89 percent of registered voters back RECLAIM Act
There is strong support among voters of all stripes for a proposal that would provide $1 billion for mine reclamation projects in Eastern Kentucky and other areas hurt by a slump in coal jobs, according to a seven-state poll released Monday.
The poll found that 89 percent of registered voters back what is known as the RECLAIM Act.
The proposal would speed up the release of $1 billion from the federal abandoned mine land fund.
The idea behind the proposal is to use the money for reclamation work linked to efforts to diversify the economy of Eastern Kentucky and other areas long tied to coal.
More than half the coal jobs in Eastern Kentucky have withered away in recent years, sapping the economy.
There are a number of factors behind that sharp downturn, including competition from cheap natural gas and other coal sources; tougher federal rules aimed at protecting air and water quality; and the depletion of premium seams, which drives up production costs.
If the RECLAIM bill is approved, it would release a total of $1 billion over five years to participating states and tribes for reclamation projects.
U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, a Republican who represents Eastern and Southern Kentucky, said the state would get a total of $100 million under the bill.
That would be on top of its regular appropriations. The state received $17 million from the fund this fiscal year, according to the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet.
Rogers announced the RECLAIM bill in February.
The Sierra Club and the West Virginia Center on Budget & Policy commissioned the poll released Monday to try to boost support for the measure.
Public Opinion Strategies, a Republican firm, conducted the poll of 1,050 registered voters in Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Indiana, Ohio, Pennyslvania and Tennessee, according to a news release.
All those states have land that could be reclaimed with money under the proposal.
In addition to overall backing of 89 percent for the proposal, there was clear support among respondents in every age group, income bracket and political party, according to the polling company.
The poll, conducted Sept. 8-15, had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.02 percent.
The poll also asked people which is more important for elected leaders and decision-makers — helping coal communities attract new jobs and making sure workers get jobs in growing industries, or fighting regulations that have made it harder to mine coal, in order to get back good-paying mining jobs.
The poll found 62 percent said leaders should prioritize economic development instead of fighting regulations, while 32 percent backed fighting regulations.
Respondents also sided with arguments for the measure 3-to-1 over arguments against it, such as that coal communities don’t need a federal bailout and the government should instead get rid of regulations.
By Bill Estep
Lexington Herald-Leader