Pa. DEP restores 960 acres of abandoned mine lands, degraded streams in 2008
• Agency invests $32 million to complete 57 abandoned mine reclamation projects
HARRISBURG, PA, Mar. 3, 2009 -- Environmental Protection acting Secretary John Hanger reported today that the Pennsylvania DEP completed 57 abandoned mine reclamation projects in 2008 that reclaimed more than 960 acres of mine-scarred lands and will restore life to dead streams. Hanger said abandoned mine lands endanger the public and limit economic development and recreational opportunities in former mining communities.
"We are reclaiming more than just abandoned mine lands -- we are reclaiming entire communities that have struggled for years to overcome the scars of our industrial past," Hanger said. "The projects completed in 2008 pumped $32 million into Pennsylvania's economy and provided millions more in indirect benefits by returning former wastelands to productive use, eliminating significant safety hazards, and restoring life to long-dead streams."
In addition to the projects completed in 2008, another 47 reclamation projects are underway in Pennsylvania that will reclaim 1,710 acres of abandoned mine lands at a projected cost of nearly $57.8 million. The largest source of funding for the reclamation of mine sites in Pennsylvania is the federal Abandoned Mine Lands Fund, which is overseen by the U. S. Office of Surface Mining. The fund is supported by a fee on the modern mining industry and is distributed to states as annual grants to reclaim mine sites that were abandoned prior to passage of the federal Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977. Other funding sources include Growing Greener grants, which are used primarily to fund mine drainage projects through local watershed groups, and forfeitures of reclamation bonds that are posted by mining companies to cover the cost of reclaiming mine sites if the company is unable or unwilling to complete site restoration once mining is finished.
DEP also operates innovative programs to encourage modern coal companies to reopen abandoned mines that still contain mineable coal reserves and complete reclamation at no cost to the taxpayers. In 2008, 10 such mining contracts were completed, reclaiming 131 acres of abandoned mine lands and eliminating nearly 5,000 feet of dangerous highwall at a value to the commonwealth of more than $220,000.
"Since Governor Rendell took office in 2003, DEP's Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation has committed more than $153 million to 258 abandoned mine reclamation projects, reclaiming more than 6,040 acres," Hanger said. "Pennsylvania has the largest abandoned mine problem in the nation, and we are using every available funding option to reclaim these sites and find innovative ways to turn these environmental problems into opportunities for economic growth and improved quality of life in our urban and rural communities."
Governor Rendell was instrumental in working with Congress and other coal mining states to extend abandoned mine funds for another 15 years. Pennsylvania will receive $29 million from the fund in 2009 and is projected to receive $1.1 billion by 2022.
Congress also authorized states to set aside up to 30 percent of each annual grant for the abatement and treatment of acid mine discharges. Pennsylvania will use those resources to fund construction and long-term operation and maintenance costs for hundreds of necessary mine drainage treatment facilities statewide.
Pennsylvania has approximately 180,000 acres of abandoned mine lands dating back to when coal mining began in the commonwealth in the 1700s. More than two billion tons of waste coal sit in piles across the state and an estimated 4,600 miles of rivers and streams are degraded by mine drainage. For more information, visit www.depweb.state.pa.us, keyword: Abandoned Mines.
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