John Sarbanes: “I was pleased to be able to offer this amendment on behalf of myself and Senator Mikulski to provide the State of…”

“I was pleased to be able to offer this amendment on behalf of myself and Senator Mikulski to provide the State of Maryland with the flexibility and additional resources needed to clean up environmental problems associated with acid mine drainage from abandoned coal mines. Specifically, my amendment would allow the State of Maryland to set aside the greater of $1 million or 10 percent of the funds received under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 for use in undertaking acid mine drainage abatement and treatment projects. There are over 450 miles of rivers and streams in Maryland which are contaminated by acid mine drainage. Much of the north branch of the Potomac River, from its headwaters near Kempton, MD, to the Jennings Randolph Lake is biologically dead. The Kempton mine alone contributes 3 million gallons of acid mine drainage to the Potomac each day and estimates to clean up this problem run as high as $80 million.”