HARRISBURG – A project to improve the treatment of 4,000 gallons per minute of acid mine drainage that runs into the Catawissa and Tomhicken Creeks was awarded a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, according to Sen. Dave Argall (R-29) and Rep. Dane Watro (R-116).
“We’ve made significant progress in cleaning up the environmental scars left by decades of coal mining in the past few decades, but much work remains to be done,” said Argall. “While the days of the Schuylkill River running orange and black are gone, there are still many local streams that remain dead because of pollution from abandoned mines.”
“It is time that the Tomhicken and Catawissa creeks receive funding to treat acid mine drainage,” said Watro. “This pollution has burdened the area for too long and I am pleased to see this funding granted.”
The project will install a second limestone tank at the discharge site of the Oneida #3 tunnel in North Union Township. By improving the treatment, over two miles of the creeks will be restored.
Pennsylvania will award almost $100 million in grants to reclaim abandoned mine lands and treat acid mine drainage this year.
“Thanks to this new injection of federal funding, projects that have remained on hold for many years can now move ahead,” Argall continued. “This grant is just the beginning of new momentum to restore our abandoned mine lands.”
CONTACT: Jim Brugger (Argall), 717-787-2637
Jordan Garrett Walters (Watro), 717-260-6528