The Biden-Harris administration announced the allocation of nearly $22.8 million under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) to fund the reclamation of abandoned mine land (AML) in Virginia. Under the BIL, the funding must be prioritized for projects that employ dislocated coal industry workers.

In response to the announcement, the BlueGreen Alliance released the following statement from Appalachian Regional Field Organizer Dan Taylor:

“This investment from the administration will make our land and water cleaner and healthier for all Virginians. Reclaiming abandoned mines is a huge opportunity to create good, union jobs in Virginia and help revitalize struggling communities. We thank the administration for this investment in Virginia’s workers and our future.

“We are looking forward to continuing to work with the U.S. Department of the Interior and state agencies to help ensure that these jobs are union jobs and that the labor standards attached at the federal level remain intact with the state agencies.”