FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Eric Dixon
[email protected], (865) 202-8688
Feds announce $679 million in coal cleanup grants despite recent Congressional cuts to the program
Recent ORVI report shows coal cleanup supports jobs in struggling labor markets in KY
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky —— The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement recently announced the latest round of Abandoned Mine Land (AML) grants provided under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The grants are used to restore waterways and lands damaged by historic coal mining. The 2026 grants total $679 million nationwide, a $45 million reduction following cuts passed by Congress earlier this year.
“This year’s funding continues the historic investment in cleaning up hazardous coal mine damage, boosting good-paying job opportunities and making Appalachian communities safer, healthier places to live,” said Eric Dixon, Senior Researcher with the Ohio River Valley Institute. “Unfortunately, the tens of millions in cleanup funding slashed by Congress means more families will have to wait for help with orange-tinted streams or crumbling home foundations.”
Abandoned coal mines can threaten nearby communities with water pollution, fires, dangerous cliffs, landslides, and other hazards. More than five million Appalachians live within a mile of an AML site.
Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia were among the top five recipients of 2026 funding, which reflects the immense reclamation burden faced by those states. This year’s grants mark the fifth of fifteen annual installments provided under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). AML funds increased dramatically in 2022 with the passage of the BIL, and $2.5 billion in AML funds have been provided to Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia in the following years.
Despite the immense need felt by families in Appalachia and the success of the funding to date, Congress raided $500 million from the AML funds earlier this year. It was not immediately clear at the time when we might begin to see the impacts of these cuts. However, the recent funding announcement indicates that the beneficiaries of this program can already expect to feel these cuts today. For example, the amount of funding cut by Congress is equivalent to the cost of stabilizing around 10,000 acres of subsidence, which occurs when land above underground mines caves in.
Kentucky’s AML reclamation market has nearly quadrupled since the disbursement of federal funding from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, according to recent research from the Ohio River Valley Institute. Statewide, reclamation work supports between 450 and 550 direct job-years each year as the size and number of contracts continues to rise, though opportunities remain to boost market competition and shore up the sector’s erratic rate of union market share.
For a breakdown of annual AML funding across Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia from 2020-2026, see this slide deck. For a breakdown of the reductions in AML funding for all states and tribes, see this page.
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