DEP made the report to the Mining and Reclamation Advisory Board.
Joe Sassaman, Assistant Director of DEP’s Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation, said the cuts mean either two large mine drainage treatment projects-- like the Morris Run Project on the Tioga River that makes a huge difference in water quality across a watershed-- will not get built.
Or, it could mean 169-- $1 million reclamation backfill jobs will not get done benefitting dozens of areas.
“We don't know if it's going to be a lump sum at the beginning. We don't know if it's going to be annually they're going to take so much or if they do it at the end,” said Sassaman. “We're not sure how that's going to play out with the federal government.”
Robert Hughes, Executive Director of the Eastern PA Coalition of Abandoned Mine Reclamation said, “It was pretty disheartening to see that those funds are being taken away and they were supported by some folks in our state [Congressional delegation] to have that done.”
“Is there any chance that any of our community groups here in Pennsylvania that have been advocating for these funds for a very long time can do something through our Pennsylvania AML campaign or through EPCAMR or WPCAMR and a host of other partners that we have across the state [to] get in front of this and get some media attention and talk about the importance of this money for Pennsylvania in particular, but all of Appalachia.”
Nathan Houtz, DEP Deputy Secretary For Active and Abandoned Mine Operations, said, “We've been talking with our senators and congressmen and their staff about, though this money disappeared, we'd like to see it come back.
“The best I could say is to keep those lines of communication open with the legislators in DC, that we'd like to see the money come back and we definitely don't want to see this be the opening of a door to take more money from IIJA (federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment Act)."
Visit DEP’s Abandoned Mine Reclamation webpage to learn more about this program.
For more information on environmental programs in Pennsylvania, visit DEP’s website. Submit Environmental Complaints; Click Here to sign up for DEP’s newsletter; sign up for DEP’s eNotice; Like DEP on Facebook, Follow DEP on Twitter and visit DEP’s YouTube Channel.
(Photo: Little Conemaugh River in Cambria County before and after mine water treatment.)
Resource Links:
-- Post-Gazette: Pennsylvania Could Lose $200+ Million In Federal Funding For Abandoned Mine Reclamation, Plugging Conventional Oil & Gas Wells Abandoned By Their Owners Under Budget Bill Passed By US House [PaEN]
-- Post-Gazette - Laura Legere: US House Spending Bill Cuts $785 Million From Federal Programs To Restore Abandoned Coal Mines, Plug Conventional Oil & Gas Wells Abandoned By Their Owners - A Severe Blow To Pennsylvania’s Cleanup Efforts [PDF of Article]
-- Appalachian Voices: Coal Community Groups Urge Congress To Reject $500 Million Raid On Abandoned Mine Cleanup Funds; PA Would Lose Over $169 Million [PaEN]
-- PA Capital-Star: Federal Budget Bill Would Raid Fund For Cleaning Up Abandoned Coal Mines, Plug Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Wells - Pennsylvania Would Be Hardest Hit By Cuts
-- Inside Climate News - Kiley Bense: Coal Communities Accuse Congress Of Breaking Its Promise To Clean Up Abandoned Mine Lands [Plug Abandoned Oil & Gas Wells]
Related Articles This Week:
-- DEP Invests $17.3 Million In 89 Local Growing Greener Projects In 40 Counties To Restore Streams, Reclaim Abandoned Mine Land, Improve Fish, Wildlife Habitats [PaEN]
-- PA infrastructure Investment Authority Invests Record $559.4 Million In 36 Water Infrastructure Projects In 25 Counties [PaEN]
-- Commonwealth Financing Authority Invests $110 Million In 445 Small Water, Sewer, Stormwater, Flood Control Projects; Multimodal Transportation Funding Also Approved [PaEN]
-- PennVEST Now Accepting Proposals For Nutrient, Sediment Reduction Projects For Funding Thru Clean Water Procurement Program [PaEN]
-- National Fish And Wildlife Foundation Now Accepting Applications For Chesapeake Watershed Defense WILD Grants [PaEN]
-- Penn State Extension Hosts Feb. 16 Funding Conservation Webinar On US Natural Resources Conservation Service [PaEN]
-- Dept. Of Agriculture Accepting Applications For Innovation Grants Feb. 2 to April 18
-- Delaware River Basin Commission Hearing Feb. 4, Business Meeting March 4 [PaEN]
-- Delaware River Basin Commission Hosts Jan. 27 Webinar On New Report On The Impact Of Sea Level Rise On Salinity Intrusion In the Delaware River Estuary [PaEN]
-- DEP, Delaware River Basin Commission Offering 3-Part In-Person Water Loss Management Workshops For Water System Operators In March [PaEN]
-- Penn State Extensions Hosts March 16 Webinar On Water Law Basics For Farmers [PaEN]
-- DEP Chesapeake Bay Healthy Waters News: Gov. Shapiro Leads Chesapeake Bay Executive Council; 2024 Annual Report; Grant & Education Opportunities; Mussel Restoration; County Water Quality Improvement Projects
-- ClearWater Conservancy: Building Our Future Home While Staying True To Our Conservation Mission [PaEN]
-- Penn State Extension Hosts March 16 Webinar On Water Law Basics For Farmers [PaEN]
-- Scientists And Lawmakers To Kick Off Winter Salt Week At PA State Capitol To Tackle Road Salt Pollution [PaEN]
NewsClips:
-- TribLive: Ice Blockage Restricting Pittsburgh Water Operations, Water Pressure, Service Could Be Impacted For Some Customers
-- Post-Gazette: DEP Rejects Connoquenessing’s Controversial Sewage Facilities Plan
-- WNEP: 30th Anniversary Of Deadly Flood of ‘96 In Pennsylvania
-- Warren Times: Warren County Conservation District Accepting Scholarship Applications
-- Williamsport Sun: River Trip Helped Bring Awareness To West Branch Of Susquehanna [PDF of Article]
-- PennLive Letter: A.I. Thirst For Water Threatens Pennsylvania’s Wells - By Barbara Brandom, MD
-- The Conversation: America’s Next Big Clean Energy Resource Could Come From Abandoned Coal Mine Pollution, If We Can Agree On Who Owns It
[Posted: January 24, 2026] PA Environment Digest
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