Another legacy of coal - abandoned mines

[Township75]

Funds to fix abandoned mines drying up

By Brian Bowling
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, February 6, 2005


A federal program that helped McDonald deal with a mine blowout could lose its funding source by the end of June.
That's when a coal-production tax that pays for repairs caused by abandoned mines expires. If that happens, coalfield residents such as Jonitta Benard, 23, of McDonald, Washington County, could have a hard time finding help the next time an old mine threatens their health, safety or homes.

"Obviously, it would make a huge difference because nobody around here is taking responsibility for it," Benard said.

Fixing the hundreds of old underground and surface mines in Pennsylvania that pose a threat would cost about $4.6 billion, said Jeff Jarrett, director of the U.S. Office of Surface Mining. That burden could fall on Pennsylvania taxpayers unless the levy is renewed, said spokesman Tom Rathbun, of the state Department of Environmental Protection.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/trib/regional/s_300864.html

Stories like this keep popping up in newspapers of Western PA, where there were once tons and tons of coal mines. Now they are abandoned but they still are a threat to the residents living near them.

[Warpy]

1. $4.6 billion to HELP PEOPLE and clean up the environment is TOO MUCH!!!

But $150 billion a year to corporate welfare plus trillions to the military are money well spent.