We wanted to let you know about an incredible step forward for coal communities across the United States and how you can help make sure we get over the finish line.
The Senate just passed a bipartisan infrastructure bill — the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act — that includes the LARGEST EVER investment in abandoned mine land clean up. Now we need the House to pass this bill as a powerful step toward revitalizing communities hit hardest by the coal industry’s downturn.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes several key components for our work, including $11.3 billion of federal funding to help create jobs while cleaning up the nation’s inventory of abandoned coal mines. However, we must ensure that these funds have maximum economic and environmental impact in our hard hit communities.
Please tell the House at https://reclaimact.com/take-action/?link_id=3 that we need them to pass funding for AML in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, with a few improvements to make this as impactful as possible.
We have compiled recommendations from community and industry leaders to help ensure that these investments employ local workers, are equitably distributed to states that need them most, and provide for acid mine drainage remediation. We are also calling for the abandoned mine land fee to be reauthorized at its historic rate.
This proposed funding is a major opportunity for good jobs and economic stability in historically coal-dependent areas. It is by no means a cure-all for the regions adversely affected by America’s shift away from coal, but it is a strong answer to the call from community members for more diversification in their local economies.
Please contact the House today to tell them to pass this funding for abandoned mine lands.
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