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WHP580 Newsroom

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Report: Most Of Federal Mine Reclamation Money Unspent

A recent report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reveals that only 30% of the funds allocated for the Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization (AMLER) program have been spent. The program, established by Congress in 2016, aims to rehabilitate abandoned mine lands for economic growth. However, bureaucratic inefficiencies and management issues have resulted in a significant portion of the funds remaining unspent since 2021.

The report highlights that the Department of Interior’s Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), which oversees the program, lacks systematic tracking for project reviews and approvals. This has led to repetitive work, wasted time, and has deterred some groups from pursuing reclamation projects. For instance, a project proposal from Virginia took over 1,100 days for review, leading to the applicant's withdrawal and tying up $1.6 million that could not be awarded to other projects during that period.

The AMLER program provides funding to several states and tribes, with Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Kentucky being the main recipients. However, the report did not specify the exact amount received by these states. Despite receiving numerous project applications, the states have only been able to fund a fraction of them due to the slow and complex approval process.

The GAO report recommends that OSMRE systematically track reliable and complete information on time frames for project reviews and approvals. It also suggests documenting the roles and responsibilities of OSMRE staff in headquarters, regional, and field offices to streamline reviews. OSMRE has agreed with all four recommendations and plans to take steps in response to each recommendation.

Links

https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_953c8d24-5f45-11ef-8a9d-c7f1aa369e33.htmlhttps://www.media.pa.gov/pages/dep_details.aspx?newsid=1903https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-24-106680


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