Three Key Facts:
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- Pennsylvania is receiving $244 million from the Biden infrastructure law to clean up abandoned mine lands, addressing safety and environmental risks in Central and Western Pennsylvania.
- Holding one-third of the nation’s abandoned mines, Pennsylvania faces significant pollution, land instability, and underground fire hazards affecting approximately 1.4 million residents.
- This initiative aims to create thousands of good-paying union jobs, revitalizing coal communities and turning hazardous sites into opportunities for new developments and safer residential areas.
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Pennsylvania is receiving $250 million from Joe Biden’s clean energy plan to address the long-standing problem of abandoned mines. The historic effort, led by the U.S. Department of Interior, aims to secure and clean up hazardous mine sites, protecting communities in Central and Western Pennsylvania from environmental and safety risks.
Communities once driven by the coal industry now face pollution from abandoned mines, which leach toxins into land and water, cause land to settle or sink, and fuel underground fires. The funding aims not only to ensure clean air and water through critical cleanup projects but also to create jobs for displaced workers and drive economic growth, revitalizing these coal towns.
Pennsylvania holds one-third of the nation’s abandoned mine land, more than any other state, with approximately 1.4 million residents living near these hazardous sites. Western counties like Allegheny and Luzerne face the greatest risks from the lingering dangers of these abandoned mines.
“Legacy pollution continues to impact far too many communities across the nation,” When awarding the grant, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland said. “We are making once-in-a-generation investments to clean up environmental hazards that have harmed coal communities for far too long.”
Abandoned mine lands can lead to dangerous sinkholes and long-burning toxic fires, like the Centralia Mine Fire, which has been smoldering for 60 years. The region is also haunted by the 2002 Quecreek Mine accident, where nine coal miners became trapped when an adjacent, water-filled mine flooded their work area. They were successfully rescued after 77 tense hours.
Pennsylvania will create thousands of good-paying union jobs in hard-hit mining communities while work on the abandoned mines is underway, helping to revitalize local economies that struggled to recover after mines closed. The new funding will enable Pennsylvania to take proactive steps to reclaim land for safer residential use, new business development, or recreational activities.
