Tell Congress that the RECLAIM Act & Miners Protection Act are needed to support communities struggling with the decline of coal.
The RECLAIM Act would bring $1 billion back to coal communities to reclaim abandoned mines while creating jobs and economic development.
The Miners Protection Act will ensure that retired miners and their families get the healthcare and pensions they were promised. Both pieces of legislation were included in the 2015 proposed "POWER+ Plan."
SIGN ON: I support passage of the POWER+ Plan and encourage my representatives in Congress to seek passage of this Plan through the federal legislative process.
To be delivered to Congressional Leaders and your Congressional Representatives.
Your information may be shared with organizations working on Just Transition or related efforts in your area.
The RECLAIM Act & Miners Protection Act can help diversify our economies and deliver on promises made to miners
For more than 100 years communities across the country have mined, transported, and processed the coal that powered America. From mining towns in Central Appalachia to power plants across the Midwest, these communities are also proud to be home to many rich assets, including our land, water, heritage and people.
Every day, these communities are working to build strong, healthy places where future generations can continue to live and find meaningful work and where these diverse assets can be celebrated and built upon.
These communities throughout the country — especially in Appalachia — are experiencing a dramatic economic transition with the decline of the coal industry, and are experiencing severe economic distress as coal jobs continue to decline.
These communities are working to transition to a future economy that celebrates culture; invests in communities; generates good, stable and meaningful jobs; is just and equitable; and protects and restores the land, air and water.
The RECLAIM Act could put laid-off miners and other local residents to work reclaiming abandoned mines in ways that develop long-term economic opportunities in agriculture, recreational tourism, energy, and more on reclaimed mines.
Nearly $10 billion worth of abandoned mines remain across the country, and RECLAIM Act funds could be used to create local jobs and business opportunities by addressing the risks to health, safety, and future economic development that these abandoned mines pose.
Supporting the livelihoods of thousands of senior citizens, widows, and retirees—many of whom are low-income—is an important piece of building a bright future in our communities.
The Miners Protection Act would ensure that more than 100,000 retired coal miners and their families receive the healthcare and pension payments promised to them for many years of hard work in the mines.
The ideas behind these legislative initiatives were included in the White House's 2015 proposed "POWER+ Plan. Learn more about the RECLAIM Act and Miners Protection Act.