The latest edition of In Common, a newsletter dedicated to the interests of working men and women who serve the commonwealth, features a story on the efforts of two DEP employees in addressing an environmental problem that cleared the way for the Flight 93 memorial in Somerset County.

On September 11, 2001, United Flight 93 crashed into a reclaimed strip mine near Shanksville, Pa. Soon, plans were underway for a permanent national memorial to honor the passengers and crew who perished on that awful day. But those plans were interrupted by an environmental problem that had to be addressed first.

Acid mine drainage began seeping out of the ground very near the impact site. Because the seeps were located in the area containing the remains of the passengers and crew, treating the problem required the more costly process of pumping the groundwater from an adjacent mine pool to lower the water table.

Joseph Pizarchik and Mike Sokolow from DEP developed a solution and helped negotiate the sale of the land from PBS Coal to the Families of Flight 93, as well as the establishment of a trust to run the treatment system in perpetuity. (See photo)

In March 2008, Patrick White, vice president of the Families of Flight 93, thanked Gov. Rendell DEP for its assistance. “(They) provided invaluable assistance through the complex negotiations that cleared the way to make possible this key acquisition.” Joseph Pizarchik and Mike Sokolow – two commonwealth employees whose work reminds us of what public service is all about.

A dedication of the permanent memorial is planned for Sept. 11, 2011.

For more information, visit the Flight 93 National Memorialor the Flight 93 Memorial Fund websites.

10/31/2008