The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University will host the world premier of A River Reborn, a documentary about the cleanup of the Little Conemaugh River in Cambria County, on April 8 from 7:00 to 8:15 p.m.

The Little Conemaugh, which runs through Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was once called “too polluted to recover” after decades of pollution from coal mining, abandoned mine lands and nearby coal piles.

Virtually nothing lived in the river, and swimmers would emerge with their skin and swimwear orange from the heavy metals contaminating the river.

So local leaders came together and developed a recovery plan for the Little Conemaugh, focusing on the river’s main sources of pollution—seven abandoned coal mines and waste piles.

A River Reborn tells the story of the Little Conemaugh’s recovery, and a blueprint for helping other highly contaminated waterways recover.

Click Here to watch a trailer for the film.

Panel Discussion

After viewing A River Reborn, there will be a panel discussion with the film’s director and producer Ben Kalina, David Masur, executive director of PennEnvironment, and Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds John Dawes, who’s been spearheading the cleanup efforts of the Little Conemaugh for a panel and Q&A.

The panel will be moderated by Carol Collier, Senior Advisor for Watershed Management and Policy at the Academy.

Click Here to register for this special event.

Federal Program Reauthorization

Work like this could not be funded without federal Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program funding.  The Program is due to expire in September.  Read more here.

Related Article:

-- U.S. House Hearing On Reauthorizing Federal Abandoned Mine Lands Program: We Don’t Deserve To Wait Any Longer For Clean Streams, Diversified Economies

[Posted: March 29, 2021]

4/5/2021