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Senate Adds Money For Highway 59 In AML Bill

The Wyoming Senate voted 16 to 14 to use 24 million dollars of Abandoned Mine Land money to both move highway 59 in Campbell County and to make it safer. In addition Campbell County will have to guarantee ten million dollars of the 34 million dollar cost. 

Senator Michael Von Flatern said diverting highway 59  will allow a coal company to mine the land where the roads sits now.    

“We are putting AML funds, abandoned mine land funds, to mining issues. We are giving it to the county, we are telling the county by this amendment that they are guaranteeing that ten million and they are also guaranteeing the overage.”
 
The debate came as several Senators argued that the focus of the nearly 500 million dollars of AML money should be spent on abandoned mines or cleanup projects. 

Senator Phil Nicholas disagrees saying that the entire state is impacted by energy development, so everyone should benefit from AML money. The bill will be debated two more times.
 

Bob Beck retired from Wyoming Public Media after serving as News Director of Wyoming Public Radio for 34 years. During his time as News Director WPR has won over 100 national, regional and state news awards.
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