A recent report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has raised significant concerns about the Department of Interior’s management of the Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization (AMLER) program. Despite an allocation of $1 billion over eight years, only about 30% of the designated funds have been utilized, leading to a bottleneck in the reclamation of abandoned mine lands, with Pennsylvania being one of the main recipients impacted.
The GAO pinpointed management issues within the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), noting an absence of systematic tracking for project reviews and approvals. This inconsistency has resulted in unreliable data, causing redundancy and wastage of effort and time. Furthermore, the OSMRE has failed to establish clear internal policies and procedures, which has often led to duplication of efforts between the headquarters and regional offices.
The report also highlighted the slow pace at which funds are made available to states, citing delays that stretch for several months each fiscal year. Such delays have significantly hindered the application and implementation processes, with many states falling over a year behind schedule. For instance, one project in Virginia stalled after a prolonged review of over 1,100 days, eventually leading the applicant to withdraw, thereby tying up $1.6 million that could have been allocated elsewhere.
Despite these challenges, some projects have navigated the approval process swiftly, like a recreational project in Ohio that was cleared in less than 30 days. However, these are exceptions rather than the norm.
In Pennsylvania, the approach to fund allocation differs, as it relies on an internal list rather than outside applications. Nonetheless, Pennsylvania has only funded 78 projects out of numerous potentials, illustrating the overarching administrative and bureaucratic delays that plague the AMLER program.
The impact of these administrative issues extends beyond financial inefficiencies; it also stymies the economic potential of these lands. Although the program’s intent is to foster economic growth through the rehabilitation of mine sites, the GAO found it difficult to ascertain the direct economic outcomes, such as job creation, from the AMLER funding.
To address these inefficiencies, the GAO has recommended that OSMRE document unused fund allocations, provide clearer guidance, and implement a more systematic and consistent tracking system for project approvals. These steps are crucial to improving the efficacy of the AMLER program and ensuring that abandoned mine lands can be successfully reclaimed and transformed into economically productive sites, particularly in states like Pennsylvania where the need and potential for revitalization are significant.
