By Andy McAllister, WPCAMR Regional Coordinator and Co-Chair PA AML Campaign

The federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act or Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that passed on November 15, 2021 provides Pennsylvania and the nation with a once-in-a-life time opportunity to further address the Abandoned Mine Drainage caused by the unregulated mining practices of the past.

This orange water coats our streams and causes thousands of miles of streams to not support life.

Through the federal BIL funding, Pennsylvania will receive approximately $250 million annually for the next fifteen years.

Missing from the legislation is the ability to retain some of those funds for the operation, maintenance, and rehabilitation of AMD treatment systems beyond the 15 year period covered by the BIL.

The bipartisan STREAM Act (S3957) introduced by Senator Casey (D-PA) and Senator Braun (R-IN) would ensure that Abandoned Mine Land (AML) grants from the infrastructure law can be utilized in the same way as grants allocated from the AML Trust Fund.

Specifically, this bill would--

-- Authorize states to set aside up to 30 percent of their annual IIJA-AML grant into an account for the treatment and abatement of acid mine drainage

-- Require annual reporting on the use and amount of funds set aside for acid mine drainage abatement

Passage of the STREAM Act will provide a mechanism that will allow Pennsylvania and other states affected by AMD to set aside a portion of their annual BIL grant to ensure the future operation of AMD water treatment infrastructure and not have those treatment systems become an unfunded taxpayer liability.

Take Action Now

The Pennsylvania Abandoned Mine Land Campaign, a coalition of concerned individuals and organizations, including WPCAMR, is asking you to consider reaching out to Senator Toomey and encourage his support for the STREAM Act. 

Click Here for an example letter, with two options for representation. 

Please share the document with everyone you think would sign and send such a letter to Senator Toomey. 

Please also feel free to share it with folks in other states who can modify the word document to reflect their state and address it to their Senators.

Completed letters should be emailed to the people listed below who work for Senator Toomey.  Ask them to give your letter to Senator Toomey.

-- Wesley Wright at: wesley_wright@toomey.senate.gov

-- John Frick at: john_frick@toomey.senate.gov

- -Larissa Bailey at:  larissa_bailey@toomey.senate.gov

For more information, visit the Pennsylvania Abandoned Mine Land Campaign and Western PA Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation websites.

(Reprinted from Abandoned Mine Post.)

Related Article:

-- Casey, Cartwright Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Fund Abandoned Mine Treatment O&M Costs

Related Articles This Week:

-- DEP Partnering With 15 Engineering Firms To Design Mine Reclamation Projects To Be Funded By Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law  ​​[PaEN]

-- U.S. Dept. Of Interior Releases Final Guidance On Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Abandoned Mine Reclamation Funding

[Posted: July 18, 2022]

7/25/2022