Posted: | June 4, 2015 11:18 AM |
---|---|
From: | Representative Jaret Gibbons and Rep. Doyle Heffley |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Revised - Coal Refuse Energy and Reclamation Tax Credit |
In the near future, we will be introducing legislation that would provide for a Coal Refuse Energy and Reclamation Tax Credit. The bill is similar to House Bill 2265 of last session. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation, coal mining management practices before the late 1970s often resulted in numerous environmental damages, including: mine fires, mine substance and coal refuse, dangerous highwalls, open shafts and portals, as well as mining-impacted water, land, and air pollution. In accordance with the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of Surface Mining, the Bureau’s Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program has made significant progress in cleaning up these sites. Despite these efforts, mine reclamation remains an overwhelming task and one that is largely underfunded by the federal government. In Pennsylvania, the “coal refuse to alternative energy” industry is helping to address this serious issue. Industry partners convert coal refuse from both past and current mining activities to electricity for residents and businesses across the Commonwealth. During this process, coal refuse stockpiles are removed from land and the ash byproduct generated during the conversion is utilized as a viable resource. The industry creates a clean, alternative energy source and provides thousands of jobs statewide, while also contributing to the cleanup and reclamation of abandoned mine lands and waterways. Unfortunately, power plants that use coal waste are facing tough economic challenges as a result of a volatile and depressed energy market, as well as substantial maintenance costs that are attributed to the type of the waste fuel they use. To address these issues, this legislation would establish a Coal Refuse Energy and Reclamation Tax Credit to ensure the future viability of this important industry and to provide much-needed supplemental assistance in Pennsylvania’s efforts to clean up and reclaim abandoned mine damaged lands and waterways. Specifically, the legislation would include the following:
Please join us in bolstering support for mine reclamation efforts in the Commonwealth by co-sponsoring this important legislation. Former House Bill 2265 Co-Sponsors: MUSTIO, MILLARD, BARRAR, GABLER, GODSHALL, MURT, HARHAI, MARSHALL, PYLE, SANKEY, ELLIS, RAPP, REED, BURNS, CUTLER, COHEN, EVANKOVICH, TOOHIL, MACKENZIE, GERGELY, AND KORTZ |
Introduced as HB1370