Federal funding for abandoned mines in Pa. must be protected

Mine reclamation isn’t just about fixing old scars on the landscape — it’s about protecting people, creating good jobs, and ensuring a safe and thriving future for our communities. The recent federal funding freeze on the Abandoned Mine Land program put all this at risk, jeopardizing workers’ livelihoods, public safety, and environmental restoration.

While the funding has now been unfrozen — thanks to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s litigation and advocacy at the White House — some uncertainty remains, and the situation has already created unnecessary hardship for Pennsylvania businesses and workers.

For generations, coal mining powered our economy, but it also left behind dangerous abandoned mine lands that continue to impact residents today. These sites threaten our health, homes, and environment, disproportionately affecting rural areas.

In Pennsylvania, where coal mining was once a cornerstone industry, the consequences are everywhere: sinkholes swallowing roads and homes, toxic runoff polluting our waterways, and underground fires threatening critical infrastructure. The Abandoned Mine Land program is a lifeline, funding projects that clean up these hazards, provide stable jobs, and restore our land for future generations.

When an abandoned mine collapsed beneath a neighborhood in Fayette County, buckling a home’s foundation and tearing apart the roadway, the Pennsylvania Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation sprang into action. The agency partnered with Howard Concrete Pumping and its union workforce to pump a concrete-like grout into the sinkhole and stabilize the ground, ensuring the family could return safely to their home. This is just one of 127 emergency projects Pennsylvania tackled in 2018 alone, thanks to Abandoned Mine Land program funding.

The impact of this funding goes beyond emergencies. In 2019, a project in Westmoreland County stabilized the land under 144 properties, preventing future disasters before they happened. A decade ago, reclamation workers in Clearfield and Elk Counties restored 33 miles of orange-tinted, polluted streams, bringing back fish and recreation to the region. And in 2014, crews contained a mine fire dangerously close to Pittsburgh International Airport, protecting travelers and critical infrastructure.

These projects don’t just improve safety, they create opportunities, and the Pennsylvania Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation advances dozens of cleanup projects like these every year. The Abandoned Mine Land program funding supports nearly 1,000 good-paying jobs in Pennsylvania annually, helping workers build a career in environmental restoration and construction.

The 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law was a major victory, substantially increasing Abandoned Mine Land program funding to Pennsylvania. The commonwealth receives $245 million in federal funds from this law for the abandoned mine program — and around $50 million in additional federal mine reclamation grants — every year, according to analysis by the Ohio River Valley Institute.

These funds were meant to accelerate cleanup efforts and support more jobs. But when federal funds were frozen, it sent shock waves through Pennsylvania’s mine reclamation efforts. Though the funding has since been restored, the pause created serious uncertainty for businesses and workers who rely on these projects. The long-term impacts are uncertain.

Many mine reclamation projects in Pennsylvania are paid for upfront by businesses or local organizations, which are then reimbursed by the state. The Eastern Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation, which is working on a federally funded reclamation project in Luzerne County, for example, often has to make outlays on reclamation-related work, and then seek reimbursement.

Even the threat of future freezes could cause businesses to pause or delay work, fearing they won’t be reimbursed. The chaos surrounding this funding has real consequences for Pennsylvania workers and families. These disruptions have made it clear: While the unfreezing of funds is a significant victory, our work is far from over.

We must ensure all promised funding reaches Pennsylvania communities, and that future federal funding remains secure. Gov. Shapiro plans to move ahead with his lawsuit in pursuit of a binding agreement regarding federal funds, and we need to ensure federal agencies uphold their commitments and prevent future disruptions.

We are calling on Pennsylvania’s leaders to join the governor in this fight. This is not a partisan issue — it’s about standing up for Pennsylvania families, workers, and communities. We must remain ready to defend these vital investments whenever they come under threat.

We need certainty, not crisis after crisis. Pennsylvania’s future depends on it.

Eric Dixon is a senior researcher at the Ohio River Valley Institute.