Work was recently completed on a cleanup of the future Giants Despair Park in Laurel Run Borough, Luzerne County, through the Cleanup Our American Lands and Streams or COALS program, sponsored by the Department of Environmental Protection and the Pennsylvania Environmental Council.

More than 43 tons of illegally dumped trash and over 100 illegally dumped tires were removed by the contractor, Environmental Restorations Inc., through funding provided to PEC by DEP.

Waste containers, transport and disposal services for the trash were provided to the cleanup project free of charge by Waste Management and its local operations at Apex Waste Services, Dunmore, and Alliance Landfill, Taylor.

The tires, through an in-kind donation to the COALS Program, were transported by Luzerne County to a recycling site in Butler Township. The tires will be recycled as part of the Luzerne County Tire Recycling Program. Other local sponsors included Mericle Commercial Real Estate Services and Earth Conservancy.

Laurel Run Borough recently received over 30 acres of mine scarred land located at the bottom of Giants Despair, from Luzerne County. Laurel Run Borough plans to develop the future Giants Despair Park on this site once the illegally dumped trash and debris is removed and the area is reclaimed.

The area has historically been the site of illegal dumping for many years. The Borough has been removing some of the trash and debris, but due to the lack of equipment and funding the Borough was unable to remove all of the illegally dumped trash and tires.

DEP and PEC were able to partner with Laurel Run Borough through the COALS program, and provide the necessary funding to remove and dispose of a significant amount of the remaining illegally dumped material. Additionally, DEP and PEC will be coordinating with Laurel Run Borough, a volunteer cleanup in the fall at this site to remove any remaining trash and debris.

Laurel Run Borough and local partners will be monitoring the site heavily to ensure that future dumping does not reoccur at the site. As part of the COALS program, DEP may choose to install surveillance cameras at the site if a need is identified. Any responsible party caught dumping at the site will be prosecuted to the fullest extent under the law.

COALS is a program to remove illegally dumped garbage and trash through a partnership among environmental groups, business and industry, including coal and waste companies, and local, county and state governments.

The program was piloted in Columbia and Northumberland counties and has expanded to Dauphin, Berks, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Schuylkill, and McKean counties. The program will be implemented statewide over the course of the next several years.

The COALS program is a multi-faceted initiative, which includes cleanups, developing recycling programs, education and outreach, surveillance and enforcement. The PEC and DEP have developed a coalition of committed partners, locally which consists of Earth Conservancy, Eastern Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation, Luzerne County, Mericle Commercial Real Estate Services, PPL, Pennsylvania American Water Company, and Waste Management.

Since the program's inception in 2005, 56 sites, 275 tons of municipal waste, 106 tons of tires and 220 pounds of hazardous waste have been cleaned up, but a tremendous amount of work remains. On average, there are over 200 illegal dumpsites in each county.

For general information, visit the Cleanup Our American Lands and Streams webpage.

For more information on expanding COALS into your area, contact Julie McMonagle, Director of PEC’s Northeast office at 570-718-6508 or send email to: jmcmonagle@pecpa.org .

Also visit the COALS Program webpage or contact Stephen Bartos, COALS Program Manager, 717-787-3103 or send email to: sbartos@state.pa.us .

Link: Young Volunteeers Honored for Cleanup Efforts Under COALS Program

7/13/2007