In coal mining areas of Pennsylvania, streams with water running orange are all too common.
Many of us are so used to seeing them that they seem normal. But the truth is they are a sign of legacy pollution to our communities and ecosystems called abandoned mine drainage (AMD). It is the product of a chemical reaction that occurs when water from abandoned coal mines mixes with oxygen and pyrite. It doesn’t just turn our streams orange, it pollutes the places we fish, swim and recreate and significantly reduces fish and plant life that are essential to keeping our environment healthy.
It’s a problem that plagues hundreds of our communities.
However, there is a bipartisan solution on the table that would clean it up without any additional cost to taxpayers if Congress acts. U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, a Democrat from Eastern PA, and Congressman David McKinley, a Republican from West Virginia, introduced the Safeguarding Treatment for the Restoration of Ecosystems from Abandoned Mines Act — or the STREAM Act – this year. It’s a policy that’s garnered support from across the aisle in a way few bills do in this political environment because it is a common-sense solution to a problem that ignores partisan lines.
Polluted waterways don’t know the difference between red and blue states. It is a liability wherever it exists that keeps businesses and neighborhoods from thriving. It also requires a long-term solution.
AMD never goes away, but the water it pollutes can be cleaned up and protected thanks to the installation and maintenance of innovative treatment systems that exist all over Pennsylvania.
The current Abandoned Mine Lands program ensures that communities dealing with AMD can put federal funds in set-aside accounts that can go toward keeping these systems up and running. While the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act pumps a vitally needed $11.3 billion into the AML program, it doesn’t have the provision allowing for these dollars to go into AMD-related set-aside accounts. The STREAM Act fixes that, opening up the opportunity for key, job-creating investments in our communities treating water polluted by AMD at no new cost to the taxpayer.
That’s why Republicans and Democrats alike have rushed to support it. The House passed the bill by an overwhelming 391-9 margin. Our Senator, Bob Casey, introduced a companion bill in the Senate. Now, we’re waiting on the Senate to advance this key legislation and fully unlock the resources our communities need to treat AMD.
We need Senator Pat Toomey’s support on this legislation.
Bobby Hughes
EPCAMR Executive Director