2008 PA AMR Conference, A Successful Mix of Reclamation and History
Wednesday, August 27th, 2008SPECIAL NOTE: Selected Coal Mining Heritage presentations from this year’s conference will be aired on the Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN). Air dates/times will be: Sunday, August 31, 2008 from 4PM - 7:30PM and Monday, September 1, 2008 from 9AM - 2PM.
What do you get when you combine Coal Mining Heritage and Abandoned Mine Reclamation in one conference? The answer–a fascinating journey through the present and the past! A conference record of 180 attendees took that journey when they attended the 2008 PA Abandoned Mine Reclamation and Coal Mining Heritage Conference in State College August 12th through the 14th.
The three day event was preceeded by a pre-conference bus tour of sites illustrating AMR problems and solutions on Monday August 11th. Led by Dr. Art Rose (Penn State University, retired) and Mike Smith and his crew from the DEP Moshannon Office, 31 tour goers were treated to in-depth explanations of treatment sites and AMD-impacted areas in the Philipsburg area. Additionally, the tour stopped to examine the Interstate 99 site at Skytop where PennDOT has been working to address Acid Rock Drainage problems.
The “Timely Topics” and “New Approaches” tracks were well-attended on Tuesday August 12th. Conference goers were particularly interested in “AMD Treatability” presented by Brent Means of the Office of Surface Mining (OSM) and “Operation and Maintenance of AMD Treatment Systems” presented by PA DEP’s Pam Milavec. During dinner in the outdoor pavilion, WPCAMR’s Andy McAllister, on behalf of the Conference Planning Committee bestowed the first of two 2008 Mayfly Awards to PA DEP’s Russ Wagner for his dedication to Abandoned Mine Reclamation in Pennsylvania.
Wednesday August 13th, began with technical presentations related to Abandoned Mine Reclamation but as the day continued, our Coal Mining Heritage began to take center stage. Bridging the two segments, Scott Roberts, PA DEP’s Deputy Secretary for Mineral Resource Management offered food for thought in “the Seinfeldian Side of Pennsylvania’s Mining Heritage” while Steve Smith of the Welsh Assembly Government offered an interesting historical perspective from across the pond with his presentation entitled, “Industrial Legacy of Wales–From Blight to Asset”. WPCAMR’s Andy McAllister surprised the lunch crowd with an announcement of the second 2008 Mayfly Award, this time honoring Margaret Dunn of Stream Restoration Inc. for all of her hard work in remediating Abandoned Mine Drainage. Those who attended the Wednesday evening mixer were treated to the soulful sounds of renowned acoustic guitarist Ken Bonfield. Ken, impressed by our efforts to reclaim our land and waters from the devastating effects of unregulated mining activities of the past, drove to Pennsylvania from Massachusetts with his daughter, Ella to play for free at the Conference mixer.
Additionally, a special roughcut screening of Andy McAllister’s video documentary entitled, “Out of the Ground” was enthusiastically received by the audience on Wednesday evening. Featuring music by guitarist Ken Bonfield, “Out of the Ground” documents the struggles and joys of Western Pennsylvania’s mining families and communities. Look for more information about “Out of the Ground” in a future edition of Abandoned Mine Posts later in the fall.
Attendees on Thursday August 14th again had the opportunity to attend one of two tracks. The “Preserving Coal Mining Heritage” track showcased the heritage preservation efforts of local groups throughout Pennsylvania’s coal regions. In the “Historic Topics” track, attendees learned more about specific events in our mining past that would shape our future.
If you missed the conference, don’t despair. Powerpoint presentations and some papers will be available on the 2008 conference website, http://2008.treatminewater.com/
As an added bonus, the Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN) taped selected presentations from the history component of this year’s conference and will air them on the following dates/times as part of their tribute to coal miners during Labor Day Weekend:
Sunday, August 31, 2008 from 4PM - 7:30PM
Monday, September 1, 2008 from 9AM - 2PM
For more information on PCN’s programming or to watch their programs online, go to: http://www.pcntv.com
The 2008 PA Abandoned Mine Reclamation and Coal Mining Heritage Conference planning committee wishes to express its gratitude to the 2008 Conference Sponsors:
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
The Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds
The United States Department of Interior, Office of Surface Mining
Corporate sponsors: