Wyoming is eligible for the largest share in 2020 of federal grants provided for the reclamation and repurposing of abandoned coal mines, the U.S. Department of Interior announced Thursday.
The Cowboy State is eligible for $35.8 million from the Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation grants, administered through the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement.
Montana is eligible for $3.3 million in reclamation dollars. The Crow Tribe can use $457,853.
The grants are funded through a fee collected on all U.S. coal. The money is distributed through a congressionally mandated formula that evaluates past and current coal production by each state and tribe.
The interior department announced $170 million in total grants nationwide.
