343 lines
37 KiB
XML
343 lines
37 KiB
XML
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
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<rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" version="2.0" xml:base="https://www.osmre.gov/">
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<channel>
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<title>Reclaiming Abandoned Mine Land (AML)</title>
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<link>https://www.osmre.gov/</link>
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<description/>
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<language>en</language>
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<item>
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<title>OSMRE announces more than $126 million to reclaim abandoned coal mines</title>
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<link>https://www.osmre.gov/news/126-million-to-reclaim-abandoned-coal-mines</link>
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<description>
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<span>OSMRE announces more than $126 million to reclaim abandoned coal mines</span>
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<div>
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<div class="usa-sr-only">Date</div>
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<div><time datetime="2023-03-23T12:00:00Z">March 23, 2023</time>
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</div>
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</div>
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<span><span>wcampbell@osmre.gov</span></span>
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<span><time datetime="2023-03-23T08:45:37-04:00" title="Thursday, March 23, 2023 - 08:45">Thu, 03/23/2023 - 08:45</time>
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</span>
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<div><p class="text-align-right">Date: March 23, 2023<br>
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Contact:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:news@osmre.gov">news@osmre.gov</a></p>
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<p><strong>WASHINGTON –</strong> As part of the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts to create good-paying jobs and address legacy pollution harming communities across the nation, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement announced today more than $126.5 million in fiscal year 2023 Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Fee-based grants available to States and Tribes for AML reclamation efforts that continue to protect the health and safety of Americans and restore the environment.</p>
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<p>“OSMRE is proud to announce today the availability of the 2023 AML fee-based grants,” said OSMRE Deputy Director Glenda Owens. “These grants will continue to ensure our state and Tribal partners have the resources needed to continue their decades of successful reclamation work on our nation’s abandoned mine land sites.”</p>
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<p>OSMRE, through its AML Reclamation Program, addresses the hazards and environmental degradation posed by legacy coal mine sites. AML fee-based grants are funded in part by a fee collected on all coal produced in the United States to help eliminate dangerous conditions and pollution caused by past coal mining. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law reauthorized and extended the AML fee at a reduced rate through September 30, 2024, ensuring AML fee-based grants to states and Tribes through 2035.</p>
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<p>In fiscal year 2023, 24 coal-producing states and two Tribal AML reclamation programs are eligible to receive AML grants according to a congressionally mandated formula based on their past and current coal production. The total amount available for fiscal year 2023 AML fee-based grants was reduced by the mandated sequestration amount of 5.7%, resulting in the $126.5 million allocated towards AML fee-based grant distribution.</p>
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<p>These funds are in addition to the $11.3 billion in AML funding provided by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which resulted in <a href="https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/biden-harris-administration-announces-availability-725-million-bipartisan">$725 million being distributed to eligible States and Tribes in FY 2022</a>, and the <a href="https://doi.gov/pressreleases/interior-department-announces-135-million-help-create-jobs-and-revitalize-land-coal">$135 million that OSMRE recently made available through the Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization Program</a>, which is designed to promote economic revitalization in hard-hit coal communities.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
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<p>OSMRE has distributed approximately $8 billion in grants to states and Tribes under the AML Fee-based Reclamation Program, supporting efforts to address the physical hazards posed by lands and waters mined and abandoned or left inadequately restored before 1977, when the <a href="https://www.osmre.gov/laws-and-regulations/chronology-of-major-smrca-related-events">Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 </a>was enacted. These funds have directly contributed to the closure of more than 47,000 dangerous mine shafts and openings and the elimination of more than 1,050 miles of dangerous highwalls.</p>
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<p>Visit <a href="http://www.osmre.gov/resources/grants-resources">www.osmre.gov/resources/grants-resources</a> to learn more about the fiscal year 2023 grant distribution. Visit <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/OSMRE/featured">OSMRE’s YouTube Channel</a> to watch videos highlighting award-winning AML reclamation projects.</p>
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<table class="GridTable2-Accent11" style="border-collapse:collapse; border:none">
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<tbody>
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<tr>
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<td style="border-bottom:2px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:43px; background-color:white; border-top:1px solid black; border-right:none; border-left:1px solid black">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center"><strong>State/Tribe</strong></p>
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</td>
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<td style="border-bottom:2px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:43px; background-color:white; border-top:1px solid black; border-right:1px solid black; border-left:none">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center"><strong>Amount Allocated</strong></p>
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</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; background-color:#d9e2f3; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid #8eaadb; border-left:1px solid black">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">Alabama</p>
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</td>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; background-color:#d9e2f3; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid black; border-left:none">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">$2,829,000</p>
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</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid #8eaadb; border-left:1px solid black">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">Alaska</p>
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</td>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid black; border-left:none">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">$2,829,000</p>
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</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; background-color:#d9e2f3; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid #8eaadb; border-left:1px solid black">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">Arkansas</p>
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</td>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; background-color:#d9e2f3; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid black; border-left:none">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">$2,829,000</p>
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</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid #8eaadb; border-left:1px solid black">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">Colorado</p>
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</td>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid black; border-left:none">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">$2,829,000</p>
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</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; background-color:#d9e2f3; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid #8eaadb; border-left:1px solid black">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">Illinois</p>
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</td>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; background-color:#d9e2f3; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid black; border-left:none">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">$7,790,105</p>
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</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid #8eaadb; border-left:1px solid black">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">Indiana</p>
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</td>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid black; border-left:none">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">$3,386,346</p>
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</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; background-color:#d9e2f3; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid #8eaadb; border-left:1px solid black">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">Iowa</p>
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</td>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; background-color:#d9e2f3; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid black; border-left:none">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">$2,829,000</p>
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</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid #8eaadb; border-left:1px solid black">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">Kansas</p>
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</td>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid black; border-left:none">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">$2,829,000</p>
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</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; background-color:#d9e2f3; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid #8eaadb; border-left:1px solid black">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">Kentucky</p>
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</td>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; background-color:#d9e2f3; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid black; border-left:none">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">$7,525,253</p>
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</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid #8eaadb; border-left:1px solid black">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">Louisiana</p>
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</td>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid black; border-left:none">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">$11,505</p>
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</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; background-color:#d9e2f3; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid #8eaadb; border-left:1px solid black">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">Maryland</p>
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</td>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; background-color:#d9e2f3; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid black; border-left:none">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">$2,829,000</p>
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</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid #8eaadb; border-left:1px solid black">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">Mississippi</p>
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</td>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid black; border-left:none">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">$91,848</p>
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</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; background-color:#d9e2f3; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid #8eaadb; border-left:1px solid black">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">Missouri</p>
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</td>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; background-color:#d9e2f3; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid black; border-left:none">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">$2,829,000</p>
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</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid #8eaadb; border-left:1px solid black">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">Montana</p>
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</td>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid black; border-left:none">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">$2,376,269</p>
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</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; background-color:#d9e2f3; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid #8eaadb; border-left:1px solid black">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">New Mexico</p>
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</td>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; background-color:#d9e2f3; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid black; border-left:none">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">$2,829,000</p>
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</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid #8eaadb; border-left:1px solid black">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">North Dakota</p>
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</td>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid black; border-left:none">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">$2,829,000</p>
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</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; background-color:#d9e2f3; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid #8eaadb; border-left:1px solid black">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">Ohio</p>
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</td>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; background-color:#d9e2f3; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid black; border-left:none">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">$3,924,880</p>
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</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid #8eaadb; border-left:1px solid black">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">Pennsylvania</p>
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</td>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid black; border-left:none">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">$21,850,173</p>
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</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; background-color:#d9e2f3; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid #8eaadb; border-left:1px solid black">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">Tennessee</p>
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</td>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; background-color:#d9e2f3; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid black; border-left:none">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">$2,829,000</p>
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</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; background-color:white; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid #8eaadb; border-left:1px solid black">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">Texas</p>
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</td>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; background-color:white; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid black; border-left:none">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">$511,455</p>
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</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; background-color:#d9e2f3; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid #8eaadb; border-left:1px solid black">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">Utah</p>
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</td>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; background-color:#d9e2f3; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid black; border-left:none">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">$2,829,000</p>
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</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; background-color:white; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid #8eaadb; border-left:1px solid black">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">Virginia</p>
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</td>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; background-color:white; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid black; border-left:none">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">$2,829,000</p>
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</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
|
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; background-color:#d9e2f3; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid #8eaadb; border-left:1px solid black">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">West Virginia</p>
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</td>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; background-color:#d9e2f3; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid black; border-left:none">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">$15,601,223</p>
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</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; background-color:white; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid #8eaadb; border-left:1px solid black">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">Wyoming</p>
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</td>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; background-color:white; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid black; border-left:none">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">$25,900,397</p>
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</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; background-color:#d9e2f3; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid #8eaadb; border-left:1px solid black">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">Crow Tribe</p>
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</td>
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<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; background-color:#d9e2f3; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid black; border-left:none">
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<p align="center" style="text-align:center">$226,533</p>
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</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
|
||
<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; background-color:white; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid #8eaadb; border-left:1px solid black">
|
||
<p align="center" style="text-align:center">Navajo Nation</p>
|
||
</td>
|
||
<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #8eaadb; width:312px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.25in; background-color:white; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid black; border-left:none">
|
||
<p align="center" style="text-align:center">$536,224</p>
|
||
</td>
|
||
</tr>
|
||
<tr>
|
||
<td style="border-bottom:1px solid black; width:0px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.4in; background-color:#d9e2f3; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid #8eaadb; border-left:1px solid black">
|
||
<p align="center" style="text-align:center"><strong>National Total</strong></p>
|
||
</td>
|
||
<td style="border-bottom:1px solid black; width:0px; padding:0in 7px 0in 7px; height:.4in; background-color:#d9e2f3; border-top:none; border-right:1px solid black; border-left:none">
|
||
<p align="center" style="text-align:center"><strong>$126,509,211</strong></p>
|
||
</td>
|
||
</tr>
|
||
</tbody>
|
||
</table>
|
||
<p align="center" style="text-align:center; margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif">– OSMRE –</span></span></span></span></p>
|
||
<h6 style="margin-bottom: 11px;"><em>OSMRE carries out the requirements of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 in cooperation with states and Tribes. OSMRE’s objectives are to ensure that coal mining activities are conducted in a manner that protects citizens and the environment during mining, to ensure that the land is restored to beneficial use after mining, and to mitigate the effects of past mining by aggressively pursuing reclamation of abandoned coal mines.</em></h6>
|
||
</div>
|
||
</description>
|
||
<pubDate>Thu, 23 Mar 2023 12:45:37 +0000</pubDate>
|
||
<dc:creator>wcampbell@osmre.gov</dc:creator>
|
||
<guid isPermaLink="false">1576 at https://www.osmre.gov</guid>
|
||
</item>
|
||
<item>
|
||
<title>OSMRE takes inspiration from nature to solve modern environmental challenges</title>
|
||
<link>https://www.osmre.gov/news/stories/WWD</link>
|
||
<description>
|
||
<span>OSMRE takes inspiration from nature to solve modern environmental challenges</span>
|
||
|
||
<div>
|
||
<div>Authored By</div>
|
||
<div>Emily Isaac</div>
|
||
</div>
|
||
|
||
<span><span>eisaac@osmre.gov</span></span>
|
||
|
||
<span><time datetime="2023-02-01T13:19:41-05:00" title="Wednesday, February 1, 2023 - 13:19">Wed, 02/01/2023 - 13:19</time>
|
||
</span>
|
||
|
||
<div>
|
||
<div class="usa-sr-only">Date</div>
|
||
<div><time datetime="2023-02-02T12:00:00Z">February 2, 2023</time>
|
||
</div>
|
||
</div>
|
||
|
||
<div><p style="margin-bottom: 11px;"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,sans-serif">What do wetlands and abandoned coal mines have in common? Although they appear to be complete opposites, there are several ways in which these features affect each other.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
|
||
|
||
<p style="margin-bottom: 11px;"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,sans-serif">Wetlands are areas of land where water covers the soil either seasonally or permanently and are among the most biologically diverse systems on Earth. Some are located on the coast, where they buffer the land from tropical storms. Others are inland, providing an oasis for a wide range of animal and plant species. Many communities rely on wetlands for their livelihoods through fisheries and tourism. Wetlands are also excellent at filtering water and are often called the “kidneys of our watersheds.”</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
|
||
|
||
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,sans-serif">According to the EPA, the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2021-01/documents/wetlands_overview.pdf" style="color:#0563c1; text-decoration:underline">U.S. loses approximately 60,000 acres of wetlands every year</a> to pollution and human development. Polluted drainage from abandoned coal mines is a major threat to watershed health and can make its way into wetlands via tributaries. In fact, this pollution is often so extensive that treatment of the water must continue almost indefinitely. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
|
||
|
||
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,sans-serif">That’s why on World Wetlands Day, we want to highlight an example of how OSMRE helps protect wetland health, and how we can take inspiration from nature to solve modern environmental challenges.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
|
||
|
||
<h3 style="margin-bottom: 11px;"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,sans-serif">Flight 93 National Memorial</span></span></span></b></span></span></span></h3>
|
||
|
||
<p style="margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,sans-serif">Sometimes, nature is the best engineer around. That’s why in recent decades, scientists have looked to wetlands for low-maintenance, effective ways to treat water.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
|
||
|
||
<p style="margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,sans-serif">One excellent case of this is tucked away in an unexpected place: The <a href="https://www.osmre.gov/programs/training/flight93" style="color:#0563c1; text-decoration:underline">Flight 93 National Memorial</a> site. The memorial – located on a former coal mine near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and site of the September 11, 2001, crash – honors the flight’s passengers and crew with spaces for reflection, habitat restoration and educational initiatives. In 2012, OSMRE provided funding and technical assistance to treat polluted water, containing iron and manganese, leaking out of the former mine and into nearby streams. The drainage caused fish kills downstream and turned the once-clear water bright orange. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
|
||
|
||
<p style="margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,sans-serif">Traditional infrastructure needed to treat polluted mine drainage can cost millions of dollars to build, requires long term maintenance, and consumes large quantities of chemicals in the process. The machinery is bulky and unsightly, something that would disrupt the peace and viewing pleasure of the nearby memorial. On the other hand, man-made wetlands are cost-effective, require very little ongoing maintenance, and can effectively treat water in a small amount of space. As a bonus, constructed wetlands can create habitat for native fauna; for example, the Flight 93 memorial is frequently visited by red-winged blackbirds, who favor the cattails growing there.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
|
||
|
||
<h3 style="margin-bottom: 11px;"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,sans-serif">Technical Innovations</span></span></span></b></span></span></span></h3>
|
||
|
||
<p style="margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,sans-serif">In a nutshell, iron-rich water flows into the wetland from larger treatment ponds, encountering dense clusters of aquatic plants. These plants provide surface area for the suspended iron particles to stick to, causing the metal to eventually settle to the bottom rather than escaping downstream. Water entering the system can contain as much as 60 mg/L of suspended iron and exits with as little as 0.2 mg/L. This is well below EPA requirements for mine drainage, which range from 1.5 to 3.0 mg/L. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
|
||
|
||
<p style="margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,sans-serif">Despite the benefits, there are challenges posed by constructed wetlands. In partnership with the Pennsylvania Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation and the National Park Service, an OSMRE team led by Hydrologist Brent Means was able to implement several design innovations that ensure the water treatment system works seamlessly to this day.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
|
||
|
||
<p style="margin-bottom:11px"><img alt="Image: Diagram of polluted water flowing through a constructed wetland for treatment." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1689bf19-d2de-44fd-aee7-70197593ed06" src="https://www.osmre.gov/sites/default/files/inline-images/Wetland%20gif%202_2.GIF" width="1080" height="810" loading="lazy"></p>
|
||
|
||
<h3 style="margin-bottom: 11px;"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,sans-serif">Wetland Forebay</span></span></span></b></span></span></span></h3>
|
||
|
||
<p style="margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,sans-serif">When a massive volume of water comes rushing from a pipe into the constructed wetland, it can cause major issues. The high speed of incoming water is too strong for wetland plants, which spend most of their lives growing in still or slow-flowing conditions. To prevent this, engineers at the site built a small pool at the front of the system known as a <b>forebay</b>. This pool is deep enough to prevent plants from growing there and serves as the “breaks” to slow down incoming water and spread the flow more evenly. On the opposite end of the system, another similar pool called a <b>backbay</b> gently pulls water towards it, once again helping distribute flow evenly throughout the whole wetland and ensuring that the water doesn’t carve out a path.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
|
||
|
||
<h3 style="margin-bottom: 11px;"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,sans-serif">Rock Berms</span></span></span></b></span></span></span></h3>
|
||
|
||
<p style="margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,sans-serif">One major issue in constructed wetlands occurs when water flow builds up in one spot, creating a twisting path in a process known as <b>channelization</b>. Channelized wetlands are significantly less effective in removing iron, as they increase water velocity and reduce the amount of iron that comes into contact with plants. To combat this, rock walls, called <b>berms</b>, were placed horizontally throughout the area. These <b>rock berms</b> once again redistribute any flow that may be concentrating in one spot across the entire area.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
|
||
|
||
<h3 style="margin-bottom: 11px;"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,sans-serif">Seasonal Fluctuation </span></span></span></b></span></span></span></h3>
|
||
|
||
<p style="margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,sans-serif">Environmental conditions change with the seasons, which needs to be accounted for to ensure water treatment functions throughout the year. When wetland plants die off or wilt and fall over during the winter, they often become submerged and can’t filter suspended iron well. To fix this, a system to control water elevation was installed. That way, the water level can be lowered in the winter to ensure that remaining plants continue to make contact with iron particles. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
|
||
|
||
<h3 style="margin-bottom: 11px;"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,sans-serif">Conclusion</span></span></span></b></span></span></span></h3>
|
||
|
||
<p style="margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,sans-serif">Wetlands are fascinating and complex ecosystems that humans, animals, and plants rely on to survive. Pollution from abandoned mines poses a significant risk to the world’s wetlands; and yet, wetlands can provide a unique solution to the very problem that endangers them. OSMRE has utilized constructed wetlands throughout the country and hopes to be a part of the effort to protect these ecosystems, while improving human health at the same time.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
|
||
|
||
<p style="margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,sans-serif">Fortunately, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that was signed into law on November 15, 2021, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, allocated a total of $16 billion to address legacy pollution, including $11.3 billion in abandoned mine land funding over 15 years. This historic funding is expected to address the majority of inventoried abandoned coal mine land in the nation, which will help communities address dangerous environmental conditions caused by historic coal mining.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
|
||
</div>
|
||
</description>
|
||
<pubDate>Wed, 01 Feb 2023 18:19:41 +0000</pubDate>
|
||
<dc:creator>eisaac@osmre.gov</dc:creator>
|
||
<guid isPermaLink="false">1501 at https://www.osmre.gov</guid>
|
||
</item>
|
||
|
||
</channel>
|
||
</rss>
|