Bennet, Hickenlooper Welcome Nearly $10 Million for Colorado from Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill to Create Good-Paying Jobs, Support Coal Communities

Washington, D.C. – Today, Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper welcomed the Department of Interior’s (DOI) announcement that Colorado will be eligible for nearly $10 million from the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs (IIJA) Act for Fiscal Year 2022 to reclaim and clean up abandoned mine lands (AML). The IIJA allocates a total of $11.3 billion in AML funding over 15 years, which will help communities eliminate dangerous environmental conditions and pollution caused by past coal mining.

“Dangerous and polluting mines are creating unsafe conditions for the Colorado communities around them,” said Bennet. “This investment will support our communities affected by mine closures, create good-paying jobs, and reduce harmful methane pollution contributing to climate change.”

“Old coal mines are dangerous for generations after they’re abandoned. Toxic water, hazardous pollutants, and underground fires can all harm the people living near these mines,” said Hickenlooper, a member of the Senate G-22 group who negotiated and wrote the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill. “It’s another example of how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill creates jobs while building healthier communities.”

“These new funds from the Department of Interior through the Infrastructure Law will be a game changer for our abandoned mine work in Colorado,” said Dan Gibbs, Executive Director, Colorado Department of Natural Resources. “We expect the approximate $10 million in additional funds will allow the state to take meaningful steps to reduce the threats from the over 30 coal mine fires and other abandoned coal mine issues which persist throughout the state.” 

AML reclamation projects support much-needed jobs in coal communities by investing in projects that close dangerous mine shafts, reclaim unstable slopes, treat acid mine drainage to  improve water quality, treat underground coal fires and restore water supplies that mining has damaged. Additionally, AML funding will enable states like Colorado to remediate abandoned mines that are leaking methane – a key contributor to climate change.  AML funds can also be used to fight underground abandoned coal mine fires that emit toxic fumes and can potentially cause ground collapse or wildfires. 

AML reclamation projects also revitalize economies by reclaiming hazardous land for recreational facilities and other economic development uses like advanced manufacturing and renewable energy deployment. As required by the IIJA, this funding will prioritize projects that employ dislocated coal industry workers. Currently Colorado receives around $3 million in AML funds so this increase in funds will allow a significant expansion of the program until at least 2035 allowing Colorado to create a sustainable long term program with this funding. 

Last week, Bennet and Hickenlooper welcomed news that Colorado could expect up to $79 million in IIJA funding to support programs that plug, remediate, and reclaim orphaned wells on Federal, State, and Tribal lands, which is consistent with provisions in Bennet’s Oil and Gas Bonding Reform and Orphaned Well Remediation Act. 

Bennet continues to work in the Senate to clean up abandoned mines and support Colorado mining communities. Bennet recently joined U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), and several colleagues to introduce the bipartisan Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned Hardrock Mines Act. This legislation would make it easier for “Good Samaritans” such as state agencies, local governments, nonprofits, and other groups, to clean up and improve water quality in and around abandoned hardrock mines. In October, Bennet introduced the American Energy Worker Opportunity Act to provide critical resources and training opportunities to assist and empower workers whose jobs are affected by the energy industry’s move toward cleaner sources. Last year, Bennet held a roundtable discussion in Craig, Colorado with the Northwest Colorado Development Council and local leaders on his proposal to create a permanent, long-term source of funding to boost economic opportunities in rural communities like those in Northwest Colorado facing fiscal challenges due to declining revenues from coal plant and mine closures. 

A state-by-state breakdown of funding from the IIJA for FY22 is available below:

*Dollars have been rounded to the nearest thousand  

**Consistent with McGirt v. Oklahoma, 140 S. Ct. 2452 (2020), and related cases, neither the State of Oklahoma nor any of its agencies are currently eligible for BIL AML funding. Oklahoma v. U.S. Dep’t of the Interior, No. CIV-21-719-F, 2021 WL 6064000 (W.D. Okla. Dec. 22, 2021). In the event that one or more entities become eligible for BIL AML grants this fiscal year, OSMRE is reserving BIL funds for AML reclamation on Indian lands in Oklahoma.