HARRISBURG – The June edition of the local TV program hosted by Sen. Dave Argall (R-29) features a tour of the John B. Rich Memorial Power Station near Frackville, an electric power plant that utilizes 750,000 tons of waste coal every year. This show also focuses on a recent celebration at the State Capitol which honored 10 communities in the Blueprint Communities Program.
To date, these electric power plants have remediated more than 1,200 miles of streams and reclaimed more than 7,200 acres of mine-scarred land in Pennsylvania, while also employing close to 1,000 people. They remove piles of waste coal to create electricity while also filling in abandoned strip mines.
A new energy plan spearheaded by Gov. Josh Shapiro would close all these plants within a few years, ending their longstanding work to remove the scars of past coal mining operations from communities in Schuylkill, Carbon, and Luzerne counties and beyond.
“I grew up 500 yards from one of the many abandoned mines that were once so common across our region,” said Argall. “Now countless black hills and pits have been transformed into green fields and forests. The supporters of this new energy plan would prefer that many of the black and grey wastelands remain for hundreds of more years.”
Both White Haven and the four boroughs of the Panther Valley – Nesquehoning, Coaldale, Lansford, and Summit Hill – were recently approved for the Blueprint Communities Program. The program works with local leaders to help them obtain resources for their communities. Since its creation, $500 million in public and private funding has been utilized to breathe new life into towns across Pennsylvania.
“I previously encouraged Tamaqua Borough to apply for this effort and now, several years later, you can really see the difference,” Argall continued. “The strong public-private partnerships created through this program can really spur local revitalization efforts.”
This edition of the Argall Report will air on:
- Blue Ridge Communications (Channel 13) every Monday at 10 a.m. and every Wednesday at 10:30 p.m.
- Service Electric Cablevision: Hazleton, Mahanoy City; Shenandoah – on Hazleton’s WYLN TV 35 Channel 507 and MetroCast Communications Channel 10. Please check local listings for airtimes.
- Berks Community Television (Comcast – Channel 15 and Service Electric – Channel 19) on Thursday at 9 p.m. and Friday at 8 p.m.
The Argall Report is also available online at https://www.senatorargall.com/argallreport/
CONTACT: Jim Brugger