[CPEO-BIF] Abandoned Mine Land grants

[Lenny Siegel <lennysiegel@gmail.com>]

December 17, 2007
For immediate release
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
U.S. Department of Interior

OSM Announces AML Grant Amounts Available to States and Tribes

(Washington DC) - The U.S. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and 
Enforcement (OSM) today announced that $274,000,000 is available in 
fiscal year 2008 grants to States and Tribes to restore abandoned mine 
land, treat acid mine drainage and for other uses. This is more than 
double the amount of $132,000,000 that was available in fiscal year 
2007. Funding will be distributed in accordance with the requirements of 
the 2006 Amendments to Title IV of the Surface Mining Control and 
Reclamation Act (SMCRA). The amendments provide that, in addition to the 
funds distributed to eligible States and Tribes based on AML fee 
collections from coal production in FY 2007, each State and Tribe will 
be paid the equivalent of 1/7 of its unappropriated State or Tribal 
share balance from Treasury funds.

Collection of AML funds on coal produced during fiscal year 2007 funds 
was completed November 30, 2007. OSM moved expeditiously to make funds 
available to State and Tribal AML programs. Due to the mandatory 
distribution, all AML programs will receive more funding than in FY 
2007. Additionally, the mandatory phase-in is applied in a way to 
maximize funding for minimum program states.

States and Tribes that have remaining work to do on coal reclamation 
projects (uncertified States and Tribes) will use the existing grant 
procedures to continue AML coal work. States and Tribes that have 
completed coal reclamation (certified States and Tribes) will be able to 
apply for grants under a new simplified process and use the money as 
directed by their legislatures. However, if new coal is identified, the 
funds must be used to address reclamation prior to other uses.


...

For the entire release, see (under December 17, 2007)
http://www.osmre.gov/ocnews.htm

-- 


Lenny Siegel
Executive Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
a project of the Pacific Studies Center
278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org



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