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DEP's Scott Roberts Earns Mayfly Award, 250+ Attend Joint Mining Reclamation Conference
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The Pennsylvania Abandoned Mine Reclamation Conference’s coveted “Mayfly Award” recognizes individuals who have dedicated a lifetime of knowledge and expertise to the reclamation of abandoned mines in Pennsylvania. This year’s recipient is Deputy Secretary for Mineral Resources Management, Scott Roberts from the Department of Environmental Protection. It is safe to say that everyone in the AMR community knows Scott Roberts’ name and there is reason for that. (Photo: Scott Roberts, center)
“Early on he recognized the value of working with watershed groups to help reclaim abandoned mines and treat mine water”, says former DEP Secretary David Hess. Secretary Hess goes on to say, “Scott helped to oversee programs that from 1995 to 2003 reclaimed over 33,000 acres of abandoned mined lands, more than at any other time in the state’s history.”
Scott's contributions to the AMR community doesn't stop there.
He was instrumental in gaining Congressional approval in 2006 for the extension of the federal Abandoned Mine Reclamation fee that will, over 15 years, provide over $1 billion to Pennsylvania for mine reclamation efforts. He played a critical, behind-the-scenes, role in helping rescue the 9 miners trapped in the Quecreek Mine in Somerset County in 2002.
In his executive management position, Roberts’ oversees five program areas, encompassing 555 employees, with an annual operating budget of $110 million. The Bureau of Mineral Resources Management is responsible for developing and implementing Pennsylvania ’s policies and programs for surface and underground coal and industrial mineral mining, oil and gas exploration and production, mine safety and the reclamation of abandoned mines and wells.
The direct economic impact of these programs in Pennsylvania exceeds $2 billion annually.
Beyond all that, Roberts’ is an extremely personable, knowledgeable, respected, and worthy candidate for the PA AMR’s Conference committee’s prestigious award.
The Mayfly Award was presented to Roberts aboard the River Boat Cruise as part of the 2010 Joint Mining Reclamation Conference. Roberts was also recognized in May for his contributions to the West Branch Susquehanna Restoration Initiative (see separate article).
250+ Attend Conference
More than 250 people attended the Conference was held June 6-10 at the Radisson in Greentree, Pittsburgh and strived to “Bridge Reclamation, Science, and the Community.”
Between this Conference and the West Branch Susquehanna Symposium (see separate article) so far this year over 1,023 people attended conferences designed to help restore Pennsylvania watersheds. (other watershed conferences)
Academia, industry professionals, and non-profit representatives from across the nation; and even a few international attendees; convened to share technologies, success stories, and innovative solutions to AMR problems.
Melissa Reckner, Director of the Kiski-Conemaugh Stream Team, stated in her plenary speech to open the Conference, “The power of citizen volunteers and the strength of watershed associations in Pennsylvania is attributable to their passion, persistence, and numerous and diverse partnerships that foster reclamation through community involvement, which is helping to build bridges for our future.”
Another of the conference highlights was a Water Treatment Panel where attendees could ask the experts questions about Abandoned Mine Drainage treatment. From this panel, non-profit groups, who implement a significant amount of the AMR projects in Pennsylvania, were pleased to see that academia and industry are working together to research and develop new and better technologies.
There was a lot of positive feedback from Conference attendees. If you attended the Conference and have not turned in your completed evaluation form, it isn’t too late. Fax your completed form to 412-937-2177. We would love to hear your thoughts on the Conference. Evaluations are important to us as they justify the need and benefit of the Conference to our funders.
And speaking of funders, we couldn’t have had this Conference without the generous support of our sponsors: CONSOL Energy; the U.S. Department of Interior’s Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation, and Enforcement; Department of Environmental Protection; Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds; Oxford Resource Partners; HDR; Foam Concepts, LLC; Biomost; and Aquafix.
Presentations from the Science, Community and Reclamation Track will be posted to the Conference website.
(by Anne Daymut, Watershed Coordinator, Western Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation) Check Out: Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc., a civil and environmental engineering firm, has just joined the PA Environment Digest Professional Services Directory. For more information on the services they offer, contact HRG, Inc. by calling 717-564-1121 or send email to: hrg@hrg-inc.com.
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6/21/2010 |
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