(The Center Square) — Environmental remediation got a boost this week as Gov. Josh Shapiro announced a $101 million funding effort to restore abandoned mine lands at 16 sites across the commonwealth.
The projects will target acid mine drainage, which can damage nature and streams in the area, as well as threaten human health.
“Reclaiming abandoned mine land is a crucial endeavor, restoring both the environment and communities in our Commonwealth,” Jessica Shirley, interim acting secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection, said in a press release. “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 bankrolled by the federal government through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and cover projects in a dozen counties. A few awards are less than $200,000, but others are more significant.
In Tioga County, the Susquehanna River Basin Commission received $68 million to build an acid mine drainage treatment plant to improve the Tioga Reservoir and 20 miles of streams.
“Treatment of these five (mine) discharges will not only restore the mainstem of the Tioga River, but will also restore parts of Morris Run, Fall Brook, and Tioga Lake,” the Commission noted. “Downstream water quality improvements and benefits are expected to flow across state lines as the Tioga River runs from Pennsylvania north into New York state.”
In Indiana County, the Clean Streams Foundation will receive $24 million to build a drainage treatment system for Ernest-Fulton Run of Crooked Creek. The foundation has been involved in previous acid mine drainage projects in Pennsylvania.
And in Elk County, the Headwaters Charitable Trust will receive $2.6 million to rehabilitate a treatment plant and trout nursery.
More federal funding has targeted acid mine drainage in recent years. In 2016, Congress sent $30 million each to Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and West Virginia for mine remediation and economic/community development. Since 2017, the program has provided $25 million to $30 million annually, with 30 projects funded in Pennsylvania in 2016 and 2017.
More mine remediation projects are in the pipeline as well. DEP announced it is accepting bids for two other federally funded projects, one in Indiana County and another in Jefferson County.
