Guest Author, Ryan Falcone, Southern Pennsylvania Commission

On Thursday,  September 22, 2011, learn what is happening in your watershed.   Network with watershed Organizations,  private businesses and industry, government agencies, municipalities,  educators, students and interested citizens that are creating the future today!  Take advantage of the opportunity to attend a cruise along Pittsburgh’s three  rivers for the 10th annual Ohio River Watershed Celebration (ORWC) hosted by  the Gateway Clipper Fleet.  The event is  free and open to the public thanks to donations from many different sponsoring  organizations.

The ORWC  began in 2002 with 250 persons attending and has grown to over 700 participants  (in 2010) on board the Gateway Clipper Fleet’s Majestic and Empress.  The 2011 theme is “Our Rivers…Then and Now,”  which will focus on how the three rivers that course through our region have  shaped the people and events that have influenced this country.  Significant milestones in our history can be  traced back as the rivers changed from free flowing and wild to navigable,  industrial corridors.  And now, these  once primarily utilitarian resources are being transformed into the life-blood  of a new and more diverse and sustainable watershed.  This cruise brings tributaries of commerce  and industry, history and tourism, environmental stewardship, and recreation  together to form a pathway to a vibrant future.   A pathway where industrial and environmental concerns work together to  foster mutual sustainability and where recreational and tourism advocates have  open water to pursue new and evolving ways of adding value to this regions  greatest asset….its watershed.

Click here to  register for the event.

Click here to  see the short film made about the event.

The Steeler Nation and the Watershed Movement

By Anne Daymut, Watershed Coordinator

Don’t let a  lack of available grant funds discourage you from environmental projects, Wells  Creek Watershed Association sure hasn’t.   For the last five years, they have found a way to profit from football  fans.  How’s that you say?  They raise over $2,500/year selling BBQ  chicken on Superbowl Sunday!  The  proceeds are used to stock trout in Wells Creek. 

 Click Here to  watch the video.

Well’s Creek Watershed Association is holding a work day  on Saturday September 24, 2011, starting at 8:00am. They will be meeting in the parking lot across from Fitzie’s Pub in Listie, PA and then will carpool to their three AMD treatment systems to do general maintenance. A meeting and picnic lunch, furnished by Bob Bastian, will follow the work party. Everyone is welcome.

By: David E. Hess, Former Secretary, Department of Environmental Protection

Everyone agrees– the Growing Greener Program– a national model created in 1999 to protect the environment while growing business at the local level– is the most effective environmental program ever adopted by the Commonwealth. It empowered tens of thousands of people all across the state to be directly involved in the restoration and protection of the environment in their own communities. They restored their watersheds, reclaimed abandoned mines, preserved local farms and open space, improved recreation opportunities and upgraded drinking water and wastewater infrastructure.

For every dollar Growing Greener provided, local watershed groups contributed $1.25 or more, doubling the investment made by the state.

Growing Greener gave people the tools to make these projects happen. I saw it first-hand when I was Secretary and visited every one of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties twice to see these local projects. No nameless, faceless bureaucracy came in to their communities to do a project and leave. They did it locally by building partnerships and contributing their talents to make a lasting, positive impact on their environment.

So, if everyone loves Growing Greener, why is it broke? The Growing Greener II bond issue, which capped the program in 2005, is out of money. Fees from the disposal of municipal waste in Pennsylvania, which were meant to provide a steady stream of funding for Growing Greener, now almost all go to pay debt service for these bonds.

Funding has dropped by over 82 percent, from $100 million in 2002-03 to just $27.4 million for project funding next year, now split between five agencies.

Legislators from both parties in both the House and Senate have proposed fees or a severance tax on Marcellus Shale natural gas production to fund Growing Greener at one level or another. President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R-Jefferson) has proposed an impact fee on Marcellus Shale drilling, Senators John Yudichak (D-Luzerne) and Ted Erickson (R-Delaware), Rep. Kate Harper (R-Montgomery), Rep. Marguerite Quinn (R-Bucks), Rep. Mike Tobash (R-Schuylkill), Rep. Nick Miccarelli (R-Delaware) and Rep. Camille George (D-Clearfield) have all proposed different versions of a Marcellus Shale production severance tax to fund programs, including Growing Greener.

There is a proposal by Sen. Don White (R-Indiana) to use the proceeds from Marcellus Shale leases and the development of minerals on lands owned by state agencies other than the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to fund Growing Greener. The royalties from the development of existing State Forest land Marcellus Shale leases will increase from $64 million next year to an estimated $300 million in the next 10 years which could also support Growing Greener-type projects.

There have also been proposals to make natural gas mineral holdings taxable, like coal, to offset local costs imposed by drilling, including local environmental improvement projects. By my count that’s at least five different options, with variations on each, that could be used together or separately to fund Growing Greener-type projects.

Pennsylvania still has 16,000 miles of polluted streams, 189,000 acres of abandoned mine lands needing reclamation, 110,000 acres of farmland and open space disappearing every year and federal mandates to upgrade wastewater treatment plants and control farmland and stormwater runoff in the two-thirds of Pennsylvania in the Chesapeake Bay.

Clearly, the need is there and Growing Greener should be refocused on these core responsibilities. So, what are we waiting for? The General Assembly has less than 12 voting days to act before the June 30 deadline for a new budget and there is every indication the Governor, Senate and House want an on-time budget.

For the last eight years, over $1.3 billion in environmental funding has been diverted to balance the state budget or given to programs that could not get funding on their own. $1.3 billion. Environmental leadership is not about who can cut the least, it’s about funding effective programs that give people the tools they need to restore and protect the environment where they live. Growing Greener, which won multiple national and state awards, has been that program in Pennsylvania.

The General Assembly and the Governor need to act now to support this amazing program.

For more information, visit the Renew Growing Greener website.

13th Annual PA AMR Conference Reminder

By Andy McAllister, Regional Coordinator

The 2011 PA AMR Conference is fast approaching. The deadline for making reservations fand receiving the discounted hotel accommodations at Genetti’s Hotel in Hazleton, PA, is June 30, 2011. The special conference rate is $70, plus tax/night.

Registration for the conference closes on July 29th. Click here to go to the registration page for the 2011 PA AMR Conference for all the updated information. Or navigate on your browser to: http://treatminewater.epcamr.org/registration

Michael Krancer, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP), recently made time in his busy schedule to spend a day touring abandoned mine sites and restoration projects throughout Washington and Allegheny Counties. WPCAMR staff lead an engaging and informative tour that highlighted the major challenges that the AMD/AML restoration and reclamation community currently faces.

Secretary Krancer was able to immerse himself into our community, witness a few of the many AMD/AML success stories, and provide valuable feedback to the issues that were presented to him.

Three main topics dominated the discussions at tour stops:

• Building mutually-beneficial partnerships between the watershed community and the energy industry
• Protection of Pennsylvania’s investment in water quality improvement
• Funding needs for further water quality improvements.

The intricacies of each topic were described by a varied group of watershed volunteers, DEP staff, professional engineers, landowners, energy representatives, and multiple partnering organizations and agencies.

Watershed groups know that successful projects require partnerships in many forms; diversified funding, technical knowledge, and connections to name a few. The best partnerships are those that satisfy multiple needs.

The tour highlighted a star project when it comes to partnerships: the North Fork Montour Run AMD Treatment System. Here, PA DEP funded the treatment system through the Montour Run Watershed Association who partnered with the Pittsburgh International Airport and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, and others. Secretary Krancer, being an aviation enthusiast, was impressed by what the diverse partners were able to accomplish in proximity to the Pittsburgh airport.

The tour also stressed the value of working with the energy industry as a partner in watershed restoration. They bring connections, expertise, and financial incentives to the table while providing jobs, supplying our energy demands, and aiding the economy. There are several challenges facing mutually-beneficial partnerships with the Energy Industry that the tour brought to light including; solving wetlands permitting and banking challenges; supporting the beneficial use of coal ash; encouraging remining and coal waste piles as alternative energy, GFCC permitting cost issues; and promoting the use of AMD as frac water.

Pennsylvania has, by far, invested more money and resources than any other Appalachian State into AMD/AML remediation and reclamation. Amazingly, Pennsylvania now has close to 300 AMD passive treatment systems constructed, operated, and maintained by Good Samaritans including watershed organizations, private landowners, state agencies, and Conservation Districts. This effort has lead to nearly 65 miles of stream removed from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Impaired Waters List for abandoned mining related pollutants. Improvements have been made in over 30 watersheds. Keeping these successes in mind, we continued to express our concerns to the Secretary about the possible negative effects that the Keely Decision and EPA’s proposed conductivity benchmark would have on our community.

We also stressed to the Secretary that, while the construction of all these treatment systems has been a major “shot in the arm” for western Pennsylvania’s environment, the follow-up care of these systems is equally as important. The Operation, Maintenance, and Replacement of these valuable treatment systems plays a vital role in maintaining our healthy waters. Without attention and a dedicated effort to secure funding for O,M&R of existing systems, much of the improvement made could be lost.

In spite of the difficult economic times, the watershed community remains confident that funding for future AMD treatment will continue in some form. Secretary Krancer heard from several participants about how the Growing Greener Grant program has been vital to the creation of these treatment systems and subsequently, in the improvement of our streams. Growing Greener has also been largely responsible for the funding for the Conservation District Watershed Specialist Program–an indispensible link between the environmental community and State agencies.

In addition to Secretary Krancer and his staff, WPCAMR would like to specifically thank and acknowledge everyone involved in the tour.

o Presto-Sygan Abandoned Mine Discharge: Margaret Dunn, Cliff Denholm, Shaun Busler, Buck Neely, and Laurie Popeck, Stream Restoration Incorporated

o Gladden Discharge: Rich Beam and Eric Cavazza, PA DEP BAMR; Amy Smith, South Fayette Conservation Group; Tom Gray, TetraTech o Champion Waste Coal Pile: Raymond Bologna, Ray Bologna, and Tony Bologna, Landowners; Vicky Michaels, Raccoon Creek Watershed Association; Gary Stokum and Jennifer Halachak, Washington County Conservation District

o North Fork Montour Run AMD Treatment System: Kevin Gurchak, Pittsburgh International Airport; Mark Fedosick, Montour Run Watershed Association; Mike Houser, Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission; Stream Restoration Inc Staff; Amy Meyers, Allegheny County Conservation District, Ron Horansky, PA DEP

o McCaslin Road AMD Treatment System: Mark Fedosick, Montour Run Watershed Association; Chris Caruso, Findlay Township Public Works; Stream Restoration Inc Staff; Amy Meyers, Allegheny County Conservation District, Ron Horansky, PA DEP

2011 ARIPPA Award Deadline Approaching

By Andy McAllister, Regional Coordinator

Just a reminder that the 2011 ARIPPA award applications are due by June 30th. WPCAMR has once again partnered with the Anthracite Region Independent Power Producer’s Association (ARIPPA) to commemorate their 21st Anniversary by offering a competitive award to watershed organizations working on Abandoned Mine Land (AML) and/or Abandoned Mine Drainage (AMD) remediation projects.  Grants,  at a maximum of $5,000, will be awarded to at least one eligible environmental organization or Conservation District in the Anthracite Region and one eligible environmental organization or Conservation District in the Bituminous Region in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania actively working on AML/AMD issues. Grant proposals should be for on-the-ground AML/AMD construction projects with a completion date between August 2010 and August 2012.  The amount granted is dependent upon demonstrated need.  Applying organizations must support the mission of ARIPPA, including the removal and conversion of waste coal into alternative energy and the beneficial use of CFB ash for AML/AMD reclamation.

We encourage watershed groups and conservation districts in the bituminous region to submit an application to take advantage of this valuable award program.

For more information and the official Request for Proposals and supporting documents, visit WPCAMR’s website at: http://www.wpcamr.org/

You can learn more about ARIPPA at: http://www.arippa.org/

ABANDONED MIN RELICS FOR RECREATION 

by Anne Daymut

Environmentally unsound, unregulated coal mining practices of the past have left our region with a legacy of polluted waters, scarred landscapes, and health and safety hazards.   The decrease in productive, valuable land has, in turn, impacted our regional economy.  However, the region’s inherent, wild beauty offers many recreational opportunities.  Rail-Trail organizations have indentified this potential and have been remarkably successful in converting Abandoned Mine Lands, including rail lines into recreational havens. 

One particular organization, the Allegheny Valley Land Trust, has converted over 90 miles of rail line into trails.  Recently, they purchased 269 acres of abandoned mine lands, that contains 48 miles of rail-trail and multiple mining relics which are historically significant treasures.  Among the relics are a tunnel built in 1915, a rail car turn table, rail line bridges, and Coke ovens used in the 1800’s.

If you can not view this on your work computer, check with your IT person to see if embedded videos are blocked.