Pa. getting $1.4B for coal mine cleanup
Posted on Friday, 25 May 2007 (15:54:51) CDT by admin
|
|
BY SHAWN HESSINGER
TIMES • SHAMROCK WRITER
05/24/2007
POTTSVILLE — State officials held a town meeting and presentation in Pottsville Wednesday to discuss $1.4 billion in mine reclamation money, some of which may be headed for Schuylkill County.
The funding, to be made available over the next 14 years beginning Oct. 1, 2007, is part of a reauthorized Federal Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act.
“The primary focus of the program is health and safety,” said Roderick A. Fletcher, director of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation.
State and local conservation groups met in the conference room of the Schuylkill Conservation District office on the Gordon Nagle Trail (Route 901) for a four-and-a-half-hour session to discuss possible uses of the funding.
“Really, the most important part of the meeting will be getting input,” said Fletcher before the session began.
“One of the suggestions I think you’re going to hear is that some of this money could be used to maintain existing facilities,” said Tom Davidock, county natural resource specialist.
Up to 30 percent of the federal funding can be set aside for water quality issues, particularly acid mine drainage, which state officials say is top a source of water pollution in the state, contaminating more than 4,000 miles of streams.
Volunteer water conservation groups have helped establish more than 25 water treatment facilities across the county to address acid mine drainage with an estimated $4.6 million in state and federal funding.
But Davidock said more money will be needed to maintain those programs longterm.
With an estimated $15 billion in mine reclamation projects across the state, funding will not be sufficient to cover all projects.
“Obviously, it’s not a huge dent,” said Fletcher.
Funding for the program covers priority one and priority two sites posing significant danger or risk to local residents’ health and safety.
DEP Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation Civil Engineer Manager Ron Ryczak said such sites might include stripping pits in close proximity to schools or other centers of community.
Examples locally included reclamation near the Tamaqua Area High School in recent years, Ryczak added.
However, funding can also be used to address acid mine drainage and public water systems effected by mine reclamation issues, state officials said.
|
| "Pa. getting $1.4B for coal mine cleanup" | Login | comments |
|
| | The comments are owned by the poster. We aren't responsible for their content. |
|
|
|
|
or 
feeds
HostGator Technology Grant
Home - Content
