Nick Rahall: “the pending legislation proposes $7.8 million for the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program and I commend the gentleman…”

“the pending legislation proposes $7.8 million for the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program and I commend the gentleman from Ohio, Ralph Regula, for seeking to accommodate the request I and others have made in this matter. Indeed, this year I spearheaded a Coalfield Jobs, Environmental Justice and Trust Campaign to increase appropriations from the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund. This is a trust fund with about $266 million a year in receipts and a balance approaching $1.5 billion. Yet, during this decade, appropriations for State Reclamation Grants have averaged only $140 million a year. The purpose of the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program, obviously, is not to collect fees assessed on coal production so they can sit idle in a government trust fund. Rather, it is to make these funds available for the reclamation of abandoned coal mine lands thereby mitigating health, safety and environmental threats to coalfield citizens while creating jobs and bringing these lands back to productive uses. Joining me in the effort to liberate a greater amount of the reclamation funds this year are the Associated General Contractors of America, the United Mine Workers and the Citizens Coal Council. With that stated, I do want to express concern over bill language included in this appropriation measure that would authorize $7 million from the balance of interest earned on the Fund for the Appalachian Clean Streams Initiative.”