HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection announced up to $101 million in funding for 16 environmental restoration projects of abandoned mine lands as a part of the Abandoned Mine Lands and Acid Mine Drainage Grant Program. These projects focus on reclaiming abandoned mine lands, decreasing acid mine drainage or treating drainage.
The projects are funded by the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The grant program prioritizes serious human health and safety problems that are a result of abandoned coal mines, as well as treating AMD to continue restoration efforts under the AMD Set-Aside Program.
The grant program also focuses on operation and maintenance needs or upgrades of AMD treatment systems. This prevents the loss of restored streams and creates significant water quality improvements that go toward watershed restoration.
Grant recipients will be reimbursed on project costs up to the limit specified below. The following projects in western Pennsylvania were awarded:
In Clarion County, the Headwaters Charitable Trust will receive $235,500 toward Jones Run North. The project will include an in-stream active lime slurry dosing and solids collection pond treatment system to neutralize acidity and precipitate metals from AMD sources affecting Jones Run and Douglass Run and impairing Mill Creek downstream of the river confluence.
In Clearfield County, Clearfield County Conservation District will receive $533,134 to restore Anderson Creek. Also, the Moshannon Creek Watershed Association will receive $193,017 toward Hawk Run. The project will begin developing a design of a future AMD treatment facility to restore Moshannon Creek.
In Elk County, Headwaters Charitable Trust will receive $2. million toward Elbon Northwest (Blue Valley Rehab). The project will rehabilitate the Blue Valley AMD Treatment Plant and a Cooperative Trout Nursery.
In Indiana County the Clean Streams Foundation, Inc. will receive $24 million toward Ernest-Fulton Run (Crooked Creek). The project will include the construction of an active AMD treatment system to treat the Fulton Run Shaft and Ernest 2 and 3 discharges. Also, the Indiana County Conservation District will receive $195,283 toward Bear Run South. The project will include designing, engineering and permitting for two AMD passive treatment systems to replace existing ineffective lime-dosing silos. South Branch Bear Run and discharge areas PA3326 and PA1029 will also be assessed.
In Westmoreland County, Saint Vincent College will receive $507,245 toward St. Vincent College. The project will improve the water quality of Wetland #1 and Wetland #2 of the Monastery Run, a passive AMD treatment facility.
Additional AML projects have also been recommended for funding under the Abandoned Mine Land Economic and Revitalization program. The additional projects total nearly $21 million and would be funded by the federal U.S. Department of Treasury. The additional projects require vetting by the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement prior to being formally announced.
