The Department of Environmental Quality, in cooperation with the Department of Mines is authorized and directed, within the limits of federal funds available to the Department of Environmental Quality or any funds available to the Department of Mines, to study ways to remediate acid mine drainage produced from abandoned coal mines within this state, which the Legislature hereby finds to be a significant water pollution and water quality problem. The Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Mines shall evaluate existing projects among local, state and federal government agencies, and educational institutions, which address acid mine drainage.
Any local, state, and educational institution within this state implementing water quality projects which pertain to acid mine drainage shall coordinate and cooperate with the Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Mines to implement the provisions of this section. The Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Mines shall make every effort to obtain full cooperation and coordination from any federal agency which implements any project pertaining to acid mine drainage.
Added by Laws 1998, c. 351, § 1, emerg. eff. June 5, 1998.