The petitions urge McConnell to help push through a proposal called the RECLAIM Act, which could be at a critical point this week with Congress likely to recess soon.
The proposal would accelerate the release of $1 billion from the federal abandoned mine land fund. The idea is to tie the reclamation of old mined land to projects that could help diversify the economy of Eastern Kentucky and other areas grappling with a sharp downturn in coal jobs.
Examples could include reclaiming land for industrial or agricultural uses.