Biden-Harris admin announces $75 million to fund jobs in Illinois

WASHINGTON (WAND) — Over $75 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will be funding new jobs in Illinois.

The Biden-Harris administration announced on Tuesday that the Department of the Interior made $725 million available to 22 states and the Navajo Nation to reclaim abandoned mine land and plug orphaned oil and gas wells. The announcement stated that millions of Americans live within one mile of an abandoned coal mine or an orphaned oil/gas well.

“Through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are making a once-in-a-generation investment to clean up environmental hazards that are harming local communities,” said Secretary Deb Haaland. “Reclaiming and restoring these sites will create jobs, revitalize economic activity, and advance outdoor recreation. I am so excited about what we can do with these new resources, today and for future generations.”

Mine reclamation provides jobs in coal communities by funding projects to close dangerous mine shafts, reclaim unstable slopes, improve water quality by treating acid mine drainage, and restore water supplies damaged by mining. As required by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, funding will prioritize projects that employ dislocated coal industry workers.