02/08/2022

Ohio Receives Millions of Federal Dollars to Clean up Abandoned Coal Mines

Forty-three Ohio counties hold abandoned mines

Ohio will get $46.4 million this fiscal year from the federal government to reclaim abandoned coal mines in the state that cause problems such as water pollution and landslides, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced Monday.

According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), the state contains 6,000 underground coal mines and nearly 450,000 acres of land that were surface mined for coal before the state changed its environmental laws in the 1970s.

Geauga, Medina Portage and Summit counties are among 43 Ohio counties with abandon coal mines. Several Wadsworth homes were evacuated in 2017 when an abandoned 120-year old coal mine beneath them caused structural damage.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Cleveland.com.