The Department of Environmental Protection Thursday announced contract awards for two abandoned mine reclamation projects in Clearfield and Northumberland counties, totaling $1,113,300.

The contract awarded in Woodward Township, Clearfield County totals $324,767 for the implementation of an erosion and sediment control plan, excavating a subsurface drain of 1,720 linear feet, grading 219,300 cubic yards, incorporating 2,400 tons of limestone, and seeding 24 acres.

Totaling $788,533, the contract awarded in Coal Township, Northumberland County will fund the implementation of an erosion and sediment control plan, clearing and grubbing vegetation, grading 490,740 cubic yards, excavating 2,050 cubic yards for drainage, lining 1,540 square yards of rock, and seeding 73.1 acres.

E.M. Brown Inc. of Clearfield was selected to complete the Woodward Township project. The project is expected to start in early January and be completed by July 14 of this year.

The Coal Township project contract was awarded to JBS Dirt Inc. of Canastota, New York. The project is expected to start in January and be completed by March 9, 2015.

Contracts were awarded on a competitive basis and are federally funded by Office of Surface Mining grants. Grant funds are supported by a fee on the modern coal industry and are 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.

For more information, call 717-783-2267.

1/6/2014