Manchin, Capito Sponsor Bill For Cleanup Of Acid Mine Drainage

A bill in Congress could help West Virginia address pollution from acid mine drainage.

U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito have cosponsored a bill called the STREAM Act.

That’s Safeguarding Treatment for the Restoration of Ecosystems and Abandoned Mines.

The bill would allow states to set aside 30 percent of their Abandoned Mine Land funds to clean up contamination from acid mine drainage.

In the next several years, that could mean as much as $300 million for projects in West Virginia.

“Acid mine drainage continues to pose serious health and safety risks in those communities with a proud tradition of coal mining,” Capito said.

The state has 1,500 miles of streams affected by acid mine drainage.

West Virginia will receive $1 billion total from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to address all its mine reclamation needs.

“I’m proud to support this commonsense legislation that would further help protect the health and well-being of West Virginia’s coal communities,” Manchin said.