Lawmakers in Pennsylvania take steps to address "zombie mines"

Lawmakers in Pennsylvania are taking steps to address "zombie mines."

They are mines that haven't been active for years but now cause a wide range of issues, including pollution and land subsidence. Using Pittsburgh's Mt. Washington, which used to be known as Coal Hill, as a backdrop on Tuesday, Congresswoman Summer Lee and Congressman Chris Deluzio announced legislation to address them. 

"We are reaffirming that our communities are not disposable, that corporate profits do not come before human lives," Lee said.

Both representatives, along with a Virginia congressman, are pushing for more laws on mine reclamation and who pays for it. Of the bills, one would push for a time limit on reclaiming old mines. A second would eliminate self-bonding, making companies have the money needed for cleanup. The last would have companies put aside enough money to ensure they can do the cleanup as market costs, inflation, and environmental regulations change.

"Coal mining by nature is a business of extraction. When the coal runs out, the responsibility cannot simply run out with it," PennFuture's  Nickolas Bartel said.

In the Appalachian region, which includes western Pennsylvania and West Virginia, environmentalists say about $10 billion is needed for mine reclamation. There's only $4 billion in bonds. The representatives know moving legislation while the presidential administration is rolling back environmental regulations is an uphill climb.

"We recognize that we have to create better conditions. We have to garner the support. And part of that is recognizing this is not a red or blue district," Lee said.

The Pennsylvania Coal Alliance said the elimination of self-bonding wouldn't apply here, as companies are required to post bonding to cover reclamation work. It added that any mines that don't have liability attached to them, pre-1977, are part of the state's inventory eligible for federal funding.