Harrisburg, PA –The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced funding for 16 environmental restoration projects on abandoned mine lands, totaling $7.8 million dollars. These projects, which are being funded as a result of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), primarily focus on the reclamation of abandoned mine land (AML), abatement of acid mine drainage (AMD) through reclamation, and/or treatment of AMD through the construction, operation, and/or maintenance of an AMD treatment facility. 

The DEP – Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation is able to announce the following projects:

[ This version abstracts projects in the Monogahela watershed ]

Allegheny County:

Chalfant Run

Treating the abandoned mine drainage (AMD) discharge that is impacting Chalfant Run is the

first step in a broader scope of plans provided by the Allegheny Land Trust (ALT) to restore

the Chalfant Run Watershed. ALT will gather data to be used in the design of a passive

treatment system to be located on the Churchill Valley greenspace. Upon completion of the

Project, the AMD discharge will be treated prior to entering the stream and act as a central

point for visitors to the greenspace and will allow ALT to move on their plans of streambank

stabilization and restoration of three miles of Chalfant Run before entering the tributaries of

Thompson Run and Turtle Creek.

Fayette County: 

Phillips North (Phillips Discharge Project Development)

An initial assessment, data collection, and conceptual reclamation design of up to 16 miles of

affected streams in the Redstone Creek Watershed will be completed. The objective of the

Project is to characterize baseline contaminant loading and physical controls of the associated

source mine pool(s) and identify candidate sites and conceptual design for the future

construction of an active abandoned mine drainage (AMD) treatment plant that would

eliminate over 4,000 gallons per minute of AMD into Redstone Creek and Rankin Run, both

tributaries of the Monongahela River.

Westmoreland County:

Crabtree (Pumping & Treatment Alternatives)

An additional and more comprehensive study of the Crabtree Discharge will be completed.

This study will be used to expand the understanding of the geologic, hydrologic, and historic

mining conditions underlying the discharge and any connections to the Jacks Run Discharge

located approximately 7.4 miles to the southwest. The information gained will be used to issue

a final report to thoroughly vet the most promising treatment options and locations to access

and treat the discharges. Successful treatment of the Crabtree and Jacks Run Discharges will

have a direct impact on over 9 miles of stream, over 8 acres of the Loyalhanna Reservoir, and

the Jacks Run/Sewickley Creek Watershed to the south.

Newlonsburg South #1 (Lyons Run Passive System)

Construction of a passive abandoned mine drainage treatment system to collect three acidic,

high iron and aluminum contaminated discharges. The construction will include a successive

alkalinity producing system (SAPS), flushable limestone beds, settling ponds, and treatment

wetlands. As a result of the construction, the ecosystems in the upper portion of Lyons Run will

be recovered and ecological function and aesthetics will improve in the Lyons Run and larger

Turtle Creek watershed.

Full release at https://www.ahs.dep.pa.gov/NewsRoomPublic/articleviewer.aspx?id=22285&typeid=1