Abandoned mine program deserves DC’S full attention
In 2019 when Gov. Mike Dewine made his first State of the State address to Ohioans, he was clear: we are going to focus on the future of our children, our economy, our water, and our natural wonders.
Today, we have an incredible opportunity to turn the hazards left behind by years of mining into assets that build prosperity for Americans.
The federal Abandoned Mine Lands program collects fees from coal companies to provide funding to states and Appalachian communities for projects that clean up former mining sites, making them into spaces communities can use for recreation and economic growth.
The AML Fund has distributed more than $6 billion to states and tribes across the country.
The Abandoned Mine Lands Economic Revitalization program provides funds for similar projects, with the added condition that improvements align with economic and community development goals. Ohio has received $65 million of AMLER funding and is using it to help Appalachia prosper.
We have worked with economic agencies in 14 counties to convert former mine sites into useful outdoor spaces – ready for commercial development and job creation.
Athens County will soon be home to one of the longest mountain bike trails east of the Mississippi: the 88-mile Bailey’s Trail.
AML dollars are funding the removal of dangerous mine openings and the construction of two trailheads. This family-friendly destination is sure to attract adventure-seekers from near and far. An economic impact study estimates that this trail could increase tourism by 180,000 annual visitors and bring in $24.8 million in local economic spending over the next decade.
In Jefferson County, young athletes will have a safe new outdoor sports area thanks to another AML project, which is removing a dangerous highwall – steep, exposed cliffs left over from Ohio’s pre-reclamation law mining era – located near a road and a community baseball field. The project will create space for the community park to expand. Plans include building a multi-use field that will host a youth soccer program.
There will also be a new 26-acre industrial park nearby in Island Creek Township that will create shovel-ready parcels of land for businesses that could generate 50-100 jobs in the future.
Wellston, Ohio, received $1.4 million in AML funds to make several improvements to its Route 327 recreational complex, including constructing paved trails, eliminating hazardous bodies of water, expanding parking lots, building additional ballfields, and adding amenities like lighting and fencing.
A project in Athens County is removing iron oxide from a polluted waterway – cleaning the water and producing pigments for paint and other commercial products. This project creates jobs and benefits the local economy.
In Muskingum County, The Wilds is a popular safari park and conservation center. An AML project will improve 50 acres of abandoned mine land within the Wilds property, including the development of earthworks, final grading, road access, installation of more than 70 campground sites, and revegetation of disturbed areas.
These projects and so many others make it clear that funding AML programs needs to remain a longterm national priority.
Together with local partners, our team is coming up with innovative ways to use AML funds to clean up dangerous areas and bring vitality back to their region, but there is much left to do.
The traditional AML funding source is set to expire on Sept. 30 unless Congress acts quickly.
With the wellbeing of many of our citizens and the progress of key projects at stake, I urge Congress to reauthorize these critical AML funds so that Ohioans and our neighbors in other states can benefit from restored land and clean water.
AML projects are an investment that our state and our country will continue to reap benefits from far into the future.
The health, safety, and economic future of communities across the country that have been adversely impacted by abandoned mine lands is too important for anything less than Washington’s full attention.
Mary Mertz is the Director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.