Cleanup success: State’s mine reclamation making progress, official says

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s mine reclamation program made dramatic progress in 2009 by reclaiming abandoned sites that threaten health and safety and restoring streams poisoned by mine drainage, according to Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger.

The accomplishments include work throughout Greater Johnstown.

Among the most significant achievements in the past year, the department said, was breaking ground for a mine drainage treatment plant in the Northern Cambria area. The plant is expected to restore life to more than 35 miles of the West Branch Susquehanna River.

“Pennsylvania’s mineral resources helped turn America into an industrial superpower, but the unregulated mining practices of the past have left us with the largest abandoned mine lands problem in the nation,” Hanger said.

“We have made considerable progress in the past year reclaiming the most dangerous sites and restoring life to long-dead streams in former mining communities.”

Gov. Ed Rendell worked with Congress and other coal mining states to extend abandoned mine funds for another 15 years.

Pennsylvania will receive nearly $44 million from the fund in 2010 and is projected to receive a total of $1.1 billion by 2022.

DEP’s Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation awarded 20 contracts worth more than $21 million in 2009. The contracts served to reclaim 630 acres of abandoned mine lands, reclaim 39,850 feet of dangerous highwalls, backfill mineshafts, demolish abandoned structures and fill hazardous water bodies.

Between the Northern Cambria plant and another on Indian Creek in Fayette County, more than

10 million gallons of mine drainage each day.

The following is a list, by county, of the abandoned mine reclamation and acid mine drainage remediation projects awarded in 2009 and the cost of each:

• Bedford County.

Broad Top Township. Design and construct passive treatment system at the mouth of Brewster Hollow Run to significantly reduce acidity and iron loading to Six Mile Run. $49,500.

• Blair and Cambria counties.

Antis and Reade townships

– Construct new stream channel to divert Bells Gap Run away from an old strip mine and abandoned deep mine entry and re-establish flow into the Bellwood Reservoir that is used for public drinking water in Altoona. $27,000.

Logan and Gallitzin townships - Mill Run Watershed. Remove about 30,000 tons of coal refuse and reclaim four acres of ground beneath the refuse pile.

The contractor is Ridge Energy Co., Clymer. $40,780.

• Cambria County.

Adams Township – South Fork of Little Conemaugh River. Remove two abandoned coal refuse piles totaling approximately 150,000 to 200,000 tons of coal refuse and reclaim 17 acres of abandoned mine lands.

The contractor is Robindale Energy Services Inc., Armagh. $55,700.

Barr Township – Construct a mine drainage treatment plant to treat up to 10 million gallons per day of mine drainage and restore aquatic life to 35-plus miles of the West Branch Susquehanna River. $11 million.

The anticipated completion date is June 2011.

Gallitzin Township – Clear-field Creek Watershed Association. Design and secure permits for construction of a mine drainage treatment plant to treat the third largest discharge in the upper reaches of Clearfield Creek.

This project will be undertaken in conjunction with ongoing DEP projects to treat other major discharges in the watershed and will contribute to the restoration of 10 miles of the Clearfield Creek. $43,000.

Jackson Township – Jackson Township Water Authority. Grant to cover the cost of materials to extend water service to homes having their spring/well impacted by abandoned mines. $390,000.

Jackson Township – Highridge Water Authority. Grant to cover the cost of materials to extend water service to homes having their spring/well impacted by abandoned mines. $81,000.

West Carroll Township – Fox Run. Grade 88,300 cubic yards of on-site spoil, plant grasses and 7,800 trees on 15 acres.

The contractor is Hutchison Excavating, Armagh. $206,000.

• Indiana County.

Blackleggs Creek Watershed Association. Install system to add alkalinity to Big Run to counteract deep mine discharge that cannot be readily collected and treat high flows from wet weather. $339,200.

Center Township - Blacklick Creek Watershed Association. Upgrade and improve operation of existing mine drainage treatment systems in the Yellow Creek watershed. $32,000.

Young Township - Kiskiminitas River Watershed. Expose and remove remaining coal reserves from 3.2 acres of abandoned Pittsburgh Seam underground mine workings; remove 1,100 linear feet of highwall and reclaim 12 acres of abandoned mine lands.

Contractor: Simpson Coal Co., Saltsburg, Indiana County. $58,333.

• Somerset County.

Elk Lick Township – Delta Mining, Maust site. Construct pipeline to divert acidic mine seepage to an existing treatment system.

The contractor for the $13,400 project is Earth Shapers LLC, Ebensburg. The work should be completed in April.

Elk Lick and Summit townships – Somerset County Conservation District. Add limestone sand to two acidic tributaries of Elk Lick Creek to counteract natural and mine drainage-generated acidity to improve water quality and boost productivity of the trout fishery on the creek. $25,900.

Jenner Township – Lion Mining Co. site. Construct passive treatment system to treat artesian flow from Lion Mining deep mine pool at a safe location that will replace existing ineffective chemical treatment system. Earth Shapers will do the $512,000 job.

The work is slated for completion in October.

Paint Township – Weaver Run Watershed. Remove about 35,000 tons of coal refuse and reclaim three acres of abandoned mine lands.

Ridge Energy Co., Clymer, is doing the $54,000 work.

Stonycreek Township

– Grade and apply topsoil, remove waterbody, construct erosion controls and establish vegetation on abandoned Big J Mining site.

Coal Loaders Inc., Ligonier, is the contractor for the $409,000 job. The anticipated completion date is December 2011.

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