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 Department of the Interior Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement awarded the Virginia Department of Energy $22,779,530 on November 1, 2025, under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Abandoned Mined Lands Program (CFDA 15.252).

The Virginia Department of Energy's Mined Land Reclamation Division will conduct abandoned mine land reclamation activities on eligible lands in Virginia through October 31, 2030. Eligible activities include all costs necessary to reclaim lands as defined by the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 and the approved reclamation plan, including direct reclamation work, support costs such as equipment and support services, and costs to develop amendments to the approved reclamation plan. The funding addresses coal mining hazards including dangerous highwalls, acid mine drainage, and other legacy coal mining impacts that pose threats to public health, safety, and the environment.

This award is part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act appropriation of $11.293 billion to the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund. OSMRE will distribute approximately $10.873 billion in IIJA grants to eligible states and tribes on an equal annual basis of approximately $725 million per year over a 15-year period. The program expands the AML reclamation effort to meet priorities described in the IIJA and SMCRA as amended.

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: 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.) water supply restoration (INFRASTRUCTURE) and coal AML emergencies. Subrecipient activities (if known or specified at time of award): N a