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DEQ Receives Additional Funding to Address Abandoned Mine Lands

  • Kevin Stone
  • April 04 2022

HELENA—The Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is pleased to announce that DEQ will receive approximately $4.6 million annually, for the next 15 years, as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to address abandoned mine lands. This is in addition to annual grant funding of approximately $3.3 million that is received from a fee on current coal production. The funding will allow DEQ to increase the number of projects developed to protect public safety and mitigate the environmental impacts of abandoned mines.

DEQ’s Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) program was established in 1980 to address eligible coal mine sites that were abandoned prior to the passage of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA). The primary hazards associated with AML sites include coal seam fires that impact land productivity and risk igniting wildland fires, decaying structures, open shafts and ground subsidence that threaten the safety of people, livestock and wildlife and acid mine drainage that can impact Montana’s waterways. There are more than 3,400 known AML coal sites spread across most of Montana’s 56 counties that may be eligible for reclamation through this cooperative state and federal program.

“It’s critically important that we clean up these abandoned mine sites to protect public safety and our water quality,” said Sen. Jon Tester. “That’s why I worked across the aisle to craft my bipartisan infrastructure law which will provide this funding for DEQ to continue keeping communities safe and healthy for generations to come.”

“For decades Montana DEQ has worked hard to reclaim thousands of abandoned mine openings but much more needs to be done for the sake of community health and safety. I’m glad to see the Abandoned Mine Lands program will continue to improve water, soil and air quality for all Montanans,” said Sen. Steve Daines.

To date, DEQ has extinguished 17 coal mine fires, closed 1,631 hazardous mine openings, reclaimed 31 miles of streams and 157 acres of land impacted by mine waste, and has spent $17.5 million reclaiming contaminated surface water. Abandoned mine lands remediation creates jobs through contracted construction and other services—for each $1 spent an estimated $3 is returned to the Montana economy. Reclaimed AML sites can be returned to productive uses such as agriculture, grazing and recreation.

Significant AML work in Montana remains to be completed. An estimated $134 million in abandoned coal mine projects are needed to protect public health, safety and the environment.


Tags: Cleanup, Press Release and AML