Coal mines are not being cleaned up
Unreclaimed coal mines put people at risk, threaten our water and drag down our local economies
Our platform
In this policy platform, we identify the key problems that are leading to unreclaimed modern-era coal mines that put communities at risk and shift financial responsibility to under-funded regulators. We then outline the high-level policy priorities needed to address those problems.
The downturn of the coal industry has created a new wave of unreclaimed coal mines.
“Zombie” mines, mines which have not produced coal nor demonstrated reclamation for months or years, represent an unknown percentage of the total of disturbed coal mine lands nationally. A recent analysis of Kentucky permits found that nearly 40% of “active” mines haven’t produced coal since 2020. In today’s economic climate, any active mine is at risk of going into zombie mine status.
Unreclaimed mines hit communities hard with a devastating loss of jobs and tax revenues, as well as degraded sites that prevent economic development and pose environmental dangers. Cleaning up these mines would create good-paying jobs and help restore our land and water.Latest News
Image Descriptions:
Header Image: Looney Ridge Coal Mine in Virginia; this picture was taken by Appalachian Voices in 2021, the site is still unreclaimed in 2024 and has not produced any significant amount of coal since 2013.
Central Image: Photo taken by Appalachian Voices in December 2023 of a mine in Pike County that has not produced coal since 2019.
Bottom Image: Pronghorn antelope at Antelope Mine in Wyoming; photo courtesy of Powder River Basin Resource Council