Reps. Chris Deluzio and Summer Lee Introduce “Zombie Mine” Bills to Hold Coal Corporations Accountable for Cleanup

PITTSBURGH, PA - Today, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) and Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12) announced the introduction of a three-bill package aimed at addressing the growing crisis of unreclaimed "zombie mines" - long-standing idle coal mines that pollute waterways and threaten public safety.

Rep. Deluzio's bill, the Bond Improvement and Reclamation Assurance Act and Rep. Lee's bill, the Coal Cleanup Taxpayer Protection Act - along with a third companion bill led by Congressman Don Beyer (VA-08), the Stream Protection and Vegetation Restoration Act - form a comprehensive legislative package to strengthen bonding requirements, protect waterways, and ensure that land is fully reclaimed after mining operations end.

Reps. Deluzio and Lee introduced their respective bills at a joint press conference at the First Mining of Pittsburgh Coal Historical Marker on Mt. Washington alongside environmental advocates and community leaders working to protect coalfield communities across Pennsylvania and Appalachia.

"Western Pennsylvania and other coal communities powered our country for decades, but the industry left behind a lot of dangerous and polluting 'zombie mines," said Congressman Deluzio. "It is time to clean up the mess they left behind. I am proud to join with Congresswoman Summer Lee to introduce these proposals to save Western Pennsylvanians money, protect public health, and help restore the land we love."

"For too long, coal companies have been allowed to walk away from the damage they leave behind, harming the health of our communities and leaving taxpayers with the bill," said Rep. Lee. "My Coal Cleanup Taxpayer Protection Act ends the dangerous practice of self-bonding and makes sure companies put up real money to clean up their mess. This legislation is about protecting our water, our neighborhoods, and the people who live with the consequences of corporate abandonment. Even more, it helps ensure that reclamation work actually gets done, creating good-paying jobs while restoring land that can be used again for economic development and community projects. No one should ever have to trade their health for someone else's profit. Western Pennsylvanians and folks across the country deserve clean land, real accountability, and a future we can actually build on."

Zombie mines are former coal mining sites that have not produced coal in years but remain unreclaimed, often discharging toxic pollution into streams, destabilizing land, and increasing risks of flooding and landslides. As coal companies declare bankruptcy or shut down operations, many abandon their legal responsibility to restore the land - shifting billions of dollars in cleanup costs onto taxpayers.

The legislation introduced today is part of a coordinated, three-bill package developed in partnership with the Appalachian Citizens' Law Center (ACLC), Appalachian Voices, and a national coalition of more than 50 organizations advocating for stronger mine reclamation standards.

Photos from the press conference can be found here.

Rep. Deluzio's Bill: Bond Improvement and Reclamation Assurance Act

Congressman Deluzio's bill would make sure that coal companies put aside enough money for mine cleanup to actually deliver on their commitment as originally intended in the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977. The bill would stop corporations from playing financial games like using subsidiaries or shell companies to dodge financial responsibility for mine cleanup.

Deluzio's bill requires that regulators have to consider things like inflation, long-term water pollution treatment needs, cost to the public if government has to take over cleanup for a coal mining company, the coal market and more.

Specifically, the Bond Improvement and Reclamation Assurance Act would require state regulatory authorities to recalculate the right amount of money to put into performance bonds. This would mean when permits are being renewed or transferred or when market conditions or water pollution measurements change the cost of mine cleanup, the money from coal bonds is enough to get the cleanup job done right.

A copy of Rep. Deluzio's bill text can be found here.

Rep. Lee's Bill: The Coal Cleanup Taxpayer Protection Act

Congresswoman Lee introduced the Coal Cleanup Taxpayer Protection Act, legislation that would eliminate the practice of "self-bonding," which allows coal companies to promise - rather than actually secure - the funds needed to clean up mine sites.

Under current law, states may allow coal companies to self-bond based on their own financial health instead of providing real financial guarantees such as surety bonds or collateral. When companies go bankrupt, those promised funds often disappear, leaving communities exposed to pollution and taxpayers on the hook.

The Coal Cleanup Taxpayer Protection Act would:

• Eliminate the practice of self-bonding;
• Require states to submit actuarial studies every five years proving bond pools are financially stable;
• Require regular revaluation of non-cash collateral used for mine bonding.

Speakers at the event included representatives from Appalachian Voices, PennFuture, and the Center for Coalfield Justice, who highlighted the urgent need for federal action as climate-driven extreme weather events worsen flooding and pollution from abandoned mine lands.

"Congress acted in 1977 to eliminate the scourge of abandoned mines from coal communities," said Kevin Zedack, Government Affairs Specialist, Appalachian Voices. "Now, nearly 50 years later, Congress needs to respond to the coal industry's pattern of avoiding their reclamation responsibilities - leading to a new generation of functionally abandoned mines that continue to pollute and jeopardize our communities. Introducing these three bills is an important step to protect the health, safety and economies of coal communities across the country as the Trump administration attempts to revive the coal industry."

"Appalachian communities have powered this country for generations, often at a steep cost to their land and health," said Nickolas Bartel, Clean Air Campaign Manager, PennFuture. 'They deserve land that is safe, clean, and cared for. These bills make sure companies can't walk away from that pollution and leave workers and families holding the bill. Real bonding means real cleanup work, real jobs, and real accountability."

"Mine reclamation is not just about paperwork or technical policy that will affect isolated projects," said Heaven Sensky, Organizing Director at the Center for Coalfield Justice. "Closing regulatory gaps and strengthening reclamation requirements helps us begin to build a stronger foundation for economic development in communities that have long been left behind. Reclamation creates jobs, restores land and water, and opens the door to a future not defined solely by extractive economies."

Environmental advocates emphasized that unreclaimed mine lands contribute to abandoned mine drainage, contaminate drinking water sources, increase flood risks, and prevent land from being repurposed for economic development projects such as renewable energy, recreation, or community infrastructure.

"The work of reclaiming mines in Appalachia not only creates jobs, it creates new opportunities through economic development and allows the land to be put back into productive use for local communities," said Dana Kuhnline, Program Director, ReImagine Appalachia. "From a dangerous eyesore that increases risks around flooding, we can create new energy through solar, ecotourism opportunities, commercial and residential construction, and more."

"Unproductive and unreclaimed mines are eyesores and hazards in coal-producing communities," said Rebecca Shelton, Director of Policy, Appalachian Citizens' Law Center. "At best, these sites often sit for years in this status. Worse, coal operators abandon these sites and it is subsequently discovered that there is insufficient bond funding to clean up the mine. The CLEAN UP Mines Act will help to ensure that mine sites are reclaimed expeditiously and completely. These reforms are long overdue."

"Ending self-bonding and strengthening alternative bonding requirements brings long-overdue consistency and accountability to mine cleanup while reducing financial risk for states," said Aimee Erickson, Executive Director, Citizens' Coal Council.

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