The Daily Item
May 14, 2024
As a native of Mt. Carmel, I spent lots of time in my youth exploring the old coal mine areas and stripping pits. Visiting the area always reminds me of the impact and challenges of mining and remediation.
Coal mining drove the economy for over a century and built our communities of strong, working-class families. I’m proud of my heritage. And I’m glad that the cleanup of land and streams has begun.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, signed by President Biden in 2021, provided $101 million to PA for 16 restoration projects administered by the PA Deptartment of Environmental Protection. Half of that money will be spent in Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania to reclaim abandoned mine land and decrease or treat acid mine drainage.
Dickson City has an ugly 35-acre coal spoil pile. Funding for cleanup was unavailable until now. After removal, the land owner will build housing on the site.
In Northumberland County, the Shamokin Creek Restoration Alliance (SCRA) has worked since the mid-1990s to address the impacts of abandoned underground coal mines.
The SCRA’s website states, “Veterans Memorial Field in Kulpmont has been identified as the location to build a wetland. Quaker Run was extremely affected by past mining operations, and the water seeping into the mines creates even more acid mine drainage.”
These two examples show that when the federal government partners with states and local non-profits, good things can happen.
Ed Madalis
Gettysburg