WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) announced an award of more than $3.1 million to North Dakota in Fiscal Year 2023 funding through the Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Reclamation Program. This award, made available by the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), helps the state reclaim abandoned and dangerous mine lands to eliminate safety hazards and allow for redevelopment uses.
“This award is a reflection of North Dakota’s superb leadership in reclaiming mine lands. Reclamation is good stewardship, pure and simple, and our state does it better than anyone,” said Cramer. “The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which was fully paid for, is delivering real opportunities for North Dakota to meet the needs of our constituents.”
This OSMRE’s announcement builds upon a grant of $3.1 million allocated in Fiscal Year 2022 to North Dakota. Authorized by the DOI in 1981, the North Dakota AML Program administers the federal funding from a fee on coal to address environmental hazards posed by abandoned coal mines.