Abandoned Mine Posts

By Anne Daymut, Watershed Coordinator

What do Poultry farms, paper mills, and abandoned mine lands have in common?   Aside from the fact that each produces pollution and waste, combined they may be able to solve one another’s problems while providing energy.  How is this possible?  The Pennsylvania Environmental Council has organized some unique partnerships do deal with the waste from poultry farms in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. When combined with excess paper mill sludge, barren Abandoned Mine Lands could produce biomass in the form of warm seasonal grasses to support the increase of energy consumption.  WPCAMR recently joined several other interested groups for a tour of PEC’s pilot project in Clearfield County to see how this is possible.

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

By Andy McAllister, Regional Coordinator

Editor’s Note:  Recently, WPCAMR had the opportunity to speak with Brenda Shambaugh, Policy Specialist with the PA Association of Conservation Districts (PACD) about the Marcellus Shale Severance Tax issue in Pennsylvania.  Shambaugh has been working with the Governor’s office, the Senate Republicans, environmental groups, and others to make the severance tax a reality.

WPCAMR:  Brenda, earlier this fall, the house passed Senate Bill 1155 which proposed a severance tax.  Can you tell us something about that?

Shambaugh:  Yes, Senate Bill 1155 did pass and it included a 39 cent per thousand cubic feet tax on marcellus shale gas drilling.  A portion of that funding would go to the General Fund, a portion to Environmental Stewardship Fund, and a portion went to a variety of other things including the Conservation District Fund which would provide dedicated funding for the conservation districts.  That passed the House and went over into the Senate but the Senate never addressed it.

WPCAMR:  We’ve heard that the Senate had expressed concerns about Senate Bill 1155.  One concern referenced the legislative process for this particular bill.  Can you enlighten us as to this particular stumbling block?

Shambaugh:  The (state) Constitution says that taxing bills need to be started in the House and even though the amendment originated in the House, it was put into a Senate bill.  That was the disagreement, whether or not  they could use a Senate bill as the vehicle.  That being said, if they had come to a compromise, I think there were at least two House tax bills in the Senate that may have been amended and sent back over to the House. 

WPCAMR:  So, in other words, there were other avenues to deal with any procedural concerns?

Shambaugh:  Correct. It wasn’t an insurmountable problem.  If they had come to a compromise, the House could have quickly put together a bill, passed it, and sent it to the Senate.

WPCAMR:  So where do we stand currently with the severance tax issue now that the Senate has declined to consider Senate Bill 1155?  What has happened in the last week or so?

Shambaugh:  I think there’s been a complete breakdown of negotiations between the parties involved within the General Assembly and the Governor’s office.  As a result of this and the fact that the Senate has said it will not return to Harrisburg after the election, unfortunately, I think that the issue is dead for this legislative session.  This legislative session technically does not end  until November 30th but because the Senate said they will not return, this session has virtually ended.

WPCAMR:  In spite of the fact that both the House and Senate had promised, as part of their budget negotiations this summer, that they would pass some kind of severance tax legislation by October 1st?

Shambaugh:  That is absolutely correct.  They did promise to have a piece of legislation regarding severance tax go through the General Assembly however, they could not agree on what that legislation should say or what should be included in that legislation-whether it should be just a severance tax or some of the other issues going along with the Marcellus Shale drilling.  The fact it was a verbal agreement and not any kind of statute meant the General Assembly didn’t, by law, have to pass severance tax legislation as, for example, they have to pass a budget.  So I don’t believe they were legally mandated to come up with a severance tax even though you would think that they would have the obligation because of the public statements that were made.

WPCAMR:  What does being without a severance tax mean now for our environmental community and our state as a whole?

Shambaugh:  It means that as the industry continues to drill, Pennsylvanians are not receiving the benefits of that drilling activity and particularly in those areas of the state where the drilling takes place.  There are a lot of infrastructure issues, a lot of local government issues, and a lot of environmental issues that cannot be addressed because nothing is there to address them.

WPCAMR:  Do you think the severance tax issue will resurface when the next governor gets inaugurated in January?

Shambaugh:  I can tell you that PACD and probably a number of other groups, both local government groups and environmental groups are not going to just let the issue die.  We will continue to push and continue to advocate for a reasonable severance tax in Pennsylvania.  However, there are too many unknowns to really gauge whether or not it could happen next session.  The first unknown is obviously, who’s going to be the next governor, the second unknown is whether the Republicans or Democrats are going to have the majority in the House.  The only thing I can predict is that PACD is not going to let the issue drop.

WPCAMR:  So what happens to Senate Bill 1155 at this time?  Does it reappear next session?

Shambaugh:  At the official end of the session, all bills that weren’t passed, die.  As for the Severance Tax Bill, the process will have to start all over again.  My suspicion is that legislators who were supportive of a severance tax will reintroduce legislation which will include a severance tax.

WPCAMR:  That’s a hope for the future but what can our environmental community do right now?

Shambaugh:  I think the best thing that we can do is to keep pressure on the General Assembly to again address the issue.  The more public pressure, the more media coverage, the more letters to the editor will keep the pressure on legislators to readdress the issue of a severance tax.

WPCAMR:  So continuing to communicate with our legislators on this issue is still important?

Shambaugh:  Absolutely!  They need to know that folks are not happy about the fact that they didn’t pass this legislation.  I understand that the rank-and-file legislators were not a part of the negotiation process but the rank-and-file folks can pressure their leadership and say, “Look, I need this to be done”.

WPCAMR:  Has PACD been getting a lot of support with its efforts?

Shambaugh:  Tremendous support. The districts have worked with their legislators, they’ve sent letters to the editor, they’ve done op-ed pieces, etc.  The districts have absolutely been behind this one hundred percent.  Also, the fact that there’s been a lot of press coverage shows the importance of the issue and folks are definitely interested in the issue.  Particularly in the northern tier where they’re living and breathing marcellus shale right now.

WPCAMR:  Any final comments for our readers?

Shambaugh:  Just that PACD is hopeful that WPCAMR will continue to support vigorously, a severance tax for next legislative session.

We encourage you to write or call your legislator as soon as possible and urge them of the importance of the Marcellus Shale Severance Tax .  Specifically, a severance tax that supports Environmental Stewardship and County Conservation Districts.

To find contact information for your state representative and senator, go to: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/ and enter your zipcode.

by Anne Daymut, Watershed Coordinator

Touch the water and be touched by the overwhelming success of decades of hard work to clean up the Ohio River Watershed by joining in the 9th Annual Ohio River Watershed Celebration.  On September 15th, 2010 this free cruise on the Gateway Clipper Fleet will illustrate our region’s conservation and restoration initiatives, celebrate the economic and cultural resources the watershed offers, and provide unprecedented networking for individuals, agencies, non-profit organizations, and industry representatives.   Guests on the cruise will learn about river history, aquatic life, river recovery and much more.

For a testimonial of what the Ohio River Watershed and the 9th Annual Celebration have to offer, take a look at the promotional video of the event.

Click on the player to watch the movie. If you are on a work computer and can not view embedded video, contact your IT person.

As was the case last year, two cruises will occur simultaneously; “The Imagination Cruise” for children on the Gateway Clipper’s Empress, and “The Networker Cruise” for adults only on the Gateway Clipper’s Majestic.   Registration for the children’s cruise is closed.   There is still room on the adults-only “Networker Cruise”.   The cruise is free, however each passenger must register.   You can register for the “Networker Cruise” at: http://www.streamrestorationinc.org/rsvp/

by Anne Daymut, Watershed Coordinator  

After a decade of abundant funding opportunities in the environmental non-profit community, it may be hard for some of us to accept that the financial crisis is just beginning to trickle down to us.  Many of the funding programs that watershed groups have grown to rely on will have even less money than last year to distribute to our worthy causes in the future.  The latest round of Growing Greener, announced this past weekend, is a great example.  It will have less to distribute and a narrow focus.  Abandoned mine related projects in particular will be limited to priority watersheds, set by DEP, and mine drainages located on bond forfeiture sites.  Given that most abandoned mine drainage sites are not in either category, it is possible that a very small percentage of grants will be given for abandoned mine drainage remediation this round.   

If we want to continue making watershed improvements and remain viable organizations in our communities, we must be willing to seek out new funding opportunities.  One way to accomplish this is by pooling dollars through innovative partnerships.  It just so happens that Anthracite Region Independent Power Producer’s Association (ARIPPA) is currently seeking partnerships with Pennsylvania Conservation Districts and non-profit organizations.  ARIPPA is awarding $20,000 to Pennsylvania Conservation Districts or non-profit organizations that support ARIPPA’s mission and have completed on-the-ground AML/AMD projects between August 2009 and August 2011.  The money is broken into two pots: $10,000 for those organizations with projects in the Bituminous region of Pennsylvania and $10,000 to those organizations with projects in the Anthracite region of Pennsylvania. 

For anyone who has ever participated in the development, construction, and funding of AML/AMD projects, you know that $10,000 can’t complete an entire project.  However, in our present constrictive economy, $10,000 can mean a lot to an organization that is struggling.  It could be the last little bit needed to complete a project or help with operations.  The awards are based on a competitive application and the deadline for the application is July 30, 2010, so don’t delay.  To get all the information you need to fill out the application, visit: www.wpcamr.org.  To learn more about ARIPPA, visit: www.arippa.org. 

Another mechanism to fill up you petty cash is the 9^th Annual Port of Pittsburgh – Ohio River Watershed Celebration, aboard the Gateway Clipper Fleet on September 15, 2010.  Due to the generosity of several donors, the Celebration planning committee has been able to give away cash prizes to laudable displays presented on the Networker Cruise for the past several years.  Judged on partnership development, community and outreach efforts, and project innovativeness rather than grandeur, your organization could earn one of four $250 second-place prizes or one of four $500 first-place prizes for presenting your organization’s display on the Networker Cruise.  Any environmental non-profit organization, including conservation Districts and Municipalities, in the Ohio River Watershed, covering parts of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia are eligible for the prizes.  Small groups operating on a shoe-string budget are encouraged to participate no matter how fancy or simple your display may be.  To reserve your display space and Networker Cruise ticket, visit: www.streamrestorationinc.org/rsvp/index.php.