Pennsylvania is set to receive a $244 million federal boost for its efforts to clean up and reclaim abandoned mine lands, officials announced. U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis confirmed the funding during a visit to Westmoreland County, where subsidence from an underground coal mine threatens the community. The money, part of a larger $725 million national package from the Infrastructure, Investment, and Jobs Act (IIJA), aims to address the Keystone State's extensive abandoned coal mines, the largest inventory in the country.

This investment will allow Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation to tackle projects across the state. These include removing waste piles, treating polluted mine drainage that impacts waterways, and preventing dangerous subsidence that can damage homes and businesses. Governor Josh Shapiro reflected on the gravity and necessity of such an investment. "Within the past seven months, in two separate instances, families in Pittsburgh and Luzerne have been forced out of their homes because of a mine subsidence," Shapiro said, according to an official statement. "This is a real problem in Pennsylvania – one the Biden Administration and the Commonwealth are focused on addressing."

Secretary Haaland highlighted the broader benefits the cleanup would have on employment and local economies, emphasizing the commitment to addressing legacy pollution. "Reclaiming and restoring these sites will create jobs, revitalize economic activity, and advance outdoor recreation across the country as we work to clean up these public safety hazards and build healthier communities," she told those gathered in Bovard, according to the governor's news release.

The DEP's Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation has rehabilitated over 91,000 acres of land to date, and Lieutenant Governor Davis noted the particular impact on lower-income and minority communities. "Cleaning up abandoned mines and former industrial sites – which disproportionately impact lower-income communities and Black and brown neighborhoods – is important for addressing the past, as well as creating a healthier future for the families that live here," Davis said, in a sentiment shared by the governor's office. Additionally, for homeowners worried about mine subsidence, the state offers a DEP insurance policy for a $150,000 cover at an annual cost of just $41.25. Since its inception in 1961, the Mine Subsidences Insurance program has compensated Pennsylvanians with over $36 million in claims.

With a $5 billion reclamation and stream restoration need in Pennsylvania, stemming from its extensive coal and clay mining history, this federal funding represents a substantial step forward in preserving the state's environmental and structural integrity, while also safeguarding its residents from the lingering hazards of its industrial legacy.