North Dakota can now spend abandoned mine cleanup money on other things

North Dakota's plan for cleaning up old mines now lets the state use cleanup funds for other purposes. It also creates a new trust account for these funds in the state treasury. This means the state can redirect money meant for environmental restoration to other projects.

The federal government collects fees from active mining operations to pay for cleaning up mines abandoned before 1977. This money is supposed to fix environmental damage and safety hazards. North Dakota's new plan broadens what counts as an eligible project, allowing the state to use these funds for things beyond direct mine reclamation. This could mean less money goes to fixing old mines and more to other state priorities.