On August 23, the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement announced the award of  $100,000 to the Schuylkill Headwaters Association to treat mine acid drainage in Schuylkill County.

The grant is part of OSMRE’s Watershed Cooperative Agreement Program which provides funds to nonprofit organizations for the construction of acid mine drainage treatment facilities that help restore the health of local streams.

“Watersheds are essential for communities, supplying water for municipal, industrial, agricultural, and recreational uses,” said OSMRE Regional Director Tom Shope. “WCAP funds help local nonprofit groups restore watersheds negatively impacted by abandoned mine lands and support citizen-based conservation in coal communities.”

The Schuylkill Headwaters Association, a nonprofit organization in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, dedicated to promoting the environmental health of the Schuylkill River, its tributaries, and the watershed that lies within the boundaries of Schuylkill County, was awarded the WCAP funds to improve the nearby Otto Colliery Airshaft Discharge Treatment System.

“Abandoned mine drainage from the Otto Colliery Airshaft Discharge is one of the largest sources of pollution in the Schuylkill River watershed,” said Bill Reichert, president of the Schuylkill Headwaters Association. “The WCAP funds will go towards addressing existing operational problems and prevent future problems, while providing greater treatment efficiency than the original system.”

Click Here for the complete announcement.

Visit OSMRE’s Watershed Cooperative Agreement Program webpage to learn more about this program.

Visit DEP’s Abandoned Mine Reclamation webpage to learn more about mine reclamation in Pennsylvania.

(Photo: Otto Colliery Airshaft Discharge Treatment System, Pottsville.)

Statewide Conferences:

-- PA Statewide Abandoned Mine Reclamation Conference Oct. 24-26 In Altoona [PaEN]

-- PA Statewide Watershed Conference Oct. 29-30 In Altoona [PaEN]

NewsClips This Week - Watersheds:

-- Wilkes-Barre Times Editorial: Restoration Of Abandoned Mine Drainage In Espy Run A Significant Achievement

-- PA Capital-Star: EPA, The Hershey Company Commit $2 Million For PA Dairy Farm Conservation

-- DEP Chesapeake Bay Update: County Action Plan Updates; Training; Grants; Accomplishments; More

-- DEP PA Clean Water Academy: Releases Training On Guiding Principles Of Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration

-- StateImpactPA: In PA, Climate Change Stresses Old Infrastructure, Stormwater Fees To Fund Projects Are A Way To Help Limit Flooding, Pollution

-- PA Environmental Council: Cultivating Connections At Rodale Institute On Organic, Restorative Farming Practices

-- Warren Times: Northwest PA Woodland Assn. Hosts Woodland Stream Protection Program Saturday, Aug. 26

-- Altoona Mirror: Western PA Conservancy Working On Juniata River Watershed Plan

-- Delaware RiverKeeper Aug. 25 RiverWatch Video Report

-- WHYY: New Study To Determine Causes Of Flooding Along Brandywine Creek

-- WHYY: Delaware County Confronts Climate Crisis With First-Ever Sustainability Plan

-- WHYY: High Tide Flooding ‘Growing In Leaps And Bounds’ In Mid-Atlantic, NOAA Says

-- PennLive: Heavy Rains Have Eased Drought Across PA, But Not Everyone Has Caught Up

-- TribLive: 75th Anniversary Of Construction Of Youghiogheny River Dam

-- StateImpactPA - Rachel McDevitt: Advocates Push For Conservation Money In Next Federal Farm Bill

Related Articles This Week - Watersheds:

-- Scholarships Available For 2023 PA Abandoned Mine Reclamation Conference Oct. 24-26 In Altoona  [PaEN]

-- Federal Office Of Surface Mining Provides $100,000 Grant To Schuylkill Headwaters Assn. To Treat Mine Drainage In Schuylkill County  [PaEN]

-- Western PA Coalition For Abandoned Mine Reclamation Receives $100,000 Federal Grant To Repair Mine Drainage Treatment System In Tioga County  [PaEN]

-- How Penn State Extension Launched One Of The Most Successful Volunteer Training Programs In The US To Help Revive Struggling Local Watershed Groups - By Diane Huskinson, Stroud Water Resource Center  [PaEN]

-- EPA, The Hershey Company Commit $2 Million To Land O'Lakes Dairy Farms Members In PA For Sustainable Farming Initiatives  [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Supplement To Manure Management For Environmental Protection Guidance For Animal Manures And Agricultural Process Wastewater  [PaEN]

-- Funding Now Available For Energy Efficiency, Farm Conservation Projects Thru DEP’s Small Business Advantage Grant Program  [PaEN]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Announces New $150,000 Stream & Watershed Enhancement Grant Program  [PaEN]

-- DEP Begins Accepting Applications For Coastal Zone Grants Aug. 28  [PaEN]

-- Stroud Water Research Center, PASA Sustainable Agriculture: Launching Agroforestry Project At Wild Fox Farm In Berks County In-Person Sept. 6  [PaEN]

-- How One Man's Journey To Becoming A Tree Parent Is Growing A Forest And Inspiring Others - By Diane Huskinson, Stroud Water Resource Center  [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension, Audubon Society Of Western PA Host Oct. 21 Backyard Stream Repair Field Day In Allegheny County; Other Extension Watershed Resources  [PaEN]

-- Bipartisan Group Of PA Members Of Congress Urge President To Declare Federal Disaster After Severe Flooding, Storms Caused 7 Deaths, Property Damage In Berks, Bucks, Northampton Counties  [PaEN]

-- Brandywine Conservancy, Partners Announce Launch Of Brandywine Creek Flood Study Following Historic Flooding From Hurricane Ida  [PaEN]

-- DEP: Drought Watch Remains For 20 Counties, Lifted For 47 Counties  [PaEN]

-- $75,000 In Groundwater Level Monitoring Grants Awarded To 12 Recipients By The Susquehanna River Basin Commission  [PaEN]

[Posted: August 24, 2023]

8/28/2023