§1231a Abandoned mine reclamation fund authorization of appropriations

Summary

Provides $11,293,000,000 for fiscal year 2022 to the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund, to be used until spent. The money must be used quickly to give yearly grants to eligible States and Indian Tribes for abandoned mine land and water clean-up under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act. Grants can go to places with an approved State or Tribal program, places certified under the Act, or places listed in a specific part of the Act. Applicants may combine bids into larger statewide or regional contracts. The Secretary of the Interior must divide and pay the money out equally over a 15-year period starting on November 15, 2021, with each State’s or Tribe’s share based on tons of coal produced there before August 3, 1977, even if they are not certified. One technical rule (section 401(f)(3)(B)) does not apply to these funds. Grant money must be used for the reclamation activities the Act allows. Up to 30 percent of an annual grant may be kept in a State or Tribal long-term abandoned mine land fund to pay for acid mine drainage treatment (including building and running treatment systems), preventing or fixing ground collapse (subsidence), and preventing or fighting coal mine fires. Recipients who set up that long-term fund must update the project inventory to show these uses and report the fund’s status each year. Not later than 6 years after the first payments, the Secretary must report to Congress on progress and include input from States and Tribes. The Secretary must also evaluate the grants no later than 20 years after November 15, 2021; any unused money must be returned then. Each eligible State or Tribe should get at least $20,000,000 if they have that much reclamation need. Priority can be given to projects that hire current and former coal workers. Also, $25,000,000 of the funds is set aside for the Secretary to help States and Tribes with the inventory updates.