On August 16, the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement announced the winners of its 2021 Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Awards.

Among the award winners is the Stineman Refuse Pile - Path Of The Flood Trail reclamation project in Cambria County by DEP's Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation.

Approximately 27 acres of coal refuse piles located along the "Path of the Flood Trail" in South Fork Borough posed multiple environmental threats to the area.

Frequent erosion clogged the unnamed tributary to the Little Conemaugh River and highly acidic water leached into and subsequently impaired local streams. To address these hazards, Pennsylvania’s Abandoned Mine Land Program removed all of the refuse piles.

This improved the Little Conemaugh watershed, while creating new opportunities in the area for recreation, tourism and a safer walking trail.

The winning projects represent the Nation’s highest achievements in Abandoned Mine Land (AML) reclamation, demonstrating innovative reclamation techniques and outstanding results in restoring previously mined lands.

Click Here for the complete awards announcement.

OSMRE will present the 2021 Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Awards in a virtual awards ceremony in September, in conjunction with the Annual Conference of the National Association of Abandoned Mine Land Programs (NAAMLP).

[Posted: August 16, 2021]

8/23/2021