WPCAMR Western Pennsylvania Coalition
for Abandoned Mine Reclamation

We Did It!

2006 SMCRA Reauthorization

In December 2006 as one of the 109th Congress’s final acts before adjourning, the House and Senate passed legislation extending and revamping a federal law that mandates a reclamation fee on each ton of coal produced in the country. The new law will do a much better job of directing reclamation fees to abandoned mine lands (AML) problem areas, where funding is needed the most. Pennsylvania, for example, will receive a very substantial increase in the annual grant it receives through Title IV for abandoned mine reclamation.

SMCRA is the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977. Title IV is the provision of SMCRA that provides for abandoned mine reclamation.

WPCAMR and the AML Campaign

In all likelihood, the recent victory in Congress passing new legislation reauthorizing the federal AML Program would not have occurred had it not been for the efforts of the AML Campaign, which is a coalition of Pennsylvania environmental organizations which formed around this very issue, working diligently for over 3 years.

The Western Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation (WPCAMR) is very proud to have served as an active member of the AML Campaign from start to finish.

Educating about the Reauthorization

  • Title IV Set-Aside Calculator (Excel format) v.2Ag     Documentation (pdf)
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  • Recommendations for PA Title IV Program
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  • Educational Video Series
  • available online, a set of four short films that discuss Title IV funding, where it comes from, and where it goes.
  • Basics of SMCRA Title IV      PowerPoint Presentation
                 a primer on the how the the amended legislation works with an emphasis on how it will affect PA
                 - a good companion to the video

  • Title IV Calculator
  • an interactive, visual tool to help comprehend how new federal Title IV funding might be applied toward Pennsylvania's abandoned mine problems.
  • Pennsylvania Funding under New SMCRA Amendments
  • a discussion of how the new law affects Pennsylvania.
  • Recent SMCRA Title IV Amendments
  • a synopsis of the various provisions in the revised Title IV legislation.
     
    AML Campaign Website contains additional resources not listed here

    Browse more articles about the SMCRA reauthorization from Abandoned Mine Posts

     

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    email: info@wpcamr.org

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