Other Voices: Biden infrastructure plan targets state’s coal communities – by Deb Haaland (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette – August 1, 2021)

https://www.post-gazette.com/

Deb Haaland is the U.S. Secretary of the Interior.

As I travel throughout America, I am filled with hope as I see businesses open and communities recovering. Thanks to President Joe Biden’s leadership in passing the American Rescue Plan and making progress in defeating COVID-19, economic growth is up and unemployment is down.

The nation’s ongoing economic recovery is opening opportunities to help stabilize and empower workers who have been facing economic instability since before the pandemic.

During my trip to Schuylkill County earlier this month, I saw firsthand how hardworking coal communities here in Pennsylvania helped power our country, but are now facing significant challenges in restoring their community environments and retooling toward developing a robust and sustainable clean energy future.

The Biden-Harris administration is committed to helping working families, often in rural and Tribal communities, who face hazardous pollution, toxic water levels, and land subsidence both during mining and long after coal companies have moved on.

Commonsense policies like those outlined in the president’s bipartisan infrastructure framework and Build Back Better agenda will help revitalize these local economies and support reclamation jobs, all while addressing environmental impacts from these legacy developments.

For the rest of this column: https://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/Op-Ed/2021/08/01/Other-Voices-Biden-infrastructure-plan-targets-state-s-coal-communities-Deb-Haaland/stories/202108010011