PA Project Wins Top Honors From Federal Office Of Surface Mining

The federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement this week recognized six state agencies for excellence in reclaiming abandoned mines, including the Department of Environmental Protection's Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation.

“OSM is proud to recognize this year’s winners for their achievements in reclaiming abandoned mines,” said Glenda Owens, Acting Director of OSM, who will present the awards to this year’s winners. “The award-winning projects show what state programs can accomplish when reclamation of abandoned mines is done well,” she added.

“It’s encouraging to see the high-quality work demonstrated by the winners of the 2009 Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Awards,” said Wilma Lewis, Assistant Interior Secretary, Land and Minerals Management. “Reclaiming abandoned mines helps communities affected by past mining by improving local water quality and eliminating safety hazards, among other benefits,” she added.

Begun in 1992, OSM’s Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Awards recognize outstanding abandoned mine land reclamation in the United States and showcase exemplary reclamation techniques. Abandoned Mine Land projects funded wholly or in part and completed by approved state or tribal programs are eligible.

The awards encompass all types of reclamation, including coal, non-coal, and emergency projects. A panel of judges, composed of directors of state reclamation programs and certain OSM managers, vote to determine the winners.

The National Award was given to the DEP Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation West Suscon Abandoned Mine Reclamation Project in Jenkins Township, Luzerne County.

Scarred with features such as dangerous highwalls, open mine shafts, and acid mine drainage that degraded local water quality, the West Suscon project was a typical example of an abandoned coal mine. Challenges at this site in northeastern Pennsylvania included eliminating health and safety problems associated with the highwalls, controlling drainage, and preventing access to the abandoned underground mine openings while protecting the area’s bat population.

Operators graded the entire area so that it would blend in with the surrounding landscape and be developed in the future. The area is now the site of an office park with several commercial tenants.

Click here for background on the West Suscon Project.