The Department of Environmental Protection announced $2.7 million in grants to fund 11 projects to improvement to aging water and sewer systems, encourage remining operations that help to reclaim abandoned mines, and plug abandoned and orphaned wells that are leaking oil, acid mine drainage or gas.

Included in the funding is $1.9 million to help communities implement new and innovative technologies to treat drinking water and wastewater.

An additional $118,700 will fund incentives that are designed to encourage remining operations. Remining has been a successful, cost-effective means of accomplishing abandoned mine reclamation.

The watershed restoration projects include:

· Allegheny County: Herron Property, North Fayette Township - $42,689 to plug three abandoned gas wells to eliminate a potential health and safety hazard near a residential area;

· Cameron County: Allegheny Enterprises Inc. - $32,078 to address ongoing abandoned mine discharges that are currently degrading the Sinnemahoning Creek;

· Clearfield County: Bell Resources Inc. - $34,517 to reclaim over a mile of dangerous highwall, reclaim 68 acres of abandoned mine land and eliminate an abandoned mine discharge; and Junior Coal Co. - $33,343 to reclaim over a mile of dangerous highwall, reclaim 150 acres of abandoned mine land and eliminate two abandoned mine discharges;

· Fayette County: Charles L. Swenglish & Sons Coal Co. - $18,854 to address ongoing abandoned mine discharges that are currently degrading Rubles Run, which flows into the Cheat River; and

· McKean County: Bouquin Property, Foster Township - $537,311 to plug 90 abandoned oil wells some of which are leaking oil, eliminating environmental, health and safety problems.

A complete list of projects is available online.

8/11/2006