The U.S. Department of the Interior has awarded funding to the state of Kansas to help reclaim and repurpose a number of abandoned coal mines.
The funding was announced by the office of Kansas Senator Pat Roberts, who said the state will receive $2,823,000 in conservation funding. Roberts said the funding will provide a “crucial start to reclaiming the abandoned mines that result in health and safety issues, currently threatening the daily lives of Kansans.”
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has listed over 350 abandoned coal mine sites that have been identified with health and safety problems.
