through the dark clouds of the Trump administration’s agenda for rolling back or killing off programs critical to the health of Appalachian communities and the environment, a bright spot has emerged — $10 million for repurposing old coal mines in Southwest Virginia for new economic opportunities.
U.S. senators and representatives are expected to re-introduce the RECLAIM Act, a bipartisan bill that would direct $1 billion to clean up abandoned mine sites and repurpose them for an economically beneficial use.
Contact: Adam Wells, Economic Diversification Program Manager, 804-240-4372, adam@appvoices.org Cat McCue, Communications Director, 434-293-6373, cat@appvoices.org NORTON, VA – A bill announced today by senators from four Appalachian states for $1 billion to repurpose abandoned coal strip mines for economic development…
More than one million acres across Appalachia have been disturbed by surface coal mining. These formerly mined lands offer many challenges, but could also become focal points for economic development and reforestation.
On Nov. 1, Appalachian Voices together with Coal Mining Engineering Services, LLC, and Downstream Strategies released a groundbreaking new report demonstrating how abandoned mine lands can be reimagined to benefit the region.
A new Abandoned Mine Lands Economic Revitalization program has broken ground in Pennsylvania, with additional projects identified in West Virginia and Kentucky.
In February, a bill was introduced in Congress that would expedite funding to clean up old coal mining sites and redevelop them specifically to foster economic growth. The RECLAIM Act is now in committee and the language is expected to change a bit in the coming weeks. As Congress considers those changes, lawmakers should look to communities impacted by the coal industry, in Appalachia and across the country, whose perspective is vital to the bill’s success.
Contact: Adam Wells, Economic Diversification Program Coordinator (o) 276-679 1691, (m) 804-240-4372, adam@appvoices.org Norton, VA — Appalachian Voices today released preliminary findings in an ongoing review of abandoned coal mine lands in Southwest Virginia to identify the best potential sites…
