[Pages H7395-H7399]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

SAFEGUARDING TREATMENT FOR THE RESTORATION OF ECOSYSTEMS FROM ABANDONED
MINES ACT

Mr. LOWENTHAL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 7283) to amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to
make certain activities eligible for grants from the Abandoned Mine
Reclamation Fund, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:

H.R. 7283

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Safeguarding Treatment for
the Restoration of Ecosystems from Abandoned Mines Act'' or
the ``STREAM Act''.

SEC. 2. ACTIVITIES THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR GRANTS FROM THE
ABANDONED MINE RECLAMATION FUND.

Section 40701(c) of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs
Act (30 U.S.C. 1231a(c)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``Grants under'' and inserting the
following:
``(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2),
grants under''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(2) Acid mine drainage abatement and treatment.--
``(A) In general.--Not more than 30 percent of the total
amount of a grant made annually under subsection (b)(1) may
be retained by the recipient of the grant, if those amounts
are deposited into an acid mine drainage abatement and
treatment fund established under State law, from which
amounts (together with all interest earned on the amounts)
are expended by the State for the abatement of the causes and
the treatment of the effects of acid mine drainage resulting
from coal mining practices, including for the costs of
building, operating, maintaining, and rehabilitating acid
mine drainage treatment systems.
``(B) Reporting requirements.--Each recipient of a grant
under subsection (b)(1) that deposits grant amounts into an
acid mine drainage abatement and treatment fund under
subparagraph (A) shall--
``(i) offer amendments to the inventory maintained under
section 403(c) of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation
Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1233(c)) to reflect the use of the
amounts for acid mine drainage abatement and treatment; and
``(ii) include in the annual grant report of the recipient
information on the status and balance of amounts in the acid
mine drainage abatement and treatment fund.
``(C) Term.--Amounts retained under subparagraph (A) shall
not be subject to--
``(i) subsection (d)(4)(B); or
``(ii) any other limitation on the length of the term of an
annual grant under subsection (b)(1).''.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Lowenthal) and the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr.
Westerman) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.

General Leave

Mr. LOWENTHAL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in

[[Page H7396]]

which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous
material on the measure under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. LOWENTHAL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 7283, the Safeguarding
Treatment for the Restoration of Ecosystems from Abandoned Mines Act,
or the STREAM Act, introduced by our colleague, Representative
Cartwright of Pennsylvania.
The STREAM Act makes a technical correction to existing Federal law
so that States and Tribes can use a portion of the $11.3 billion that
Congress has already appropriated for abandoned coal mine cleanup to
restore streams that are polluted by acid mine drainage.
Acid mine drainage is heavily polluted water that flows out of
abandoned coal mines into streams, making them toxic to all wildlife
and often turning them a bright and unnatural orange.
Acid mine drainage renders streams biologically dead. They become
unusable, undrinkable, unfishable, and unswimmable. It also severely
limits a region's potential economic growth.

{time} 1615

Thankfully, we know how to clean up this type of mining pollution,
and we know that doing so will bring enormous benefits to impacted
communities.
Investments made by existing Federal law for cleaning up abandoned
coal mines are expected to create over 4,000 jobs a year over the next
15 years. That is 60,000 new, good-paying jobs in communities left
behind by the coal industry.
Cleaning up acid mine drainage also restores natural areas and brings
back wildlife. Under the existing Abandoned Mine Land Program run by
the Department of the Interior, eligible States and Tribes can set
aside 30 percent of their annual funding allocations to cover the long-
term costs of operating acid mine drainage treatment facilities.
Unfortunately, newer Federal law passed in this Congress does not
currently give States and Tribes the same authority for the $11.3
billion in supplemental funds.
The STREAM Act corrects this situation, giving States and Tribes the
same flexibility to treat this devastating issue with legislation that
has been passed in this Congress that they have had under the standard
program for years.
I want to emphasize that this legislation does not--I repeat, does
not--affect funding levels for any State. It simply changes the way
that States may choose to use funds, depending on their individual
needs when it comes to acid mine drainage.
The STREAM Act has strong bipartisan support. This legislation passed
out of committee with strong bipartisan support and is endorsed by
Governors, environmental groups, and the Interstate Mining Compact
Commission.
I include in the Record some testimony in support of the STREAM Act
from the Interstate Mining Compact Commission and letters of support
from Governor Mike DeWine of Ohio, Governor Jim Justice of West
Virginia, the Maryland Department of the Environment, the Illinois
Department of Natural Resources, and Trout Unlimited.

Office of the Governor,

Columbus, OH, April 25, 2022.
Hon. Raul M. Grijalva,
Chair, Natural Resources Committee,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Hon. Bruce Westerman,
Ranking Member, House Natural Resources Committee, House of
Representatives, Washington DC.
Dear Chairman Grijalva and Ranking Member Westerman: I am
writing to ask for your support of H.R. 7283, the
Safeguarding Treatment for the Restoration of Ecosystems from
Abandoned Mines Act (STREAMS), and its companion bill, S.
3957. These bills clarify that states with acid mine drainage
(AMD) set-aside programs can deposit a portion of the
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Abandoned Mine
Land (AML) grant funds into AMD set-aside accounts. The
authority to do so will improve our nation's water quality.
Ohio has a rich history of mining that began more than 200
years ago when the state was still a territory. It is, in
part, thanks to Ohio's miners and coal resources that the
industrial revolution grew. During the 19th and 20th
Centuries, more than 3.6 billion tons of coal were extracted
from Ohio, and, while mining has been an integral part of
Ohio's past economic prosperity, the after-effects of coal
production still endure.
Although laws and regulations on proper mining practices
and reclamation exist today, that wasn't the case for the
first 100 years of coal mining. Prior to the enactment of our
nation's first mining laws in 1977, mines were often left
abandoned and unreclaimed as mining companies moved on to the
next site. Thousands of abandoned underground mines exist in
Ohio and pose significant geologic hazards, as the acids that
discharge from mined rock leech into our streams and other
waterways.
Thankfully, funding mechanisms have been put in place to
confront this challenge. The IIJA includes $11.3 billion in
new funding for AML reclamation. These funds will
significantly increase states' ability to address legacy
safety and environmental hazards of coal mining.
An important aspect of restoring abandoned mine lands is
remediating acid mine drainage (AMD), which is caused by
surface water flowing over or through mined rock, making the
water highly acidic. AMD is addressed by building water
treatment systems to neutralize acidic water and remove
dissolved metals that harm water quality in streams and
rivers.
However, addressing AMD is different than the safety
hazards caused by AML, because a safety hazard can be
effectively eliminated through a one-time construction
project, but AMD requires a treatment system to be operated,
maintained, and rehabilitated in perpetuity for it to remain
effective. Accordingly, each AMD treatment system that a
state builds represents a long-term liability that must be
funded.
Ohio currently operates and maintains 33 treatment systems
with plans to establish more, and unfortunately, the IIJA
does not provide the ability to set aside a portion of the
funds made available for ongoing AMD remediation. Without
this authority, it will be extremely difficult to responsibly
build the treatment systems necessary to make significant
improvements in water quality that has been harmed by
abandoned coal mines.
H.R. 7283 and S. 3957 would clarify that states with
approved AMD set-aside programs can deposit up to 30% of
annual IIJA grant funds into the AMD set-aside account. This
legislation is imperative to Ohio, along with 10 other states
in the Appalachian and the Midwest regions who are committed
to addressing the legacy safety and environmental hazards of
coal mining.
As the 2021 Chair of the Interstate Mining Compact
Commission and former co-chair of the Appalachian Regional
Commission, I can attest to the importance of this
legislation in addressing water quality issues resulting from
abandoned mines in Ohio. The legislation provides the
flexibility and long-term financial stability necessary to
plan, design, build, operate and maintain critical acid mine
drainage treatment systems.
Again, I ask for your support of this important
legislation. Thank you for your attention to this issue.
Very respectfully yours,
Mike DeWine,
Governor.
____

Office of the Governor,

Charleston, WV, May 31, 2022.
Hon. Joe Manchin III,
U.S. Senate,
Washington, DC.
Hon. Shelley Moore Capito,
U.S. Senate,
Washington, DC.
Hon. David McKinley,
House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Hon. Alex Mooney,
House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Hon. Carol Miller,
House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Dear Members of Congress: I am writing to you today on a
matter that urgently needs your attention. As many of you
know, the recently adopted Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
transfers $11.3 billion from the federal treasury to the
Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) trust fund. State AML programs use
this fund to address the adverse impacts from the centuries
of unregulated coal mining that took place prior to the
adoption of the federal Surface Mining Control and
Reclamation Act in 1977. This additional money will be
monumental to West Virginia's AML program, and AML programs
across the country, as we work together to eliminate safety
and environmental hazards caused by abandoned mines.
While we applaud the passage of the historic Infrastructure
Law, we want to call on our congressional leaders to pass the
recently introduced legislation that will allow states to
move a portion of the treasury funds into their Acid Mine
Drainage (AMD) Set Aside funds. This authority will provide
West Virginia and other states with even more resources to
address the impacts from mining's early years.
A key component in addressing AML sites in West Virginia
and the surrounding region has been building water treatment
systems to remediate AMD. Treating AMD presents a bigger
challenge than addressing safety hazards, which can often be
eliminated through

[[Page H7397]]

one-time construction projects. Once an AMD treatment system
is built, additional funding is needed for operations and
maintenance, so it remains effective. The expenses of this
work go on in perpetuity.
Historically, state AML programs have been funded through
grants from the AML trust fund and fees collected from coal
production. The federal AML program allows states to set
aside 30 percent of its grant funding into an interest-
bearing account to cover the long-term cost of treating AMD.
Although the Infrastructure Law authorizes continuation of
collection of AML fees on coal production and the authority
to set aside 30 percent of grant funds, it does not allow
states to set aside a portion of the treasury funds. The
ability to use these funds to cover the long-term costs of
treating AMD will be vital to keeping that burden off future
generations.
Much like traditional AML projects, treating AMD benefits
both the environment and the economy. Building and operating
AMD treatment systems helps facilitate the creation of
permanent jobs while cleaning up our rivers and streams--a
true win-win for all West Virginians.
Over the past four years, people from across the country
and all over the world have finally discovered what a great
place West Virginia is to live, work, and play. They want to
kayak and fish in our pristine waters and hike in our
beautiful mountains.
Passing this legislation will ensure that West Virginia's
resources will be protected and enjoyed by all citizens for
years to come.
Sincerely,
Jim Justice,
Governor.
____

Maryland Department of

the Environment,

Baltimore, MD, May 10, 2022.
Hon. Chris Van Hollen,
U.S. Senate,
Washington, DC.
Dear Senator Van Hollen: I am writing to ask for your
support of S. 3957, the Safeguarding Treatment for the
Restoration of Ecosystems from Abandoned Mines Act (STREAMS),
and its companion bill, H.R. 7283. These bills clarify that
states with acid mine drainage (AMD) set-aside programs, like
Maryland, can deposit a portion of the Infrastructure
Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Abandoned Mine Land (AML)
grant funds into state's AMD set-aside accounts. This
authority will improve our nation's water quality by
providing funding for AMD treatment projects as well as the
long-term operation and maintenance of treatment systems.
Western Maryland has a rich history of coal mining that
began more than 250 years ago and helped fuel the industrial
revolution. Hundreds of millions of tons of coal were mined
prior to the passage of state and federal laws requiring land
and water reclamation. The Surface Mining Control and
Reclamation Act (SMCRA or the Act) of 1977 instituted
national mining and reclamation standards that have reduced
environmental impacts from modern coal mining. SMCRA also
created the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund, by taxing coal
production, to address the legacy of health, safety, and
environmental hazards that existed prior to passage of the
Act.
The IIJA has significantly increased funding available for
AML programs by depositing $11.3 billion into the Abandoned
Mine Reclamation Fund to address the myriad of legacy health,
safety, and environmental hazards of coal mining.
An important aspect to restoring abandoned mines is
remediating AMD, which is caused by groundwater and surface
water flowing through abandoned deep mines and surface mines
resulting in very acidic water with high concentrations of
dissolved metals. Maryland currently has 60 AMD treatment
systems that have improved or restored over 100 miles of
stream, but hundreds of miles of streams remain degraded.
Treating AMD is costly and requires long-term funding for
operation and maintenance of the treatment systems. Without
continued funding for operation and maintenance, the
improvements will quickly be lost as the streams revert to
their pretreatment status.
S. 3957 and H.R. 7283 would clarify that states with
approved AMD set-aside programs can deposit up to 30% of
annual IIJA grant funds into the AMD set-aside account. This
legislation is imperative to Maryland, along with 10 other
states in the Appalachian and the Midwest regions who are
committed to addressing the legacy of coal mining. The
legislation provides the flexibility and long-term financial
stability necessary to plan, design, build, operate, and
maintain critical acid mine drainage treatment systems.
Thank you for your attention to this important issue of
improving water quality in Maryland and ask for your support
of this legislation.
Sincerely,
Tyler Abbott,
Chief of Staff.
____

Illinois Department of

Natural Resources,

Springfield, Illinois, April 21, 2022.
Hon. Richard Durbin,
Washington, DC.
Dear Senator Durbin: The Abandoned Mine Land (AML) program
for the state of Illinois is under the purview of the
Illinois Department of Natural Resources. I am writing to
express our continuing strong support for the AML program
under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977
(SMCRA).
As you may know, Section 40701 of the recently adopted
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) transfers funds to the
Illinois Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) Division for use in
addressing the adverse impacts of coal mining that preceeded
SMCRA. An important aspect of the work is the remediation of
acid mine drainage (AMD). Treatment of AMD requires the
construction, operation, maintenance and rehabilitation of a
treatment system to remain effective, resulting in a long-
term liability. The historic fee-based AML program allows up
to 30 percent of its annual AML grant in an interest-bearing
account to cover the long-term costs of AMD. However, the BIL
does not confer parallel authority. Without this authority,
the amount available for long-term liabilities will dwindle,
thereby limiting AMD treatment.
Therefore, I am requesting your support for S. 3957, to
amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to make
certain activities eligible for grants from the Abandoned
Mine Reclamation Fund, which was introduced by Senator Bob
Casey and Senator Mike Braun to allow not more than 30
percent of the total amount of the BIL grant to be deposited
into an AMD fund.
I have attached a summary about the importance of the AMD
Set Aside Authority and S. 3957, STREAM Act. Should you have
any questions or require additional information about the
valuable work our state has undertaken, please contact Lance
Range, Acting Manager of the Division of AML.
Thank you for your consideration of this request to protect
the physical, environmental, and economic health of the
people of Illinois.
Sincerely,
Colleen Callahan,
Director.
____

Trout Unlimited,

Arlington, VA, June 8, 2022.
Re Trout Unlimited supports H.R. 7283, Safeguarding Treatment
for the Restoration of Ecosystems from Abandoned Mines
Act (the STREAM Act).

Hon. Alan Lowenthal,
Chair, House Natural Resources Committee, Environment and
Mineral Resources Subcommittee.
Hon. Pete Stauber,
Ranking Member, House Natural Resources Committee,
Environment and Mineral Resources Subcommittee.
Chair Lowenthal, Ranking Member Stauber and Members of the
Subcommittee: On behalf of our 300,000 members and supporters
nationwide, Trout Unlimited (TU) writes in support of the
bipartisan Safeguarding Treatment for the Restoration of
Ecosystems from Abandoned Mines Act (STREAM Act) to finance
long term cleanup of abandoned coal mines. This bill will
help finance and sustain the outstanding work that is
happening in coal country to clean up pernicious pollution
from abandoned coal mines. It will extend and enhance the
great value of the AML provisions of the Infrastructure
Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) by assuring projects completed
using those funds will continue to provide restoration in
perpetuity.
Abandoned Mine Drainage (AMO) treatment is often addressed
by building water treatment systems, which result in ongoing
Operation Maintenance and Replacement (OMR) costs that endure
in perpetuity. However, states often lack the financial
ability to support these types of long-term liabilities. If
enacted, H.R. 7283 would allow for up to 30 percent of a
state's annual allocation for Abandoned Mineland (AML)
reclamation under IIJA to be deposited into an interest-
bearing account to provide for the perpetual OMR expenses of
facilities to treat AMO. This language mirrors the authority
of current state programs that allow a 30 percent set-aside
from the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act's (SMCRA)
AML Trust Fund. This approach will help to ensure that
projects funded by the IIJA will have funds for this
necessary long-term OM&R expense, thereby sustaining long
term the thousands of stream miles that will be restored by
AMO treatment.
A recent study by TU demonstrated the long-term benefits of
ongoing cleanup work funded by SMCRA's AML Fund, recently
reauthorized and expanded substantially by the IIJA. On the
West Branch of the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania, thanks
to AML funding and well-crafted projects by watershed groups,
the state, and Trout Unlimited, we are seeing watershed scale
benefits--hundreds of miles of stream and mainstem river
restored, recreation rejuvenated, jobs created, and
watersheds made more resilient and better able to withstand
the impacts of a changing climate. And this is but one
example of this restoration occurring throughout Appalachia,
much of it in areas rendered dead by mining that occurred
decades to over a hundred years ago.
Without the authority to set aside IIJA monies for the
perpetual Operation Maintenance and Replacement of these
facilities, communities and ecosystems impacted by legacy
mining issues are given the gift of restoration with no
certainty that it will continue in perpetuity. This
legislation provides a critical piece of the puzzle assuring

[[Page H7398]]

that future generations will continue to reap these benefits.
Thank you for taking up this important legislation and for
considering our views. We look forward to working with bill
sponsors and members of the committee to advance this bill
into law.
Sincerely,
Steve Moyer,
Vice President of Government Affairs.

Mr. LOWENTHAL. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Representative
Cartwright, for introducing this important bipartisan legislation and
working to build such an impressive coalition of support. I urge my
colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 7283, and I reserve the balance of
my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I, too, rise in support of H.R. 7283, the Safeguarding
Treatment for the Restoration of Ecosystems from Abandoned Mines Act,
also known as the STREAM Act.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act appropriated $11.3 billion
to the Abandoned Mine Lands, or the AML, trust fund. This money is for
use by State AML programs to address abandoned mine lands created
before enactment of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of
1977.
This historic, fee-based AML program allows a State to set aside up
to 30 percent of its annual AML grant in an interest-bearing account to
cover the long-term costs of acid mine drainage, or AMD, facilities,
which are often needed to address water treatment in historic coal
mining states.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act reauthorizes the
collection of the AML fee at a reduced rate, as well as a 30 percent
set-aside authority for States. However, the IIJA neglected to grant
parallel set-aside authority for the newly authorized $11.3 billion in
Treasury funds for AML projects.
This is one of the many areas Congress will need to correct in the
hastily passed IIJA bill, and it goes to show why we need to have
regular order, why we need to have committee hearings, and why we need
to take our time on these large bills.
That large IIJA bill never went through a committee in the House. It
was sent over from the Senate, hastily adopted, and here we are today,
trying to fix it. I am sure it won't be the last time.
The STREAM Act is a bipartisan bill that will make a technical fix to
IIJA, clarifying that States receiving newly authorized funds for AML
cleanup have the authority to set aside a portion of those funds for
AMD cleanup purposes consistent with existing law. This will allow
States to utilize AML funds according to their specific needs.
That said, the Department of the Interior recently released final
guidance for States applying to receive funds authorized for AML
cleanup that includes requirements over and above the letter of the
law. DOI should allow States to make decisions on prioritizing AML
sites and refrain from imposing unauthorized and heavy-handed
requirements.
Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this bill, and I reserve the balance
of my time.
Mr. LOWENTHAL. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to
the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Cartwright).
Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California
for yielding time.
I am addressing H.R. 7283, the Safeguarding Treatment for the
Restoration of Ecosystems from Abandoned Mines Act, or the STREAM Act.
It has been accurately described up to now as a responsible,
commonsense, technical fix to the Department of the Interior's
Abandoned Mine Lands Reclamation Program. It is a small change, but it
will have a large, long-lasting, positive effect on State efforts to
clean up legacy pollution from coal mining.
Specifically, the bill allows States to hold back 30 percent of
existing allocations for long-term operating and maintenance costs of
abandoned mine land reclamation.
When rainwater and river water runs over oxidized pyrite in abandoned
coal mines, it turns color, and the whole area becomes toxic. The
damage can last for hundreds or even thousands of years if nothing is
done to fix it.
In my beautiful State of Pennsylvania, acid mine drainage, or AMD,
affects over 5,000 miles of waterways. No one wants to live or work
near these dead zones in rivers and streams.
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission estimates an annual loss of
$29 million in revenue from recreational fishing in such areas.
We know how to fix the problem. Cleaning up acid mine drainage always
creates jobs, brings back recreation opportunities, boosts local
economies, and makes communities healthier and stronger and much more
attractive to visitors and new investments.
Acid mine drainage requires costly, ongoing maintenance, and H.R.
7283 helps pay for that ongoing maintenance. It is not a new idea. The
legacy Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Program, which has been on the
books for years, currently allows States to set aside up to 30 percent
of their annual regular abandoned mine lands allocation to cover the
long-term costs of operating AMD treatment facilities and maintaining
them over the long term.
It is optional, and States have to enact their own programs to engage
in the program. Eleven States have done so, so far. Pennsylvania, West
Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Maryland,
Virginia, Tennessee, and Alabama have chosen to do so.
H.R. 7283 opens the innovation door by making up to 30 percent of all
AML funds available for such acid mine drainage projects if States want
to go that way.
There is no mandate here. It is their choice. Nothing in current law
or the STREAM Act is mandatory, and nothing in the bill raises or
authorizes any additional Federal spending for abandoned mine land or
acid mine drainage work.
What it gives States is the important option of restoring waterways
and maintaining those restoration projects for many years to come.
It is a responsible way to spend this money by extending it out over
time so that we don't blow it all at once and then let existing mine
reclamation areas fall apart. The STREAM Act can take existing Federal
allocations for AML cleanup and make it last a very long time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for his support. I thank
Representative McKinley, to be sure, for his leadership in the House on
this effort, and I thank all the other bipartisan cosponsors of this
bill. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support the bill.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
West Virginia (Mr. McKinley), who is the Republican lead on this
legislation and who is also a fellow engineer and knows a lot about
coal mining.
Mr. McKINLEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman-in-waiting for the
opportunity to address this.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the STREAM Act. Over the last
century, American companies have mined coal in at least 26 States
across the country. Over that same period of time, thousands of these
mines have ceased operation.
Abandoned mines produce acid drainage that, unfortunately, flows into
our streams and is toxic. As a result, tens of thousands of miles of
streams and waterways across America are being poisoned.
West Virginia alone, according to the West Virginia Department of
Environmental Protection, has indicated that we have 1,500 miles of
streams that are toxic in West Virginia.
The STREAM Act ensures States have the flexibility to use these
federally allocated funds for acid mine drainage cleanup and provides
long-term maintenance of these cleanup projects. The bill preserves the
use of important guidelines already in place, as you have heard, and
simply extends them to recently approved new funding measures.
Making our streams safe is not a partisan issue. Mr. Speaker, as
chairman of the Congressional Coal Caucus, I am proud to be leading the
Republican effort, in conjunction with Representative Cartwright, to
pass this bipartisan legislation.
For anyone who has never seen these orange, poisoned streams, they
will never understand the gravity of the situation. But for those of us
that have seen and lived with this devastation that will last for
years, decades, into the future, the time to vote ``yes'' is now.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of the STREAM Act, and I encourage a
``yes'' vote.

[[Page H7399]]

{time} 1630

Mr. LOWENTHAL. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests at this time.
I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers. I urge adoption
of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. LOWENTHAL. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from California (Mr. Lowenthal) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 7283, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. NORMAN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

____________________