Peoria Standard

Washington, D.C. – On Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed Congressman Darin LaHood's (IL-16) bill, H.R. 6233, the Community Reclamation Partnerships Act. H.R. 6233 aims to expand protections under existing law to third-party groups involved in the cleaning and re-purposing of inactive coal mines abandoned before modern regulations.

Representative LaHood emphasized the importance of the bill, stating, "Mining is an important part of our economy, but unused or abandoned mines present safety risks and leave opportunities for economic and land development on the table." He expressed his pride in the unanimous passage of the legislation in the House and urged the Senate to pass it swiftly.

House Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman commended the bill, saying, "H.R. 6233 enables non-governmental organizations to remediate abandoned mine lands across the country while also easing the burden on the taxpayers." He acknowledged Representative LaHood's efforts in championing the bipartisan bill through the committee.

The Community Reclamation Partnerships Act addresses the issue of abandoned mine sites across the United States, where over $12 billion worth of such sites exist with no responsible party. The bill would facilitate partnerships between states and nongovernmental entities to reclaim and restore land and water resources affected by coal mining activities.

Currently, states are responsible for rehabilitation projects of abandoned mines and receive funding from the AML Fund, supported by fees paid by coal operators. The legislation would recognize non-governmental organizations as "Community Reclaimers," with states assuming responsibility for their projects. It also establishes a process for agreements between states and federal agencies to set approved practices at abandoned mine sites for Community Reclaimer projects.

The passage of the Community Reclamation Partnerships Act in the House marks a significant step towards addressing the challenges posed by abandoned mine lands and promoting environmental restoration efforts nationwide.