Abandoned Mine Posts

By Andy McAllister, Watershed Coordinator 

The SMCRA Title IV Public Roundtables continue this week with three meetings scheduled in PA’s Bituminous Region. The attendance at the previous roundtables has been great and the opinions expressed will provide the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and their Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation (BAMR) with plenty of food for thought.

Educational component

The meeting format includes an an educational component consisting of a video produced specifically to show how the amended federal legislation will provide new flexibility and allow Pennsylvania to greatly increase the amount of abandoned mine reclamation done. 

Also included in the educational section is a demonstration of the Abandoned Mine Land Inventory System (AMLIS) GIS/database presented by Mike Hewitt of the Eastern Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation (EPCAMR). This presentation has been of particular interest to watershed groups and local landowners throughout both of our coal regions. The system allows the generation of on-the-fly maps depicting abandoned mine problems along with information about those problems. Even better, a CD containing the information is available free of charge that can run on most PCs. During the upcoming roundtables, Mike will show how the database works and will zoom in on areas of interest in your hometown. You can catch Mike’s AMLIS presentation during the educational session which runs from 4:00 until 5:30 pm. Also, the county abandoned mine land inventory maps produced by BAMR and presented at all of the Title IV roundtables are now available online.

Public Input

While many of the concerns and opinions that have surfaced during the roundtables reflect some of the common ground shared among the communities in both coal regions, opinions on some topics may differ. An example of this may be seen in the comments about taking the 30% Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) set aside. While most participants in the Bituminous roundtables appear to be in favor of taking the full 30% set aside, the opinions in the Anthracite region appear to be a little more mixed. Understandable. The Anthracite region has an incredible legacy of health and safety, land-based hazards that have been plaguing them for well over 100 years while at the same time the Bituminous Region is the place where you can find the majority of the State’s AMD-impacted streams.

Curious about the other meetings?

Check out DEPs official announcement of the roundtables and some of the unofficial meeting notes from previous roundtables. The notes are believed to reflect the sense of the discussions at the respective meetings but have not been comprehensively reviewed for accuracy. A formal record of each meeting will be made available once DEP is provided with the transcript.

Remember, this is your opportunity to help shape the future of Abandoned Mine Reclamation in Pennsylvania!

Mark your calendar for the meeting nearest you:

June 5 – Slippery Rock (Jennings Environmental Center)

June 6 – California (California University of PA, Morgan Hall)

June 7 – Dubois (Penn State University, Dubois Campus, Hiller Auditorium)

Light refreshments will be served.

(click here to view them all on a map and get driving directions)

All meetings will follow the agenda below:

4:00 to 5:30 pm – Educational videos and overview of SMCRA Title IV Reauthorization.
5:30 to 6:30 pm – Public review of PA’s Abandoned Mine Land inventory and maps.
6:30 to 8:30 pm – Public input session.

For more information about Title IV, click here.

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

Although Watershed Awareness Month with the theme “Reclaiming Abandoned Mines to Reclaim our Waterways” is winding down, watershed groups and others are energized about reclamation opportunities and are preparing to attend the SMCRA Title IV Roundtables in the Bituminous Region. This is your friendly reminder to bring yourselves, your friends, fellow watershed group members, and your ideas and comments to the roundtable nearest you. Now is the time to ask your questions and make your comments regarding how the State should use the $1.4 Billion in Title IV funds. WPCAMR staff will be on hand to provide the educational session along with their Title IV video and EPCAMR will present a GIS database to locate priority reclamation sites in your neighborhood. Look for an Abandoned Mine Post announcement in the near future for more information on two more roundtables that may be added.

Remember, these roundtables are OUR chance to voice our opinions as to how to further reclamation work in the coal regions.

Some important questions to consider when attending these roundtables are:

1. How should the funds be used? (ie. for land reclamation, water supplies, AMD remediation).
2. Should we take advantage of the set aside provision? If so, what percentage should be set aside and how should those set aside funds be used?
3. How can we maximize our efforts?
4. Are there other related topics and/or consequences that need to be considered?

The dates and locations of the roundtables in the Bituminous Region are:

May 30 – Robertsdale (Robertsdale Fire Hall)
May 31 – Ebensburg (Dept. of Environmental Protection Cambria Office)
June 5 – Slippery Rock (Jennings Environmental Center)
June 6 – California (California University of PA, Morgan Hall)
June 7 – Dubois (Penn State University, Dubois Campus, Hiller Auditorium)
(click here to view them all on a map and get driving directions)

(click here for DEP’s official notice)

All meetings will follow the agenda below:
4:00 to 5:30 pm – Educational videos and overview of SMCRA Title IV Reauthorization.
5:30 to 6:30 pm – Public review of PA’s Abandoned Mine Land inventory and maps.
6:30 to 8:30 pm – Public input session.

  The Anthracite Region informal meeting notes were developed through the collaboration of the Western Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation and the DEP. They are provided here to facilitate further discussion at upcoming roundtables. The notes are believed to reflect the sense of the discussions at the respective meetings but have not been comprehensively reviewed for accuracy. A formal record of each meeting will be made available once DEP is provided with the transcript.
 

The Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection has announced the schedule of statewide public town hall meetings intended to gather input regarding how best to use new SMCRA Title IV funding to reclaim abandoned coal mines. These meetings will be great opportunities to voice your opinions and to gather information about the law. Both WPCAMR and EPCAMR will be there to provide background information.

Mark your calendar for the meeting nearest you:

• May 22 – Shavertown (EPCAMR Office)
• May 23 – Pottsville (Schuylkill Conservation District)
• May 24 – Blossburg (Hillside Rod & Gun Club)
• May 30 – Robertsdale (Robertsdale Fire Hall)
• May 31 – Ebensburg (Dept. of Environmental Protection Cambria Office)
• June 5 – Slippery Rock (Jennings Environmental Center)
• June 6 – California (California University of PA, Morgan Hall)
• June 7 – Dubois (Penn State University, Dubois Campus, Hiller Auditorium)

(click here to view them all on a map and get driving directions)
(click here for DEP’s official notice)

All meetings will follow the agenda below:

• 4:00 to 5:30 pm – Educational videos and overview of SMCRA Title IV Reauthorization.
• 5:30 to 6:30 pm – Public review of PA’s Abandoned Mine Land inventory and maps.
• 6:30 to 8:30 pm – Public input session.

Call to Action!

The Title IV funding has truly been a windfall for the Abandoned Mine Reclamation community in Pennsylvania and is essentially a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Don’t let the opportunity to ask questions and comment pass you by! It is vitally important for everyone to get up to speed on this highly important subject and even more so, to let the Department of Environmental Protection know your opinions on how Title IV funds should be used.

WPCAMR has produced an educational video and a fact sheet to get everyone up to speed on SMCRA Title IV funding in Pennsylvania: