Western Pennsylvania Watershed Program AML the Beginning & the Future

Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) the Beginning 1977 : SMCRA Purpose: reclamation & restoration of land & water resources affected by pre-1977 activities Funding: per-tonnage fees on active mining operations: $.35 surface mined $.15 deep mined $.10 lignite + interest on the Fund balance

AML the Key Issues Appropriation Allocation: Current -v- Historic (east -v- west) Priorities & Programs Combined Benefits Fund Fees: Rates & Expiration

AML Fund Balance: Current Balance: $1,512,522, (March 31, 2004) 2003 Collections: $282,554, Distributions: $158,546,721 Pennsylvania’s Cut of State Share Balance: $54,759,114.85

Allocation East -v- West 93% of Identified Priority Sites are in Eastern States Even if fully appropriated, under the current allocation formula OSM estimates that it will take more than 47 years to “complete” reclamation

Pennsylvania Coal Production Source US DOE

The Legacy 4,000+ miles of waterways 184,000+ acres of land $5 to $15 Billion to remediate

Allocation Comparison High Priority AML Inventory Problems Pennsylvania:Completed: $326 million Funded: $78 million Unfunded: $4.5 billion Total:$5 billion (AML Balance: $54.7 million) Wyoming:Completed: $114 million Funded: $3 million Unfunded: $12 million Total: $130 million (AML Balance: $393 million)

Priorities Abandoned Mine Land Inventory System (AMLIS) Priority 1: Protection of public health, safety, general welfare, and property from extreme danger of adverse effects of coal mining practices. Priority 2: Protection of public health, safety, and general welfare from adverse effects … Priority 3: Restoration of land and water resources and the environment previously degraded by adverse effects …

Abandoned Mine Land Inventory System (AMLIS) Produced by the Eastern PA Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation (EPCAMR) for the Western PA Watershed Program

Organization of the Abandoned Mine Land Information System (AMLIS) Database A nationwide database held by the Office of Surface Mining (OSM) and populated by the states (PA DEP Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation in PA) to identify high priority coal and non coal hazards eligible for reclamation using the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund. Which are usually only coal-related problems due to mining prior to the enactment of SMCRA in 1977 and meeting the first two objective known as Priorities 1 and 2 eligibleAbandoned Mine Reclamation FundPriorities 1 and 2 Most of the data was colleted between the early 1980’s to late 1990’s with updates in reclaimed areas as recent as Consists of 3 separate but integrated databases –Problem Areas – the general area affected (encompasses the 2 below) –Problem Feature Points - mine shafts, vertical openings, mine drainage seeps, mining structures and old equipment –Problem Feature Areas – an actual feature such as a dangerous highwalls, stripping pits, culm banks, underground mine fire, or a subsidence area Click on the hyperlinks above for a description. Source: OSM’s Website

Priority 1 & 2 Problem Types Problem Type Symbol Measured 1.Clogged Stream Lands CSL AcresClogged Stream Lands 2.Industrial/Residential WasteIRWAcresIndustrial/Residential Waste 3.Clogged StreamsCSMilesClogged Streams 4.Polluted Water: Agr. & Indust.PWAICountPolluted Water: Agr. & Indust. 5.Dangerous HighwallDHLinear FeetDangerous Highwall 6.Polluted Water: Human ConsumptionPWHCCountPolluted Water: Human Consumption 7.Dangerous ImpoundmentsDICountDangerous Impoundments 8.PortalsPCountPortals 9.Dangerous Pile and EmbankmentDPEAcresDangerous Pile and Embankment 10.SubsidenceSAcresSubsidence 11.Dangerous SlidesDSAcresDangerous Slides 12.Surface BurningSBAcresSurface Burning 13.Gases: Hazardous/ExplosiveGHECountGases: Hazardous/Explosive 14.Underground Mine FireUMFAcresUnderground Mine Fire 15.Hazardous Equipment & FacilitiesHEFCountHazardous Equipment & Facilities 16.Vertical OpeningVOCountVertical Opening 17.Hazardous Water BodyHWBCountHazardous Water Body Click on the hyperlinks above for a description. Source: OSM’s Website

Priority 3 Problem Types Problem Type Symbol Measured As 1.BenchBEAcresBench 2.OtherOOther 3.Industrial/Residential WasteDPAcresIndustrial/Residential Waste 4.PitsPIAcresPits 5.Equipment/FacilitiesEFCountEquipment/Facilities 6.Spoil AreaSAAcresSpoil Area 7.Gob PilesGOAcresGob Piles 8.SlurrySLAcresSlurry 9.HighwallHFeetHighwall 10.SlumpSPAcresSlump 11.Haul RoadHRAcresHaul Road 12.Water ProblemsWAGal./MinuteWater Problems 13.Mine OpeningsMOCountMine Openings Click on the hyperlinks above for a description. Source: OSM’s Website

If you have an active internet connection, click the map to zoom in and view a specific area.

Organization of the Abandoned Mine Land Information System (AMLIS) Database (continued) Contains information such as –Latitude and Longitude –Local Name –Estimated amount of Money needed to Reclaim And the specific measurements that were used to arrive at this value (ex. acreage, perimeter, length, depth/height, flow/volume…) –OSM priority value And the specific measurements that were used to arrive at this value (ex. the type of feature(s), distance to the nearest population, number of people impacted, injury or death on the site…) –Comments about the assessment (ex. comments from the assessor, date the assessment was made, name of the assessor and contact information) Source: OSM’s Website

Organization of the PA DEP Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation Database Reclaimed information ranges between 1955 to Contains a historical accounting of reclamation work that has been done within Problem Areas by the PA DEP Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation. Contains information such as the type of features addressed, the amount of money spent, the project name, and the OSM Priority Value

Reclaimed and Unreclaimed AML in a County in the Anthracite Region: Luzerne Co., PA ~45% of the Problem Areas have had Reclamation Work Done ~12% of the Streams are Polluted by AMD ~13,300 acres of AML Features ~2,600 acres of AML are reclaimed ~20% of the acreage is reclaimed ~ 1:500,000 Scale Data Source: AMLIS Database, PA DEP BAMR 2005 & 303(d) List (AMD Only), PA DEP BWM 2005

~1:10,000 Scale Aerial Photo Source: USDA 2004; Photo with caption source: Times Leader March 27, 2005 Typical AML Impacted Community in the Anthracite Region: Swoyersville, Luzerne Co., PA

Identify Results for a Culm Pile in the Anthracite Region: Swoyersville, Luzerne Co., PA ~1:10,000 Scale Data Source: AMLIS Database, PA DEP BAMR 2005 Aerial Photo Source: USDA 2004

Identify Results for Reclamation Work Completed at Problem Area 2233, Luzerne Co., PA ~1:10,000 Scale Data Source: AMLIS Database, PA DEP BAMR 2005 Aerial Photo Source: USDA 2004

~ 1:500,000 Scale Data Source: AMLIS Database, PA DEP BAMR 2005 & 303(d) List (AMD Only), PA DEP BWM 2005 Reclaimed and Unreclaimed AML in a County in the Bituminous Region: Cambria Co., PA ~4% of the Problem Areas have had Reclamation Work Done ~15% of the Streams are Polluted by AMD ~5,990 acres of AML Features ~517 acres of AML are reclaimed ~9% of the acreage is reclaimed

~1:10,000 Scale Photo Sources: Bruce Golden, WPCAMR 2005 Aerial Photo Source: USDA 2004 Typical AML Impacted Community in the Bituminous Region: Watkins, Cambria Co., PA

Identify Results for the Barnes - Watkins Gob Pile, Cambria Co., PA ~1:24,000 Scale Data Source: AMLIS Database, PA DEP BAMR 2005 Aerial Photo Source: USDA 2004

Identify Results for Reclamation Work Completed at Problem Area 2469, Cambria Co., PA ~1:10,000 Scale Data Source: AMLIS Database, PA DEP BAMR 2005 Aerial Photo Source: USDA 2004

Priorities “General Welfare” 1998 OSM Directive Priority 2 if: (a) has an adverse economic impact on a local community, or (b) is in the immediate vicinity of a residential area. “Water Quality Damages” (read: AMD) fit Elevated many “3s” to “2s”

Abandoned Mine Drainage Blackleggs Creek WatershedMonastery Run – St. Vincent SRI – Harbison Walker IIAMD & ART

Priorities Driving AML

Resource Recovery Sewickley Creek Watershed Association/ Hedin Environmental Southern Alleghenies Conservancy

Advancing New Technology Cooks Run bench-scale testing Restoring abandoned mine lands

Advocacy– October 13, 2005 Press Conference

The New Vehicle for Funding- S2616 Re-authorization for 15 years Mandatory spending 10% to 20% reduction in fee Mineral Leasing Act coal receipts make up for the reduction States 10% set-aside increased to 30% $2B at end of Program for PA + WV to be paid at $100M per year

What Will the New Legislation Do? Address all Priority 1 and 2 sites in the state based upon AMLIS data base Provide flexibility for water projects through the increased set-aside Increase amount of funds to watershed associations and the state DEP

Next Steps DEP management watershed 9E declared pristine due to 14 AMD treatment systems now on line Pine Creek Valley

Our Vision for the Future of Pennsylvania’s Streams