Kentucky State Treasurer Allison Ball announced Thursday that her office will begin expediting all unclaimed property claims from Harlan County in an effort to help those affected by the recent closing of Blackjewel.

“As an eastern Kentuckian, I have seen the impact closing mines can have on entire communities,” Ball said. “I know that in these situations miners and other mine employees are impacted greatly and the communities that surround them are as well.”

To inject money back into the Harlan County community during this difficult financial time, Ball has instructed her office’s Unclaimed Property Division to expedite all unclaimed property claims from Harlan County.

“As a former bankruptcy attorney, I understand that every dollar helps during trying financial times,” Ball said. “It is my hope that returning unclaimed property to Harlan County will help ease the financial burden this hardworking community is facing at this time.”

Ball is asking that all Kentuckians begin using the hashtag #HelpHarlan in an effort to spread the word about unclaimed property waiting to be claimed in Harlan County. Currently, over $2.2 million is waiting to be claimed by Harlan Countians. To search for unclaimed property, individuals can visit www.treasury.ky.gov.

Since taking office, Ball has returned more unclaimed property in a three year period than any treasurer in Kentucky history. To date, she has returned more than $80 Million in unclaimed property to Kentuckians.

The Kentucky State Treasurer administers Kentucky’s Unclaimed Property Fund. Unclaimed property generally consists of payroll checks, unclaimed safety deposit boxes, old life insurance policies, stocks and more that have remained unclaimed by their owners after several years. The Treasury’s Unclaimed Property Division works diligently to reunite these items with their owners, or in cases where the owner is deceased, the owner’s family.