Economic Impact Analysis of the Ohio Abandoned Mine Land Program
April 11, 2014
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Mineral Resources Management (ODNR-DMRM) has an Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Program to address issues associated with abandoned coal mine features. Abandoned coal mines are defined as mines abandoned prior to 1977 when the Surface Mine Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) was passed. SMCRA created the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) and provided for the collection of severance taxes on coal production to fund projects to address abandoned mine issues. In Ohio, ODNR-DMRM operates the AML Program with annual grant funding provided by OSMRE.
The AML Program has completed approximately 1,400 projects in the last 30 years addressing emergency, public health and safety, and environmental hazards.
The Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs at Ohio University has conducted an economic impact analysis of the AML Program in Ohio. The following pages provide estimates of the number of jobs, amount of labor income, and the amount of state and local tax revenue generated by AML spending on reclamation activities in Ohio’s coal region.