As part of the implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) is engaging with Tribal Nations on the Abandoned Mine Land (AML) program.
Nearly $11.3 billion in new funding was provided for the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund, including almost $10.9 billion in grants to states and Tribes. The new funding will help local, state and Tribal governments and coal communities tackle longstanding environmental problems while creating good-paying union jobs, advancing environmental justice and boosting local economies.
OSMRE completed a listening session with the Hopi Tribe in December and with the Crow Tribe the first week of January 2022. A session with the Navajo Nation is expected later in January 2022. Sessions with state AML programs and other stakeholders are scheduled for later in January 2022.
Robust consultation and engagement with Tribal Nations is the cornerstone of the Biden-Harris administration's commitment to respect Tribal sovereignty and self-governance, and to fulfill federal trust and treaty responsibilities. As part of this effort, the Department of the Interior recently announced that it would begin nation-to-nation consultations with Tribes as it implements the infrastructure law.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides a once-in-a-generation funding opportunity for our nation’s infrastructure while providing much needed economic investment in communities that have too often been left behind. The law invests more than $13 billion directly in Tribal communities across the country to bolster community resilience, replace aging infrastructure, expand access to clean drinking water and help ensure that everyone has access to high-speed internet.
The overall purpose of the law is to rebuild America’s infrastructure and increase global competitiveness. The law will expand access to clean drinking water, address the climate crisis, and advance environmental justice. Other highlights of the law are available here.
