More than $10 million in funding has been made available to help revitalize Ohio coal mining regions.

According to a press release, the U.S. The Department of the Interior recently announced that for the fiscal year 2022, $122.5 million in funding had been made available to eligible states and Tribes to reclaim abandoned mine lands. Funding for Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization (AMLER) grants comes from the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE). These funds will reclaim abandoned mine lands while creating well-paying jobs for local coal mining communities.

Grant funding will be awarded to six Appalachian states and three Tribes with approved AML programs. Ohio will receive approximately $10.652 million in AMLER grant funding. States and Tribes will collaborate with local stakeholders to identify which projects will bring the most environmental and economic benefits to their communities to receive funding.

“The AMLER program is one of the many ways in which the Biden-Harris administration is investing in coal communities,” Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Laura Daniel-Davis said, according to the press release. “AMLER grants are community-driven projects that rehabilitate degraded and hazardous sites while creating new economic opportunities and good-paying jobs for coal communities. We have already seen the impact of this program – with projects that are creating the foundation for economic opportunity for years to come.”

Visitors can find more information about the AMLER Program and grant process on the OSMRE website.