The Dangers of Abandoned Mines Across America
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The Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 created a federal fund to reclaim abandoned coal mines — but not hardrock or gypsum mines
The U.S. has over 500,000 abandoned mines scattered across the country
OSMRE only funds cleanup of abandoned coal mines, not gypsum or hardrock mines
The 2021 Infrastructure Law allocated $11.3B for abandoned mine cleanup.
The funds target 500,000+ abandoned mines across the U.S., many over a century old. Cleanup involves acid drainage, structural collapse risks, and toxic contamination threatening nearby communities.