HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania environmental officials announced $15.2 million in new funding to restore land and waterways damaged by abandoned coal mines, supporting 15 cleanup and restoration projects across the Commonwealth.
What This Means for You
- $15.2 million will fund 15 projects to address pollution and hazards from abandoned coal mines.
- The projects focus on improving water quality, restoring ecosystems, and reducing safety risks.
- Pennsylvania faces roughly $5 billion in remaining abandoned mine cleanup needs.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection awarded the funding through its Abandoned Mine Land and Abandoned Mine Drainage Grant Program, which supports projects aimed at addressing environmental damage caused by historic mining operations.
Pennsylvania has the largest inventory of abandoned coal mines in the United States, many of which continue to pollute waterways or pose safety risks through subsidence, sinkholes, and unstable waste piles.
“Reclaiming these areas is an important part of the work DEP does to restore the environment and protect the communities in the Commonwealth,” DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley said.
Addressing Mine Pollution and Safety Risks
Abandoned mine land projects typically focus on restoring contaminated land, treating polluted water, and stabilizing dangerous mine features.
One of the most common environmental problems is abandoned mine drainage, which occurs when water flows through old mines and carries acidic runoff and metals into nearby streams.
The grant program funds treatment systems and restoration efforts designed to improve water quality and protect downstream ecosystems.
Funding also supports work to address hazards such as coal refuse piles, collapsing mine tunnels, and contaminated groundwater.
Federal Infrastructure Funding Supports Projects
The funding comes through Pennsylvania’s federally supported Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Program.
Since 2022, more than $700 million has been directed toward mine reclamation projects in Pennsylvania through the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Officials said the funding also supports emergency responses when mine-related problems such as sinkholes or ground subsidence threaten homes, roads, or other infrastructure.
Restoration Projects Across Pennsylvania
The funding supports a range of environmental restoration projects in 11 counties.
Several projects will design or upgrade systems that treat abandoned mine drainage and prevent pollution from reaching nearby waterways.
Other projects focus on removing large coal waste piles, restoring damaged land, and improving wildlife habitat.
For example, a project in Fayette County will reclaim a coal refuse pile estimated at nearly 900,000 cubic yards, while a project in Schuylkill County will remove more than 247,000 cubic yards of waste coal slurry from a floodplain along the Schuylkill River.
Additional projects will restore streams, rehabilitate mine drainage treatment systems, and design future cleanup efforts in counties including Blair, Butler, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Somerset, and Washington.
Long-Term Environmental Restoration
DEP officials said the grant program prioritizes projects that address serious health and safety concerns while also restoring natural ecosystems.
Many of the funded projects are designed to improve water quality in watersheds impacted by decades of coal mining while supporting long-term community and environmental recovery.
Officials said reclaiming abandoned mine lands can also support economic revitalization by restoring land for recreation, development, and other productive uses.
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