GREEN RIVER - As federal lawmakers continue to wrangle over the future of the Abandoned Mine Reclamation program, there's still money available for Wyoming towns and communities to spend on public facility projects.

Wyoming Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Division officials said they expect to once again have approximately $2 million to spend on public facility projects in Wyoming in Fiscal Year 2006.

Public facility projects are one category of projects that may be funded through the state's AML program that is administered out of the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality. Other categories include coal, non-coal, high-priority coal, governor's certification and prior public facility projects.

AML funds come from a federal tax of up to 35 cents per ton. The tax is levied on coal to restore mines abandoned before 1997, to address safety hazards and to reclaim environmental damages from past mining activities.

The state has received approximately $2 million per year over the past five years for public facility projects. The money has been used to help fund a variety of projects such as a new water treatment plant for Green River, renovations at the Sheridan Hospital in Sheridan and a new Campbell County High School in Gillette.

The DEQ's AML Division is currently calling for applications from Wyoming communities and organizations seeking a share of FY06 public facilities funding, AML Administrator Evan Green said in a public notice.

Applications, including resubmissions from applicants who have not been successful in securing AML funding in past years, are due by Feb. 19.

Green said the AML is coordinating its grant application process with the Wyoming Office of State Lands and Investments. That allows for a single application to be submitted either for Federal Mineral Royalty funds or AML funds.

Applications for AML funding will be reviewed by the AML staff. The state Land and Investment Board will provide the governor with recommendations regarding AML funding.

The federal tax on coal that is used to fund AML programs across the nation is due to expire at the end of September 2004 unless extended by Congress. The federal AML program is administered by the Office of Surface Mining.

In November, Sen. Craig Thomas, R-Wyo., offered and then withdrew an amendment to the energy bill that sought to reauthorize the AML reclamation program. Thomas withdrew the measure after receiving assurances from Senate committee chairmen that the issue would be dealt with in early 2004.

The amendment would have directed more than $400 million in AML fund back-payments that is owed to Wyoming. The provision also sought to secure adequate money for the health care benefits of coal miners whose companies have gone out of business.

Application forms for FY06 public facility projects can be viewed and printed from the AML Division's Web site (http://deq.state.wy.us/aml/index.asp) under the Public Facility section, or by contacting Jane Nuoci at 307-777-6145.