The bill would distribute $1 billion of unappropriated money from the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund to coal-producing states and Native American tribes over five years for mine reclamation projects, Wright reports. One of the bill's sponsors, Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Penn., noted that "this is money that’s already collected and sitting in the federal treasury."
Though the bill has bipartisan support, it may face the same obstacles it did when introduced in years past. The RECLAIM Act was originally part of President Obama's POWER Plus plan, included in his proposed 2016 federal budget, and Republicans were leery of supporting it. But Rogers thought it was a good idea and introduced the RECLAIM Act as a stand-alone bill in 2016. It failed to pass the Natural Resources committee that year; in 2017 the bill passed the committee but didn't get a full vote in the House, Wright reports.
The bill was blocked both times by representatives from Western coal states. Wyoming, which produces 40% of the nation's coal, pays most of the fees collected in the AML Fund. But some of the states that get AML funds don't have any more eligible coal sites to reclaim and are spending the funds on non-coal projects. That could trigger resentment, since that means high-producing coal states like Wyoming aren't getting money they need to spend on their greater share of mine reclamation projects.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., introduced his own version of the RECLAIM Act last year but has been cagey about whether he will support the current Democrat-supported bill. Spokesperson Robert Steurer said McConnell "remains committed to ensuring funding is secured to reclaim abandoned mine lands as well as for economic development efforts in Central Appalachia" and said McConnell's office "continues to discuss the issue with constituents and colleagues," Wright reports.
from The Rural Blog http://bit.ly/2WlfzEu Bill to revitalize coal communities gets another chance - Entrepreneur Generations
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