AML Grants Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

W.Va. Receives $30 Million To Revitalize Coal Communities

This year, nearly $30 million in federal funding will go toward projects that revitalize West Virginia’s coalfield communities and repurpose abandoned mine lands across the state.

In an effort to repurpose abandoned mine lands, state officials have granted millions of dollars in federal funding to community development projects on former West Virginia coalfields.

The funding was secured in the latest round of the Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization (AMLER) Program. Since 2016, the program has provided federal dollars to community and economic development projects that rehabilitate coalfields, as well as the towns surrounding them.

West Virginia has hundreds of abandoned coal mining sites, with an estimated 173,000 acres of land across the state abandoned before 1977 alone.

For 2024, West Virginia was granted just under $30 million through the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), which oversees the program.

This year’s funding marks the most West Virginia has received since 2016, the first year of the program.

With OSMRE’s final approval still pending, West Virginia officials said that this year’s funding would be divided between 10 different economic development initiatives across the state.

Projects selected for funding by state officials this year include a cattle processing facility in Brooke County, a sports park in Marion County and a heritage center in Ohio County.

Announced Thursday, the following projects were tapped for AMLER funding this year by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, the West Virginia Department of Commerce, the West Virginia Department of Transportation and the Governor’s Office:

Chief Logan Resort and Recreation Center, Logan County: $6,800,000
West Virginia Farm Foods, Brooke County: $4,000,000
City of Thomas Water Improvement Project, Tucker County: $3,000,000
Cleanwater RU2 Process Project, Kanawha County: $2,950,000
Ashland Resort Tourism Park, McDowell County: $2,993,500
Liberty Station Lodge & Tavern, Mercer County: $2,421,968
Opal Smith Highwall and Roanoke Center Expansion, Lewis County: $2,406,739
Gravity Adventure Park, Kanawha County: $2,163,954
Wheeling Heritage Center, Ohio County: $2,011,172
Baxter VFD Sports Park, Marion County: $600,000

6 Abandoned Mine Lands Sites Tapped For Development

West Virginia has hundreds of abandoned mine lands sites many decades old. A report from the Ohio River Institute says that Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) in West Virginia — these are coal mines abandoned before 1977 — account for 173,000 acres of land with reclamation costs estimated at $5 billion.

Only Pennsylvania has more unreclaimed pre-1977 mine lands than West Virginia. More than 30 percent of West Virginians live within a mile of an unreclaimed mine site.

To view a map of known AML sites in West Virginia, click here.

In November 2022, the U.S. Office of Surface Mine Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) announced West Virginia would receive $26.6 million to reclaim these sites.

Gov. Jim Justice and West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) Secretary Harold Ward recommended six AML Economic Revitalization (AMLER) Program projects Wednesday to use that money for economic development.

The WVDEP’s Office of Abandoned Mine Lands and Reclamation (AML) administers the grant funding, which is provided by the OSMRE.

To qualify, the proposed economic development projects must be located on or adjacent to mine sites that ceased operations prior to the signing of the Surface Mine Control and Reclamation Act on August 3, 1977.

OSMRE must also give final approval of the projects and amounts awarded.

The recommended projects are:
Mingo County
Cinderella Adventure Resort – $3,080,886
This project will be built on 4,600 acres in the unincorporated town of Cinderella, which includes 22 miles of Hatfield McCoy Trails. When fully funded, the Cinderella Adventure Resort proposes the construction of the Cinderella Adventure Lake, a restaurant-store-event center and entertainment venue, conference center, 15 cabins, 20 RV sites, and the renovation of the historic Cinderella Company.

Wood County
Mountwood Park Trail Center and Campground – $2,600,247
This project will construct a state-of-the-art trail-side campground and 5 to 7 miles of new, bike-optimized trails in the soon-to-launch Mountaineer Trail Network.

Tucker County
Davis Center Headquarters Facility – $12,500,000
Funding to repurpose and revitalize existing structures in the Davis area for local residents and visitors to include multi-family dwellings, community arts center, community shops, outdoor amphitheater, office spaces, bike park and trailhead connectivity to existing trail system, wellness center, and a STEM educational facility.

McDowell County
Range 1 Training Facility – $2,058,050
Construction of a 900-acre state and local law enforcement and military training facility. Once complete, the facility will consist of a main operations building, 10 cottages, a less-than-lethal training facility, multiple shooting ranges, and a 300-acre land navigation and wilderness survival area, which will provide a realistic training environment for our U.S. military members and enhance the capabilities of our state and local law enforcement officers.

Tucker County
Tap Room Coworking Synergy Center & Apartments – $727,000
This multi-use, shovel-ready construction project in Thomas will provide decentralized, flexible workspace options to attract and retain remote workers, entrepreneurs, and freelancers. This facility will house a coworking and small business center with support services to foster economic growth and diversification, job creation, and capital investment, as well as 10 critically-needed workforce housing units.Harrison County
Stonewood I-79 Development – $5,000,000
This project consists of site development of 393 acres of previously strip-mined land in Stonewood, located on both sides of I-79. The reclaimed, developed site will be suitable for industrial, commercial, and/or residential use and spur economic growth and development in the area.

Millions In AMLER Funds Coming To Transform Coal Communities

West Virginia will receive $26.6 million in funds from the federal Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement.

That’s for the Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization program. Pennsylvania and Kentucky will receive similar amounts. Ohio, Virginia and Alabama will receive $10.6 million each, and three tribal governments will receive $3.5 million each.

The AMLER program was created in 2016 and has helped repurpose abandoned mine lands and create recreational opportunities for affected communities.

For example, an AMLER grant is helping to close a gap in the Elk River Trail, a new state park built on an abandoned coal-hauling railroad in central West Virginia.

Other AMLER recipients have started new businesses or built solar farms at or near mine sites.

The grants are in addition to the $140 million in Abandoned Mine Land funds for West Virginia from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021.

Work Continues On Land Clean-Up Projects In West Virginia Communities Affected By Coal Mining

The state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is taking new applications for clean up projects through the Office of Abandoned Mine Lands and Reclamation.

According to a news release from the DEP, the state Office of Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) is looking for economic development project proposals. Some portion of $25 million in federal grant funding is available.

Funds are administered by the AML Pilot Program, which means projects must be located on or adjacent to mines that closed before 1977, when the Surface Mine and Reclamation Act passed.

The state AML office resolves public safety issues such as mine fires, mining-impacted water supplies, and other dangers caused from mining activity that happened more than 40 years ago — before there were any measures in place to restore mining property.

Proposals will be evaluated by the West Virginia DEP with input from the state Department of Commerce, Department of Transportation, and the Governor’s Office. Projects must also be approved by the U.S. Department of Interior’s Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation, and Enforcement to ensure federal guidelines are met.

The majority of these sites are located East of the Allegheny Mountains. The DEP also shared tips and guidelines for applying.

Applications are due July 31.

Report — Mine Reclamation Done Well Could Be Catalyst For Regional ‘Just Transition’

A new report by a group of regional advocacy organizations argues reclaiming abandoned mine lands could be a key factor in Appalachia’s transition from coal.

In its second annual report, released Thursday, the Reclaiming Appalachia Coalition, highlighted 19 reclamation projects in West Virginia, Ohio, Virginia and Kentucky. They run the gamut from installing solar on abandoned mine lands to boosting outdoor recreation opportunities like biking and hiking trails.

“Although funding streams may change, the idea and the need for a restoration economy is not going away,” said Joey James, with Downstream Strategies. “We’re excited to work within a growing community of practice to accelerate the adoption of innovative approaches to land restoration and redevelopment that contribute meaningfully to the region’s economy.”

The group’s goal is to support and promote innovative reclamation projects — projects that can be replicated, involve local communities, and are financially viable after grant funding runs out.

“We see this limited pot of money is available for innovative land reuse, and we want to ensure those dollars are efficiently and effectively spent,” James said.

The new report, “A New Horizon: Innovative Reclamation for a Just Transition,” includes both new projects and projects that recently were awarded state and federal funding, including a combined $15.8 million in federal Abandoned Mine Land Pilot program funding.

In West Virginia, one new project slated to be built near old mine lands would turn food waste from West Virginia University into compost. The facility would employ those in recovery from substance use addiction. The project is slated to cost more than $3 million, but developers estimate would bring more than $7 million in economic impact — $2.4 million in payroll alone — and employ 54 people across multiple sectors.

The group said reauthorization of the Abandoned Mine Land (AML) program, administered by the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, is critical to continue this work. It also advocates for more oversight of projects.

“As the first AML Pilot projects move from these big check moments, to construction and then on to operation, we across the region need to objectively assess the effectiveness of projects that are receiving this very limited funding and intervene where necessary, both within individual projects and organizations that are receiving money,” James said.

The group expects to begin collecting data on economic impact of some funded projects beginning next year.

The coalition’s members include Appalachian Voices in Virginia, Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center in Kentucky, Coalfield Development Corporation in West Virginia, Rural Action in Ohio, and Downstream Strategies, based in West Virginia.

W.Va. DEP Accepting Applications for Abandoned Mine Land Grants

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Abandoned Mine Lands and Reclamation is accepting applications for grant funding to redevelop abandoned mine lands through July 1, 2019.

The agency says $25 million in grant funding is available through the U.S. Department of Interior’s Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement for economic development projects on abandoned mine lands across the state.

Projects must be located on or adjacent to mine sites that ceased operations prior to August 1977.

According to a press release, since 2016, 28 projects in 13 West Virginia counties have received $80 million in grant funding.

The grant application and more information can be found online on the WVDEP’s website.