Program: infrastructure investment and jobs act abandoned mined lands (IIJA AML) program (title IV) award purpose: the infrastructure investment and jobs act (IIJA) (PUB

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources received a $24.65 million formula grant from the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) under the Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation (AMLR) program (CFDA 15.252), awarded January 1, 2026, with a completion date of December 31, 2030. This award is funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which authorized $11.293 billion for abandoned mine reclamation, distributing approximately $725 million annually to eligible states and tribes over a 15-year period. Indiana will utilize these funds to reclaim eligible coal-mined lands and waters abandoned or inadequately restored prior to August 3, 1977, as defined by the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA).

Deliverables under this grant include reclamation activities directly identified in OSMRE's approved reclamation plan, such as elimination of hazards including dangerous highwalls, waste piles, subsidence features, open portals, and acid mine drainage treatment; provision of safe drinking water where groundwater has been contaminated by abandoned mines; and support costs for equipment, support services, and reclamation plan amendments. All activities and associated costs must align with the approved reclamation plan, with oversight documentation and annual evaluation reports submitted to OSMRE for program monitoring and compliance.

Activities

Activities include all costs necessary to reclaim eligible lands as defined by smcra and the approved reclamation plan and include costs are for activities directly identified in the approved reclamation plan, support costs including such activities as equipment and support services, and costs to develop an amendment to the approved reclamation plan. Expected deliverables or outcomes: documents related to the oversight of the state program, including deliverables, expected outcomes, and past annual evaluation reports for the state can be found on the osmre website https://odocs.osmre.GOV/. Costs must be used for activities directly identified in the approved program. Support costs must be used for the activities identified in the approved program, including such activities as equipment and support services as well as costs to develop an amendment to the approved program.

Intended beneficiaries

States and tribes may use IIJA AML grants to address coal AML problems, including: 1. Hazards resulting from legacy coal mining that pose a threat to public health, safety, and the environment within their jurisdictions (including, but not limited to, dangerous highwalls, waste piles, subsidence, open portals, features that may be routes for the release of harmful gases, acid mine drainage, etc.) 2. Water supply restoration (INFRASTRUCTURE); and 3. Coal AML emergencies. Subrecipient activities (if known or specified at time of award): N/a