Abandoned Mine Posts

by Andy McAllister, Watershed Coordinator

With summer just around the corner, most of us will be spending a lot more time outside. But, in the coal regions, land hazards left over from the days of unregulated mining can pose a serious threat to public safety. In this installment of WPCAMR Video Diaries, we visit a highwall reclamation site in Beaver County that combines public safety with water quality protection. 

Click on the play button on the player below to watch the video. 

by Andy McAllister, Watershed Coordinator

Do you have a stream that you think has improved due to a pollution abatement project? If you do, we need your help. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Non-point Source Program has enlisted the aid of WPCAMR to help them find those improved streams.

The information you provide will assist PA DEP biologists in their efforts to target specific streams for a biological reassessment. If the stream or a segment of the stream has indeed improved, PA DEP could consider it for removal from the list of impaired waterways in the Commonwealth.

The list of impaired waters (formerly known as the 303(d) list) is now part of what is called the “Integrated List”. Impaired waters are those waterways that are not meeting their “designated use”, in other words, the biological community in those streams is adversely affected by AMD, sediment, or any number of other pollutants.

Designated uses are those uses specified in the state’s water quality standards for each water body or segment whether or not they are being attained. An example of a designated use in Pennsylvania is “CWF”, meaning a Cold Water Fishery, capable of sustaining a healthy cold water biological community (eg. a stream where trout can live and reproduce).

Removal of a stream or stream segment from the impaired waters list is a concrete way of showing that pollution reduction projects are having a positive impact on our streams.

If you think you have a stream or a segment of a stream that was impaired and is now not, we invite you to share what you know by filing out the information form at the WPCAMR “Improved PA Streams” page. By sharing your information, you can help direct state efforts to locate recovered streams.

by Andy McAllister, Watershed Coordinator

WPCAMR’s Video Diaries takes you to Armstrong County to see how a group of dedicated conservationists have been using water coming from an abandoned mine borehole for an unusual purpose. 

Click the play button on the player below to watch the video.

by Bruce Golden, Regional Coordinator and Andy McAllister, Watershed Coordinator

WPCAMR is pleased to report that once again, we are to receive additional funding for our Quick Response program. The new funding comes from two sources:  a PA DEP Growing Greener award for $100,000 and a matching grant for $20,000 from the Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds.

The Quick Response program provides funding for emergency repairs for Growing Greener eligible water restoration projects which includes passive treatment systems. For several years, those of us working with Abandoned Mine Drainage (AMD) passive treatment systems have recognized the growing need for system maintenance and the difficulty in obtaining funding for that activity. Application directly through the Growing Greener program had been a way to secure funding for repairs. However, a grant award is not a certainty, plus the process requires lengthy time spans and is usually inadequate for emergency situations. WPCAMR, DEP, and others recognized that there had to be a better way to provide funding for, at the very least, emergency repairs.

Work by the Operation, Maintenance, and Repair (OM&R) Workgroup, an ad hoc group of experts and practioners in AMD remediation, resulted in a better idea of the costs for OM&R for passive treatment systems. Armed with that information, DEP issued a request for proposals (RFP) in 2005, for the administration of an emergency response program, but ultimately did not fund the program at that time. WPCAMR successfully made application to Growing Greener in 2006 to create a “Quick Response” program (largely based on the RFP of the previous year) with a grant award of $350,000.  The program is really a cooperative effort between DEP and WPCAMR. DEP provides the funding and WPCAMR provides the fiscal agility to quickly get funds to where they’re needed.

Here’s how the program works:

1. A potential applicant in need of emergency repair funding contacts their local DEP Watershed Manager with information of the problem. That Watershed Manager then does a site visit to make an initial assessment of the problem and eligibility.  One or more cost estimates are obtained, and a formal application is made.

2. The application is evaluated within DEP, followed by approval or denial of the application.

3. The application is then passed to WPCAMR, whereby the applicant is given formal notification of the decison from the approval process, and if successful, will be given the authorization to proceed with repairs, along with the maximum reimbursable funding amount.

4. Once authorized to proceed, the applicant has 90 days to complete the repairs.

5. When the repairs are completed, the Watershed Manager is notified by the applicant, which will trigger an inspection of work performed. Following a satisfactory inspection, all of the necessary paperwork including receipts and other supporting documents are then sent to WPCAMR with a request for reimbursement.

6. WPCAMR issues a reimbursement check to the applicant (or designee).

So, how quick is quick? The time from the initial request to the time of authorization to proceed with work can literally be only a few days, depending on the urgency of the situation. The reimbursement time can be anywhere from as little as a week to as much as several months.  The actual reimbursement time depends on a variety of factors, principal among those are the number of quick response requests WPCAMR receives at any given time and the cost of each reimbursable project.

Recognizing the value of the program, WPCAMR intends to again apply for additional Quick Response funding in the current round of Growing Greener Grants due May 16th.

To discuss eligibility for Quick Response funding, contact your local DEP Watershed Manager or District Mining Office Watershed Manager:

DEP REGIONAL WATERSHED MANAGERS:

Northwest Regional Office, 230 Chestnut St., Meadville, PA 16335-3481
Telephone: 814-332-6848
Watershed Manager: Diane Neukum

Northcentral Regional Office, 208 W. Third St., Suite 101, Williamsport, PA 17701-6448
Telephone: 570-327-3423
Watershed Managers: Joan Sattler, Jennifer Means

Northeast Regional Office, 2 Public Square, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711-0790
Telephone: 570-826-2511
Watershed Managers: Ron Yablonsky, Andy Schweitzer

Southwest Regional Office, 400 Waterfront Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15222-4745
Telephone: 412-442-4000
Watershed Managers: Rita Coleman, Jeff Fliss, Greg Holesh

Southcentral Regional Office, 909 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg, PA 17110-8200
Telephone: 717-705-4700
Watershed Managers: Mary Golab, Jineen Boyle, Rick DeVore, Mark Mathews

Southeast Regional Office, Two East Main Street, Norristown, PA 19401
Telephone: 484-250-5900
Watershed Managers: Désirée Henning-Dudley, Donna Suevo, Dave Burke, Kevin Munley

DISTRICT MINING OFFICE CONTACTS:

Pottsville District Mining Office
(Watershed Manager, Dan Koury)
5 W. Laurel Blvd.
Pottsville, PA 17901-2454
Telephone: 570-621-3118

Cambria District Mining Office
(Contact, Malcolm Crittenden)
286 Industrial Park Road
Ebensburg, PA 15931-4119
Telephone: 814-472-1900

Greensburg District Mining Office
(Watershed Manager, Ron Horansky)
Armbrust Professional Center
8205 Route 819
Greensburg, PA 15601-8739
Telephone: 724-925-5500

Moshannon District Office
(Contact, Mario Carrello)
186 Enterprise Drive
Phillipsburg, PA 16866
Telephone: 814-342-8200

Knox District Mining Office
(Watershed Manager, Sherry Carlin)
White Memorial Building, P.O. Box 669
Knox, PA 16232-0669
Telephone: 814-797-1191