Department of Environmental Protection, Pennsylvania Environmental Council and other COALS partners are hosting a COALS Summit on November 29 at the Luzerne County Community College Educational Conference Center.

COALS stands for Clean Up Our Anthracite Lands and Streams.

The purpose of the Summit is to bring together the partners of the COALS Program to share their ideas and experiences in dump cleanup efforts, enforcement strategies, a well as generating community support and local media interest to promote the COALS efforts.

The Summit will be a day filled with discussions and presentations highlighting the COALS Program. The agenda includes presentations by partners that are currently involved in specific projects with the COALS program:

· Information on the illegal dump surveys being conducted around the state. These surveys demonstrate the severity of the illegal dump problem while providing a planning tool for future dump cleanups;

· Beautification projects on sites that have been cleaned up under the COALS program and wait till you see the results presented at the Summit. These sites have gone from “Dumps to Diamonds;”

· Information how COALS is involving local high school students to participate in cleanups and how COALS will reward students for their efforts;

· The winner of the COALS logo contest competition conducted among several school districts in the region will be announced;

· Information on surveillance and enforcement activities to prevent future dumping; and

· Announcing the winner of the COALS logo contest competition conducted among several school districts in the region will be announced.

To register for the COALS Summit, please Contact Angela Vest-Vitoski at the Pennsylvania Environmental Council by telephone at 570-718-6507 or send email to: vitkoski@pecnepa.org .

10/27/2006