SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - Illinois is planning to clean up abandoned coal mines throughout the state with over $75 million in federal funding.
The money is coming form the U.S. Department of Interior to boost cleanup efforts. It is part of President Joe Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which is designed to set up well-paying union jobs and catalyze economic opportunity by reclaiming abandoned mine lands, a press release from Gov. JB Pritzker's office said.
“This new federal funding will help clean up abandoned mines across our state, creating jobs and keeping our communities safe,” said Pritzker. “I am grateful to President Biden, Secretary Haaland, and bipartisan members of Congress for their work to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and invest critical funds in our communities that need it most.”
The governor's office said money will go to projects where environmental hazards associated with abandoned mines have been found. This includes issues such as acid mine drainage, clogged streams and pollution.
Mine reclamation in Illinois is overseen by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources' Abandoned Mine Lands Program.
The state has 590 unfunded mine reclamation projects in its inventory. They carry an estimated cost of at least $156 million.
Illinois' forgotten mining history has led to abandoned mines being inventoried throughout the state. They are usually on private property. The state said a former mine property can only be considered abandoned if it has no responsible party and the last mining activity happened before 1978.
“Everyone knows about Illinois’ history as a mining colossus, but fewer people are aware of what happens on the back end after these once-bustling industrial sites shut down,” said Colleen Callahan, director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. “This money is a welcome boost for the department because Illinois has a large amount of abandoned mine acreage and problem areas that need to be addressed so that we can protect our land and water.”
Illinois' Abandoned Mine Lands Program has completed over 2,300 projects to date. It has addressed over 670 mine sites and reclaimed nearly 9,400 acres of land for a cost of $231 million.
