HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced up to $101,110,178 in funding for 16 environmental restoration projects of abandoned mine lands (AML) as a part of the Abandoned Mine Lands and Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) Grant Program.
Among the projects, Headwaters Charitable Trust was awarded $2,581,912 for the Elbon Northwest (Blue Valley Rehab) project in Elk County to rehabilitate the Blue Valley AMD Treatment Plant and a cooperative trout nursery.
Headwaters was granted $235,500 in Clarion County for a treatment system affecting Jones and Douglass runs and, downstream, Mill Creek. In Tioga County, Headwaters was awarded $131,000 toward design of a system to restore and protect Sawmill and Johnson creeks.
Also in Tioga County, the Susquehanna River Basin Commission is set to receive $68,255,481 for construction of the Morris Run Acid Mine Drainage Treatment Plant to improve the Tioga Reservoir and 20 miles of stream including the Tioga River, Morris Run, Coal Creek and Fall Brook.
In Clearfield County, the Clearfield County Conservation District will receive $533,134 for planning and development to restore Anderson Creek, while Moshannon Creek Watershed Association is in line for $193,017 toward its restoration.
The awarded projects focus on reclaiming AML, decreasing AMD, or treating AMD through the construction, operation and/or maintenance of an AMD treatment facility.
“Reclaiming abandoned mine land is a crucial endeavor, restoring both the environment and communities in our Commonwealth,” said DEP Interim Acting Secretary Jessica Shirley. “These grant recipients are taking on projects that pave the way for meaningful efforts that improve water quality, foster ecosystem recovery, and revitalize communities for a greater quality of life for Pennsylvanians.”
The projects are funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
The grant program prioritizes serious human health and safety problems that are a result of abandoned coal mines, as well as treating AMD to continue restoration efforts under the AMD Set-Aside Program.
The grant program also focuses on operation and maintenance needs or upgrades of AMD treatment systems. This prevents the loss of restored streams and creates significant water quality improvements that go toward watershed restoration.
Grant recipients will be reimbursed on project costs up to the limits specified.
Additional AML projects have also been recommended for funding under the Abandoned Mine Land Economic and Revitalization (AMLER) program. The additional projects total nearly $21 million and would be funded by the federal U.S. Department of Treasury. The additional projects require vetting by the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement prior to being formally announced.
Visit the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection website for more information.
