Charleston, WV- Yesterday, Senator Joe Manchin (I-WV), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, announced more than $140 million from the Department of Interior’s (DOI) Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) to reclaim abandoned mine lands. The funding is part of a larger $11.3 billion investment included by Chairman Manchin in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to address the threats posed by abandoned coal mines which will bring new economic opportunities to impacted areas and make them safer places to live.

“Many of West Virginia's mining communities sacrificed so much to power our great nation and now are left with dangerous abandoned mines that are safety hazards and can lead to polluted waterways and property damage,” said Chairman Manchin. “Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are helping these communities recover from the harmful effects of abandoned mines and creating new jobs and economic prosperity in the region.”

Today’s announcement comes after Chairman Manchin secured $428 million last month from the Department of Energy (DOE) to spur economic growth in former coal communities around the country and builds on the more than $280 million West Virginia has already received for abandoned mine land reclamation through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.  

To learn more about the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, click here.