West Virginia and other Appalachian states are strewn with hundreds of "zombie mines"—abandoned mines that are neither producing coal nor undergoing reclamation.

Research indicates that idle mines can trigger landslides, pollute groundwater, and economically harm communities.

Erin Savage, coal impacts program director for Appalachian Voices, emphasized the urgent need to update regulations on zombie mines. The Biden administration's recent federal actions to clean up abandoned mines do not apply to zombie mines. A significant part of the problem is the lack of data on which mines are producing coal, are set for reclamation, or have been vacant for decades.

Savage has been working on a project aimed at better identifying zombie mines in the region.

"One approach we're using is remote sensing," Savage explained. "We use algorithms to analyze images of these mines' surfaces and look for barren earth."

Research shows that coal companies often delay reclamation and evade cleanup responsibilities by transferring permits and declaring bankruptcy. Between 2010 and 2019, more than 50 coal companies declared bankruptcy, with an additional 22 doing so in 2020 alone.

Congressional lawmakers have introduced three bills to ensure coal companies bear the cost of mine cleanup. Savage outlines the bills: the first would eliminate "self-bonding," a corporate promise to clean up mines; the second would ensure bond amounts are adequate to cover the true cost of reclamation; and the third would set enforceable standards for the timely completion of reclamation.

Reclaiming zombie mines could also bring economic opportunities to a region struggling with unemployment. A 2