This bill revises the Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Program, which restores land and water adversely impacted by surface coal mines that were abandoned before August 3, 1977.
Until September 30, 2030, the bill allows a state with an approved reclamation program to enter into a memorandum of understanding with relevant federal or state agencies for remediating mine drainage on abandoned mine land and water impacted by abandoned mines.
In addition, the bill authorizes a partnership between a state and a community reclaimer for remediating abandoned mine land if certain conditions are met. A community reclaimer is a person who (1) voluntarily assists a state in a reclamation project, (2) did not participate in the creation of site conditions at the proposed site or activities that caused any land or waters at the site to become eligible for reclamation or drainage abatement expenditures, and (3) is not subject to outstanding violations of surface coal mining permits.
