This article was first published in the August Catalyst newsletter of the Butler County-based Slippery Rock Watershed Coalition--

The Appalachian Region Independent Power Producers Association (ARIPPA) recently highlighted the SRWC [Slippery Rock Watershed Coalition] in their newsletter! ARIPPA recently made the decision to highlight different watershed groups in their newsletters similar to the periodic H.O.P.E articles written as part of The Catalyst.

We at the SRWC would like to thank Cristy Sweeney, the Director of Finance & Public Affairs at ARIPPA, for sharing this information and article with us! It was an honor to be chosen as the first group spotlighted.

ARIPPA’s article included information on the goals of the SRWC, data about the watershed, descriptions of the work the SRWC focuses on, and details of a few treatment systems — the SRWC has completed over 20 treatment systems in the watershed, the oldest of which has just turned 26 years old!

ARIPPA also mentioned additional work done by the SRWC to improve the health of the Slippery Rock watershed and also contribute to AMD treatment across the state, including stream bank restoration, watershed conservation planning, creating a water monitoring network, and maintaining Datashed, an open-source, user friendly GIS enabled water quality database for sharing information with the public.

We are very thankful for our partnership with ARIPPA and admire their work using coal refuse as a fuel to generate electricity. ARIPPA is a non-profit trade association comprised of independent electric power producers, environmental remediators, and service providers located in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

It was first organized in 1989. Based in Camp Hill, PA, ARIPPA uses coal refuse as a primary fuel to generate electricity.

Utilizing circulating fluidized bed (CFB) boiler technology to convert both anthracite and bituminous coal refuse into electricity, ARIPPA plants also provide unique multimedia environmental benefits by combining the production of energy with the removal of coal refuse piles and reclamation of the land for productive purposes.

ARIPPA celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2019, at which time a report analyzing the economic and environmental benefits of Pennsylvania’s coal refuse reclamation to energy industry showed the industry contributes $615 million per year to the Pennsylvania economy, supports at least 3,000 jobs, and provides $37 million in annual environmental and public benefits on top of the up to $267 million in annual avoided costs to the Commonwealth from the remediation performed by the industry. That’s a lot to be proud of!

We look forward to continuing to work with ARIPPA in the future and value their support. If you’d like to learn more about the work ARIPPA does, visit the Appalachian Region Independent Power Producers Association website.

The Goats At Jennings

The August Catalyst newsletter also features an article about the goats at the Jennings Environmental Education Center in Butler County and how they help maintain the prairie ecosystem there and control invasive plant species.

Click Here to read the entire newsletter.  Click Here to sign up for your own copy.

For more information on programs, projects, upcoming events and how you can get involved, visit the Slippery Rock Watershed Coalition website.  Follow them on Facebook.  Click Here to sign up for regular updates.

The Butler County-based Coalition was established in 1994 to restore land, water and wildlife resources in the Slippery Rock Watershed.

(Photo: De Sale Phase 2 passive treatment system.)

NewsClip:

-- E&E Daily: Congress Nears Historic Coal Mine Cleanup Investment

[Posted: August 27, 2021]

8/30/2021