Hundreds of abandoned coal mines continue to scar Kentucky's landscape, but an influx of federal infrastructure money is spurring a cleanup boom that is putting money back into local communities and creating hundreds of jobs statewide, according to a report from the Ohio River Valley Institute released this month.

The 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will deliver more than $1 billion to Kentucky over 15 years for abandoned mine land reclamation, transforming what Eric Dixon, senior researcher at the institute, described as decades of accumulated damage left by the coal industry.

"A lot of damage accumulated over decades and in fact, over a century of coal mining," Dixon said. "This program is focused on reclaiming those sites that were abandoned a long time ago that caused historic damage and were never cleaned up."

Kentucky's abandoned mine land reclamation market has nearly quadrupled since the disbursement of federal funding, with contracting surging most visibly in eastern Kentucky where mine sites are concentrated. The average contract value stands at approximately $27 million, with 90 percent of the work going to Kentucky-based firms.

The current spending levels support an estimated 450 to 550 jobs statewide, including both public-sector design and oversight positions and private construction work. Four out of five projects went to firms based in counties with abandoned mine land damage, according to Dixon's research, ensuring that economic benefits flow directly to the communities that suffered the most from decades of coal mining.

Dixon emphasized that the work does not require a college degree, making these opportunities particularly valuable for eastern and western Kentucky residents seeking employment. "The building trades, construction jobs, reclaiming abandoned mine lands can be accessed through apprenticeship training opportunities," Dixon said. "They're more accessible to people in eastern and western Kentucky."

The federal Kentucky Division of Abandoned Mine Lands oversees project selection and implementation. Projects funded by the law address hazards including dangerous mine shafts, unstable slopes, acid mine drainage, and water supplies damaged by mining.

Dixon called the boom in abandoned mine remediation a win-win for Kentucky communities and workers, particularly in regions hit hard by the decline of the coal industry. The research underscores how strategic federal investment can simultaneously address long-standing environmental damage and create local economic opportunity.