A bill pending in congress would provide $1 billion over a five-year period to coal states. This money is aimed at reinvigorating coalfield economies by re-purposing abandoned coal mines into usable land. Potential projects include parks, businesses, farms, renewable energy projects and more. If it passes, Virginia’s share would be $6 million a year. But how best to use that money?
The bill is called the RECLAIM ACT, for ‘Revitalizing the Economy of Coal Communities by Leveraging Local Activities and Investing.’ With bi-partisan support it’s expected to pass and when that happens the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy will administer the funds and choose the projects.
“We’re developing them a ready made list of ‘to do’ projects.
Gerald Collins is a mining engineer and an expert abandoned mine lands.
“A lot are pretty far along and others can be moved along rapidly, so I think the cooperation between local officials, cooperation with the state regulatory agency has been really good and positive.”
Collins contributed to a plan being proposed by the coal communities advocacy group, Appalachian Voices. It identifies 14 that would make the best sites for reclamation and that are most in need of the funding.
Places like Devils Fork in Scott County, where a picturesque waterfall is threatened by water polluted from mining, several solar projects in south western Virginia, a female owned Ginseng farm to be created on former coal mine land.
The report cites this unique time in history when there is a spirit of cooperation among a variety of groups to support what they call the “Just Economic Transition"- a movement from a declining industry in coal country to a more diversified economy.
You can find the full report here.