FROM INDIANA PUBLIC BROADCASTING

Indiana is expected to receive more than $3 million in funding to reclaim abandoned coal mines in the state. The money comes from the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement’s Reclaiming Abandoned Mine Lands program.

A combined $124 million will be provided to various states to address issues from former coal mining sites.

Abandoned coal mine sites can have leftover toxic heavy metals, which can get into groundwater and pollute drinking water. In Indiana, current and abandoned coal mining sites cause air and water pollution issues throughout the state.

The grant money aims to return these mining areas to their pre-mining conditions.

A spokesperson for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources says Hoosiers who own a property that was mined before 1977 should report environmental, safety or health hazards from past coal mining practices on their properties.

The DNR says it will then send out an investigator to ensure these hazards qualify, which makes the state eligible for further federal funding.