PRESS RELEASE from PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

Dickson City mines to get $6.7 million in reclamation funding

Posted 12/19/24

LACKAWANNA COUNTY, PA — The Lackawanna County Commissioners have received $6,716,080 to remove abandoned mine land spoil areas and reclaim land for future development in Dickson City and …

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PRESS RELEASE from PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

Dickson City mines to get $6.7 million in reclamation funding

Posted

LACKAWANNA COUNTY, PA — The Lackawanna County Commissioners have received $6,716,080 to remove abandoned mine land spoil areas and reclaim land for future development in Dickson City and Blakely Boroughs. 

The funding is part of $19,640,380 awarded by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection as part of the environmental restoration of eight abandoned mine land projects as part of the Abandoned Mine Lands and Acid Mine Drainage Grant Program. 

Pennsylvania has the largest inventory of abandoned coal mines in the nation, with a roughly $5 billion need for reclamation and stream restoration. To date, Pennsylvania has rehabilitated more than 151,000 acres of the roughly 288,000 acres of abandoned coal mines across the Commonwealth, and with this federal funding, will be able to continue this vital work that protects the health and safety of our communities.

“Reclaiming abandoned mine land is a crucial endeavor, restoring both the environment and communities in the Commonwealth, while simultaneously creating jobs and bolstering the economy in both the short- and long-term,” said DEP Acting Secretary Jessica Shirley. “These grant recipients are taking on projects to pave the way for meaningful efforts in improving water quality, fostering ecosystem recovery, and revitalizing communities for a greater quality of life for Pennsylvanians.”

The funding was awarded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, also known as the Infrastructure, Investment, and Jobs Act, which has invested more than $700 million into reclaiming Pennsylvania’s abandoned mine lands since 2022. In addition to planned projects, this funding also pays for emergency situations like subsidence and sinkholes that can endanger people and damage or destroy homes and property.

DEP prioritizes grant funding to address serious human health and safety problems resulting from abandoned coal mines, as well as treating AMD to continue watershed restoration efforts under the AMD Set-Aside Program and prevent the loss of restored streams.

Grant recipients will be reimbursed on project costs up to the limit specified.

Dickson City mines, mines, grant funding

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