COLUMBUS, OH -- The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) will hold a public meeting in Cambridge on March 14 to discuss proposed abandoned mine projects being considered in 12 southeastern Ohio counties. The meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. in the conference room of the Division of Mineral Resources Management's district office at 2050 East Wheeling Avenue (Route 40).
Officials from ODNR's Division of Mineral Resources Management will be on hand to discuss environmental and public health and safety issues associated with Ohio mines that were abandoned prior to August 3, 1977, when legislation addressing the problem went into effect.
They will discuss the policies and procedures of Ohio's Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Program and present a list of proposed projects for Athens, Belmont, Coshocton, Gallia, Hocking, Jackson, Lawrence, Meigs, Muskingum, Noble, Vinton and Washington counties.
Meeting attendees are encouraged to present details of their own abandoned mine problems in these counties as well as Morgan, Perry and Guernsey counties and to check on eligibility for funding.
On April 1, ODNR will apply for approximately $4.4 million in federal grant money from the U. S. Department of the Interior to fund abandoned mine clean-ups during the next year throughout the northeastern and southeastern Ohio coal mining region. Part of that money is earmarked for 25 non-emergency projects in southeastern Ohio.
ODNR proposes to spend about $2.7 million on design and construction for these projects. Also included in the $4.4 million grant is $300,000 for Ohio's entire coal region to replace domestic water supplies affected by abandoned mines, $50,000 for reforestation of abandoned strip mines and $500,000 to improve streams impacted by acid mine drainage.
Non-emergency projects proposed for the southeastern Ohio mining district include:
For additional news online, check out the ODNR Press Room at Ohiodnr.com
For Further Information Contact:
Jane Beathard, ODNR Media Relations
(614) 265-6860
-or-
Terry Van Offeren, ODNR Mineral Resources Management
(614) 265-1094