Press Releases

Today, Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) joined House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-KY) and Congressmen Matt Cartwright (D-PA), Evan Jenkins (R-WV), and Don Beyer (D-VA) in introducing the Revitalizing the Economy of Coal Communities by Leveraging Local Activities and Investing More (RECLAIM) Act, which aims to accelerate $1 billion in available funding in the Abandoned Mine Reclamation (AML) Fund to revitalize coal communities hardest hit by the downturn of the coal industry.

“Regrettably, recent years in the coalfields of Southwest Virginia and throughout Appalachia have been difficult,” said Congressman Griffith.  “After all, life above ground is impacted when work stops underground as the result of a regulatory onslaught on coal regions, the low cost of competitive fuel, and a sluggish world economy.  The RECLAIM Act is an imperative effort to help reinvigorate our hard-hit communities through economic and community development.  I will continue fighting along with Chairman Rogers and others to advance economic development strategies such as this which would help keep and grow jobs in Appalachia.”

Chairman Rogers said, “In Kentucky alone, we've lost more than 11,000 coal mining jobs since 2009.  Instead of allowing those funds to go unused, now is the time to help our coal producing states reinvest in the coalfields with projects that can create new jobs and reinvigorate our economy.  Many coal communities in Appalachia simply do not have the resources to reclaim the abandoned mine sites within their borders.  This bill allows these communities to be proactive in restoring these sites and utilize them to put our people back to work.”

BACKGROUND:

The RECLAIM Act would release $1 billion from the existing balance in the AML Fund to assist communities that traditionally have relied on the coal industry for employment or that have recently experienced significant coal job losses.  If the bill were to become law, $200 million would be distributed to participating states annually for five years.  Additionally, the bill would empower states and Indian tribes to work with local communities to identify and fund economic development projects on AML sites.

The RECLAIM Act, which mirrors a section of the White House’s POWER+ proposal that requires a statutory change to the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA), complements other congressional efforts to support economic development in coal communities and provide relief from various harmful, costly, and potentially job-killing regulations.

Click here to download a copy of the bill.
Click here for a complete summary of the bill.

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