The Department of Interior and Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement visited Illinois and announce Funding for Coal Communities. Millions of dollars in new investments [will come] from President Joseph Biden’s “Investing in America” agenda. Monies will be used to clean up abandoned coal mines and create jobs, according to Director of Energy and Community Resiliency Amanda Pankau.
“Pollution from Abandoned Mine Lands has been impacting Illinois land, water, and communities for over a century. We applaud this unprecedented Federal investment in cleaning up the historic pollution of the fossil fuel industry.
“Coal communities are grappling every day with the harmful environmental and economic impact of coal plant and mine closures. Federal funding for the reclamation of land and water pollution from Abandoned Mine Lands is a critical part of ensuring a resilient future for these communities.”