DEP Citizens Advisory Council Meets March 16 On Mine Reclamation Needs; Expiration Of Federal Fee Would Leave PA With No Resources To Deal With This Critical Issue

DEP’s Citizens Advisory Council is scheduled to hold a virtual meeting March 16 to hear a presentation on the Mine Reclamation Program and the need for reauthorization of the federal Mine Reclamation fee.

On the agenda are two presentations on mine reclamation efforts.

Brian Bradley, Director of DEP’s Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation, will provide an overview of the state’s Mine Reclamation Program funded primarily by the federal per ton fee on coal production.

In spite of significant investment in local mine reclamation projects, Pennsylvania has over 287,000 acres of abandoned mine land in need of reclamation and over 5,500 miles of stream polluted by mine drainage.

In September of 2021, the federal fee that pays for this program will expire leaving Pennsylvania with next to no resources to deal with the state’s #2 water pollution problem (by only 206 miles), unless reauthorized by Congress.

Pennsylvania has been working with the Interstate Mining Compact Commission and the National Association of Abandoned Mine Land Programs to support the reauthorization of the federal AML fee collection to 2036.  Read more here.

The Pennsylvania AML Campaign, a coalition of conservation districts, watershed groups, and other local nonprofit groups also support reauthorization of the AML fee collection.

Click Here for a summary of the Mine Reclamation Program.

The Council will also hear from Robert Hughes, Executive Director, of the Eastern PA Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation, about local and regional mine reclamation efforts at the need for reauthorization of the federal AML fee.

Hughes also works closely with his counterparts in the Western PA Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation.

Pennsylvania and Hughes, Trout Unlimited, the Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds and other groups have appeared before Congress in support of reauthorization of the federal AML fee.  Read more here.

Public Comments

Individuals interested in providing public comments during the public comment period at the meeting must sign up prior to the start of the meeting by contacting Keith Salador, Executive Director by contacting him at 717-787-8172 or sending email to: ksalador@pa.gov.

The meeting will start at 12:30 p.m.  Click Here to register to attend the meeting via WebEx and by audio call-in: 1-415-655-0003, Conference ID# 132 085 4459.

For available handouts and more information, visit DEP’s Citizens Advisory Council meeting. Questions should be directed to Executive Director: Keith Salador, 717-787-8172, ksalador@pa.gov. 

Related Article This Week:

-- Federal Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program Provides $52.4 Million To PA For Mine Reclamation

Related Articles:

-- DEP: Federal Fee Due To Expire In 2021 That Is The Only Source Of Funds To Address $3.9 Billion In High-Priority AML Problems [2019]

-- Over 100 Groups Sign Letter Urging Congressional Action On Federal Mine Reclamation Fee, Black Lung Bills

-- DEP, EPCAMR, Trout Unlimited Tell U.S. House Subcommittee Hearing Reauthorizing Federal Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fee Critical, There’s A Lot More To Do

[Posted: March 4, 2021]  PA Environment Digest