The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) announced more than $24 million in funding from former President Joe Biden’s Investing in American agenda to address abandoned mine lands and create economic opportunities in coal communities in Indiana.
In addition, Indiana received nearly $300,000 to update its abandoned mine land inventory to support future remediation efforts.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provided $16 billion to address legacy pollution, including over $11 billion to address abandoned mine lands. The funding is expected to address nearly all the current inventoried abandoned coal mine lands in the nation, eliminating dangerous conditions and pollution.
“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law infuses coal communities with the funding necessary to turn past pollution into future prosperity,” said Sharon Buccino, principal deputy director of OSMRE. “This historic funding is making people safer, cleaning up the environment and creating jobs. Outcomes that these communities need and deserve.”
Biden previously allocated $49.3 million to Indiana to address abandoned mine lands in 2022 and 2023.
“Over the last 50-plus years, Indiana has worked to address safety and environmental issues left by unregulated, abandoned mines, improving the productivity and recreational value of the land,” said Kit Turpin, director for the DNR Division of Reclamation’s Abandoned Mine Land program. “With this influx of funding, we’re continuing to reclaim more land and more projects across Indiana’s coal country.”
As Turpin explained, Indiana Department of Natural Resources received the Interior States Region Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Award for their work to transform a dangerous highwall at Lynnville Park to a safe outdoor recreational space, projects they hope to continue with the additional funding.
Abandoned mine land reclamation supports job creation through investment in projects to close mine shafts, reclaim unstable sloped, improve water quality, treat acid mine drainage and restore water supplies damaged by mining.
Projects can also boost economic opportunity through reclamation of hazardous land for recreational facilities and redevelopment. Funding will prioritize projects that employ current and former employees of the coal industry.
The funding is part of the Biden-Harris administration’s investments in communities and workers to support an equitable transition to a sustainable economy and healthier environment after the closure of mines.
The projects also advance the Justice40 initiative, which aims to provide 40% of the benefits of certain federal investments to marginalized, disadvantaged and underserved communities affected by pollution. The funding emphasizes a pillar of the Methane Action Plan, which invests in projects to reduce methane emissions and promotes American innovation.
The abandoned mine lands program is available to public and private landowners experiencing negative effects on land that was mined and abandoned prior to 1977. Owners can email their information to the program at abandonedminesrestoration@dnr.IN.gov or by calling 1-800-772-MINE.
This reporting is made possible by a grant from the Indianapolis African-American Quality of Life Initiative, empowering our community with essential health insights. https://iaaqli.org/
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Contact Health & Environmental Reporter Hanna Rauworth at 317-762-7854 or follow her on Instagram at @hanna.rauworth.
Hanna Rauworth is the Health & Environmental Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper, where she covers topics at the intersection of public health, environmental issues, and community impact. With a commitment to storytelling that informs and empowers, she strives to highlight the challenges and solutions shaping the well-being of Indianapolis residents.
