Federal funding now available to 20 states & Navajo Nation for abandoned mine clean up – by Shondiin Silversmith (Tucson Sentinel- July 22, 2022)

https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/

More than 20 states and the Navajo Nation can now apply for $725 million in funding for abandoned mine lands projects to help communities that have suffered environmental hazards and pollution caused by coal mining.

“Through this program, we are investing in coal communities through job creation — including for current and former coal workers — and economic revitalization, all while addressing harmful environmental impacts from these legacy developments,” Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland said in a press release.

The funding for the abandoned mine lands, or AML, grant program is part of the 2021 infrastructure spending bill, which will provide $11.3 billion in AML grant funding over 15 years. “President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law delivers the largest investment in cleaning up abandoned mine lands in history,” Haaland said.

The Biden administration released the final guidance for the AML grant process on Thursday, and the Navajo Nation and 22 states are eligible for funding.

For the rest of this article: https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/072222_mine_cleanup/federal-funding-now-available-20-states-navajo-nation-abandoned-mine-clean-up/