The U.S. Department of the Interior recently released guidance on how to apply for the first $725 million in funding for reclaiming abandoned mine lands, under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
According to a May 23 news release, the law provides $11.3 billion in abandoned mine land funding, spanning 15 years, for eligible states and the Navajo Nation "to help eliminate dangerous environmental hazards and pollution caused by past coal mining." It will also help create jobs and opportunities to revitalize those coal communities.
"President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law makes historic investments in coal communities that will help revitalize local economies and support reclamation jobs that put people to work locally, including current and former coal workers, all while addressing harmful environmental impacts from these legacy developments," Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in the release. "The Biden-Harris administration is committed to addressing legacy pollution and helping working families who face hazardous pollution, toxic water levels and land subsidence both during mining and long after coal companies have moved on."
The Navajo Nation is mentioned specifically because of the mining history of its lands. Hundreds of abandoned uranium mines remain on Navajo lands from operations spanning 1944-1986 that produced almost 30 million tons of uranium ore, according to the EPA. Five federal agencies already are working to reduce the highest risks to Navajo people from uranium contamination from the abandoned mines and money from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law could be used toward similar efforts.
The draft guidance includes instructions about how to apply for fiscal year 2022 abandoned mine lands grants funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and how applicants can be sure their projects qualify, according to the release. It also provides guidance to applicants to ensure activities funded under the program are putting people — especially current and former coal miners —to work protecting the environment, investing in disadvantaged communities consistent with the President’s Justice 40 Initiative and safeguarding taxpayer money in a transparent and responsible manner.
