DEP Awards 13 Contracts To Reclaim 340 Acres Of Dangerous Abandoned Mine Lands

Approximately 340 acres of dangerous abandoned mine lands containing steep cliffs, piles of waste coal that pollute streams, and exposed coal seams that can catch fire from burning trash will be cleaned up under 13 contracts awarded during the first four months of this year, according to Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger.

 

DEP awarded the contracts under programs that address the most dangerous mine sites and in some cases allow modern coal mining companies to clean up historic messes at no cost to state government.

 

"Acid mine drainage is one of the largest sources of water pollution in Pennsylvania, and our historic abandoned mine sites create public safety hazards that endanger lives, hurts property values and limits economic opportunities in many areas of the state," Secretary Hanger said. "At Gov. Rendell's direction, we are using every available resource to find innovative and cost-effective ways to clean up these sites and return this land to useful condition."

 

A list of projects funded is available online.

 

The largest source of funding for the reclamation of mine sites in Pennsylvania is the federal Abandoned Mine Lands Fund, which is overseen by the U. S. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement. The fund is supported by a fee on the modern mining industry and is distributed to states as annual grants to reclaim mine sites that were abandoned prior to passage of the federal Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977.

 

DEP also operates innovative programs to encourage modern coal companies to reopen abandoned mines that still contain mineable coal reserves and complete reclamation at no cost to the taxpayers.

 

Other funding sources include Growing Greener grants, which often fund mine drainage projects through local watershed groups, and forfeitures of reclamation bonds that are posted by mining companies to cover the cost of reclaiming mine sites if the company is unable or unwilling to complete site restoration once mining is finished.

 

Congress also authorized states to set aside up to 30 percent of each federal Abandoned Mine Lands Fund annual grant for the abatement and treatment of acid mine discharges. Pennsylvania will use those resources to fund construction and long-term operation and maintenance of hundreds of mine drainage treatment facilities statewide.

 

Pennsylvania has approximately 180,000 acres of abandoned mine lands dating back to when coal mining began in the state in the 1700s. There are more than two billion tons of waste coal piles across the state and an estimated 4,600 miles of rivers and streams are degraded by mine drainage.

 

For more information, visit DEP's Abandoned Mine Lands webpage.