Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet
Abandoned Mine Land money goes to Harlan water project

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Sept. 15, 2005) – Kentucky’s Abandoned Mine Land (AML) program will provide part of the funding for a project to bring clean water to hundreds of people in Harlan County.

The money – some $600,000 – will pay for a portion of the design and construction of an extension of public water lines to about 500 households in the Clover Fork watershed of the Cumberland River between the communities of Evarts and Highsplint.

A contamination study conducted by the Harlan County Fiscal Court found that much of the ground water between Evarts and Highsplint was adversely affected by coal mining that occurred prior to 1982, making the project eligible for AML assistance.

“Unfortunately, access to clean, safe drinking water has not been readily available to many Kentuckians,” said LaJuana S. Wilcher, secretary of the Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet (EPPC). “Clean water is fundamental to our health and our economy and this project will improve the quality of life for these Harlan Countians.”

The project will involve installation of approximately 14 miles of water main and 500 meters.

The system will be operated by the city of Evarts, which has found other financing to help extend the water line even farther to areas not eligible for AML funds.

The AML program is administered by the Kentucky Division of Abandoned Mine Lands, an agency of EPPC.