Abandoned Mine Posts

by Andy McAllister, Watershed Coordinator

The 2007 Pennsylvania AMR Conference is now a memory. And a good one at that! Over 130 participants enjoyed the varied presentations and exhibits over the two day event and, as always, had a particularly good time reconnecting with other members of our “AMR family”.

2007 Mayfly Award presented to R. John Dawes

John Dawes, Chairman of the AML Campaign and Director of the Western Pennsylvania Watershed Program gave the keynote address with a recounting of the events and meetings that led up to the passing of the amended Title IV in the final moments of the last U. S. Congress.

Following his presentation, the AMR Conference Planning Committee bestowed upon John the first ever “Mayfly Award” in appreciation for all of his hard work as the chairman of the AML Campaign. The mayfly was selected as the symbol for this award because its presence in a stream signifies clean water.

The “SMCRA Title IV” track on Friday was very popular. One session of particular interest to the conferees attending this track was “Highlights of SMCRA Reauthorization”. During that session Pam Milavec, Bruce Golden, and Andy McAllister took you through the past, present, and future of Title IV. Part of the Title IV track included a session by Mike Hewitt on how to use the RAMLIS mapping tool to better understand how to use GIS to find out where those priority sites are. Another well-attended session was the Appalachian Region Reforestation Initiative (ARRI) presented by Patrick Angel of the Office of Surface Mining (OSM). ARRI is a great example of how thinking “outside the box” can result in higher-quality reclamation of our abandoned mine lands. The SMCRA Title IV discussion panel later in the day, featured OSMs George Rieger as well as Sue Wilson and Dave Strong from the Citizen’s Advisory Council for the DEP. The commentary from the audience will prove useful as the state continues to gather opinions for how Title IV funds should be used.

For the “Road Blocks and Limiting Factors” track, the prevailing wage panel also on Friday drew many participants. Alfred Risoliti, Pete Getzie, and Bob Hedin provided good commentary and important aspects to consider when getting involved in reclamation projects. During the Chapter 105 permitting discussion group, Rita Coleman, Troy Conrad, and Pam Milavec explained the DEPs efforts in trying to improve the permitting process for groups. Also as part of that track, Brent Means of OSM asked, “What defines success for a passive treatment system?” His thought provoking presentation demonstrated that success is far more elusive than what might seem obvious. Afterward, while on the topic of treatment systems, the Operation, Maintenance and Replacement (O,M,&R) panel presented some potential solutions to the complex issue of O,M,&R.

The “Technologies and Materials” track was new for this year and many of the conferees attended presentations by Warren Cohn of ACF Environmental, Joe Schueck of Agri-Drain, Mike Kaufman of Chemstream, and Tom Kerr of HDR Engineering. This new track provided participants a chance to see how private firms can assist with reclamation efforts.

Friday night was a wonderful chance for all of us to enjoy eachothers company at the “Picnic By The Pool” and The Down To Earth Band was a perfect fit for entertaining this down to earth crowd.

Attendees on Saturday got an opportunity to attend several concurrent sessions: Tom Clark of SRBC touched on the modeling efforts to strategize AMD remediation in the West Branch of the Susquehanna while Tim Kania of the DEP clarified the remining incentives in Pennsylvania as they relate to abandoned mine reclamation. For those interested in how to improve their grant applications, Malcolm Crittenden and Ron Horansky, both of the DEP, focused on techniques for better proposal writing while helping us understand how watersheds get prioritized. And finally, Hanna Wheeler of the Eastern Coal Regional Roundtable and Stefanie Chitester of the Appalachian Coal Country Watershed Team explained how those two organizations are helping watershed groups work more effectively.

Special thanks to the 2007 AMR Conference Planning Committee for making this years conference one to remember and a very special “Thank You” to the Western Pennsylvania Watershed Program for providing funding.

Also, special thanks to the sponsors of the 2007 Conference:

ACF Environmental

Agri-Drain

Chemstream

HDR Engineering

American Mushroom Institute

Finally, the 2007 AMR Conference couldn’t have happened without you! You are the reason why this annual conference has been a success and will celebrate it’s 10th year in 2008. All of the powerpoint presentations plus photos from the 2007 AMR Conference will be available on the Conference website.

Make it a point to be a part of the 10th Pennsylvania AMR Conference in 2008!

By Andy McAllister, Watershed Coordinator

It is perhaps during these hot, humid days of Summer, after mowing the lawn, weeding the garden, and performing all manner of sweaty, uncomfortable jobs around the house, that we notice more and appreciate most that first tall, ice-cold glass of clear water. It beckons to us as we stumble into the house trying to escape the heat. Yet, as we hoist that tumbler filled with liquid relief, do we take the time to understand its significance? This week on Abandoned Mine Posts, we suggest an article from the New York Times that provides some insight into the mysterious, wondrous, and totally unique little molecule we call water.

• Small, Yes, but Mighty: The Molecule Called Water

By Andy McAllister, Watershed Coordinator 

One of the most rewarding things that we Abandoned Mine Reclamation (AMR) folk experience is the chance to learn about new technologies, ways to improve our treatment systems, and methods for making our funding efforts more effective. Now in it’s 9th year, the 2007 AMR Conference to be held this year at the Ramada Inn on South Atherton Street, State College on July 20th and 21st is the premiere conference for those who are actively involved in Abandoned Mine Reclamation in Pennsylvania (and beyond) or for those who are only just interested in the topic.

With so many topics to explore at this year’s conference, it may be difficult for attendees to choose between presentations. Among the many presentations on tap for this year’s conference will be highlights of the recently passed Title IV Federal legislation and what it means for Pennsylvania, Operations and Maintenance for treatment systems, Permitting, and Prevailing Wage. There is indeed something of interest for everyone.

Something new for the 2007 conference is the addition of the “Technologies and Materials” Track. This will be a wonderful opportunity to learn about what private industry is doing to further reclamation efforts along with materials and methods that can be useful for your Abandoned Mine Reclamation project! Make a point to attend as many of these presentations as you can!

This year, we are very fortunate to have the “Down to Earth Band” (DTEB) performing at the conference. The DTEB, formerly the “Wiconisco Crick Pickers”, blends the folksy rhythms of the Mandolin, Dobro, and Guitar into a unique sound they label as “Appalachian New Wave”. Active in reclamation within the Anthracite region, the DTEB (Jim Thompson and Walt Finch) have been true friends of the Abandoned Mine Reclamation community.

You can learn more about them at their website: http://www.downtoearthband.com/

With the 2007 conference a little over a week away, there’s still time to make it an important part of your summer. Although walk-in registrations will be accepted on conference days (July 20th and 21st), to make sure we have an accurate head count for the caterer and to ensure that you will EAT at the conference, we need to have your registration by the end of the day on Monday July, 16!

For more information on the 2007 AMR Conference and to register online, go to: www.treatminewater.com

by Andy McAllister, Watershed Coordinator

After the civil rights and affirmative action movements of the 1960’s and 1970’s, the number of women actually working in the mines increased dramatically throughout the U.S. from zero to over 3,000 in the 1980’s. However, in the early days of American coal mining, women were not even considered for mining jobs.  In fact, their mere presence in a mine was often seen as unlucky.

With coal taking on increasing importance in fueling of our nation’s economy during the mid-19th Century, women’s roles in coal field communities were largely dictated by the cultural mores of the time.  Miner’s wives took care of the children, tended the garden and what animals they had, and managed the household while their husbands labored deep below the ground. Although the women of the day did not work in the mines they, like their husbands, suffered with the dirty conditions, coal dust, insecurity of housing, and the politics of the company store.

As strikes for better wages and safer working conditions became more commonplace in the late 19th Century, women took on a more active role fighting for the rights and safety of their family members. The successes of women in standing up for their own rights by organizing strikes in the textile industry energized coal field women to support the actions of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA).

During that time, Mother Jones, a leading historical figure of women’s roles in unions and a child labor opponent, once stated, “No strike was ever won without the support of the womenfolk”. Mother Jones who was commonly known as the “Miner’s Angel”, proved to the establishment of the time that women were just as dedicated as men in fighting for miner’s rights. In the textile industry as well as in the coal fields, women stood up for justice and equality and played a vital role in improving working conditions around the country.

The job of the coal miner’s wife from the 19th Century to more recent times was to be as creative as possible using as little as possible in order to provide for the entire family. An example of this creativity can be found in the use of “Mine muslin”.

                           

 

 

 

Feed sack dresses on schoolgirls, 1937.

Mine muslin was the fabric used to block off unused areas within the mine and was widely used by women to create everything from curtains to clothing to rugs.

This frugal attitude, born out of extreme necessity, came into play more prominently during the Great Depression.  During that time, very few families had enough money to buy anything, let alone a new article of clothing at the company store. Mothers mended socks and sewed patches over holes in clothes and feed sacks were transformed, almost miraculously, into all manner of garments for the family. Many families even saved and used the string which sewed the sack together.

Widely used in the 1930’s and 40’s by farm families across the country, flour or animal feed sacks often came in a patterned material as a sales incentive. It was often difficult to match sack patterns. Stores would get a truck load which might sell out quickly before customers had an opportunity to get the sacks they needed to finish a quilt or an article of clothing.

With disposable items rapidly gaining popularity in the late 1950’s, the production of cloth sacks dropped sharply and almost without anyone realizing it, the era of feed sack clothing in the mining and farming communities was over.

For more information:

A woman’s day.

Women coal miners of Southeastern Kentucky

Early women miners