A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report raised significant considerations about the Department of the Interior’s control of the Abandoned Mine Lands Economic Revitalization (AMLER) program. Despite a billion dollar allocation over 8 years, around 30% of the designated budget has been used, causing a bottleneck in the reclamation of deserted mining lands, with Pennsylvania being one of the main affected beneficiaries.
GAO learned of control issues within the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), pointing to a lack of systematic tracking of allocation reviews and approvals. This inconsistency has resulted in unreliable data, leading to redundancy and wasted time and effort. Additionally, OSMRE has failed to identify transparent internal policies and procedures, leading to duplication of efforts between headquarters and regional offices.
The report also highlights the slow pace at which state budgets are developed, leading to delays that increase over several months in each fiscal year. Such delays have particularly hampered the application and implementation processes, with many states delaying the timeline by more than a year. For example, an assignment in Virginia stalled after a lengthy review that lasted more than 1,100 days, ultimately leading the applicant to withdraw, thus blocking $1. 6 million that could have been allocated elsewhere.
Despite those challenges, some assignments quickly made it through the approval procedure, such as a recreational assignment in Ohio that was approved in less than 30 days. However, those are exceptions to the rule.
In Pennsylvania, the technique for allocating the budget differs because it is based on an internal list and not on external requests. However, Pennsylvania has funded only 78 projects out of many potential projects, illustrating the general administrative and bureaucratic delays affecting the AMLER program.
The effect of these administrative disorders extends beyond monetary inefficiencies; It also hinders the economic prospects of these lands. While the purpose of the program is to encourage economic expansion through the rehabilitation of mining sites, the GAO has struggled to determine the direct economic outcomes, such as task creation, of AMLER funding.
To address those inefficiencies, the GAO advised that OSMRE document unspent funding allocations, provide clearer guidance, and put in place a more formulated and consistent tracking formula for appropriation approvals. These steps are aimed at improving the effectiveness of the AMLER program and ensuring that deserted mining lands can be reclaimed and redeveloped into economically productive sites, especially in states like Pennsylvania where the need and prospects for revitalization are great.
Bernice L. Walck was born on October 21, 1926.
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