West Virginia is set to receive $140 million to address legacy pollution in areas ravaged by decades of coal mining.

This funding is part of $725 million in Abandoned Mine Land funds provided by the Biden Administration to over two dozen states.

State data indicates that more than 150 years of coal mining have resulted in thousands of abandoned mines.

Eric Dixon, a senior researcher at the Ohio River Valley Institute, emphasized that restoring these lands can enhance local economies by reducing landslide risks, improving drinking water, and repurposing old mines. He noted, "Cleaning them up makes them safe and enjoyable for the public, eliminating hazards like abandoned mineshafts and unreclaimed strip mines."

This is the third installment of federal investments for abandoned mine land cleanup under the bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed by Congress in 2021.

Dixon mentioned that advocates are pushing for the creation of well-paying, family-supporting jobs through the expansion of reclamation work. "The Biden administration has emphasized that these remediation jobs should be good-quality union jobs," he said. "We've already seen some initial union contracts awarded in states like Kentucky and Ohio, which is very promising."

State agencies will use the funds for projects that close dangerous mine shafts, reclaim unstable slopes, and improve water quality by treating acid mine drainage. "These agencies will identify, design, and contract out the reclamation projects to construction contractors," Dixon explained.

According to Appalachian Voices, mountaintop removal mining has destroyed an estimated one million acres in Central and Southern Appalachia.