From 7/2009 to 6/2013, the EPCAMR Staff continued to focus their attention on providing technical assistance and support to conservation districts and other local governments as well as, community/watershed organizations, economic development organizations, and other partners in the abandoned mine reclamation (AMR) field of interest.
Within that charge, there are several tasks and deliverables that EPCAMR staff meet on an annual basis. Those are to:
- Provide technical assistance to at least one watershed association or non-profit organization in each sponsoring county conservation district of EPCAMR who requests assistance with grants & watershed projects related to abandoned mine drainage (AMD) remediation and abandoned mine land (AML) reclamation. EPCAMR staff provided technical assistance to 242 groups and conservation districts.
See More Those include: Abandoned Mine Research, Inc., Abrahams Creek Watershed Association, AMR & CMH Conference Committee, Anthracite Living History Group, Appalachian Coal Country Team, Arbor Day Foundation (Publicity), ARIPPA, ARM Group (Study), Audubon PA (Study), Babb Creek Watershed Association, Bayer Center for Non-Profit Management, Bear Creek Charter School, Bear Creek Camp (EE), Berwick Middle School, BF Environmental (Study), Blazozki Associates (Study), Bloomsburg University (Study), Blue Wing Environmental (Study), Bold Gold Media, Borton Lawson Engineering, Boscov’s Department Store (Grantor), Boy Scouts of America (EE), Breaker Brewing Company, Brown University (Study), Cabot Corporation (Landowner), Camp Dresser McKee Consulting (Study), Captain Planet Foundation (Grantor), Carbon County Conservation District, Carmeuse Lime & Stone (Study), Catawissa Cr. Restoration Assoc., Choose Clean Water Coalition, Cherokee Capital LLC (Grantor), Chesapeake Bay Foundation (Grantor & EE), Chesapeake Bay Trust Fund (Grantor), Children & Nature Network (Study), Citizens Voice, Clean Creek Products, Columbia County Conservation District, Community Foundation for the Alleghenies, Congressman Barletta’s Office, Congressman Carney’s Office, Congressman Cartwright’s Office, Congressman Holden’s Office, Congressman Kanjorski’s Office, Conservation Alliance, Cora L. Brooks Foundation, Crestwood School District, Carbon Resources (Study), Dalian JinBosheng Chem. Co. Ltd. (Iron Oxide), Dallas Area School District, Dauphin County Conservation District, Delaware Estuary Project (Grantor), Delaware & Lehigh Nat’l Heritage Corridor Com., Delaware River Keeper, Dietz & Gorley Consulting (Study), Dominion (Grantor), Duquesne University (Study), Duryea Borough, Dynamic Technology Ltd (Study), Earth Conservancy, Eastern Coal Region Roundtable, Eastern Middle Anthracite Region Recovery, Inc., Eckley Miner’s Village, Eco Shirt Shop (Iron Oxide), Eco-Tech, LLC (Study), Educational Data Systems, Inc., Endless Mountains RC & DC, Evergreen Conservancy, Exeter Borough, First National Bank, Florida Turbine Technologies (Study), Foundation for PA Watersheds, Future Farmers of America (Grantor), Friends of the Nescopeck, Gas Drilling Awareness Coalition, Golder Associates (Study), Goodsearch (Grantor), Greater Hazleton Area School District, Greater Nanticoke Area School District, Greater Pittston Area Historical Society, Groasis (Study and Grantor), GTS, GuideStar.org (Publicity), Habitat for Wildlife, Hanover Nursery, Hanover Township, Harvard University (Study), Hazleton Area School District, HDR, Inc., Hedin Environmental, Heritage Valley Partners, Inc., Hicks Creek Watershed Assoc., Huber Breaker Preservation Society, Hy-Tech Mushrooms, Internat’l League of Conservation Photographers, Jeddo-Nescopeck Partnership, John Dawe LLC (Marketing), Johns Hopkins University (Study), Kings College, Kiski Conemaugh Stream Team, KRAFT Foods, Kroff Process Technologies, Inc., Kutztown University, Lackawanna County Conservation District, Lackawanna County Commissioners, Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority, Lackawanna River Corridor Assoc., Lackawanna Valley Conservancy, Lansford #9 Mine, Lehigh Coldwater Fisheries Alliance, Leveling Iron Oxide Pigments Co., Ltd (Iron Oxide), Liberty Twp. (NJ) Homeschoolers Assoc. (EE), Lockheed Martin (Grantor), LOWE’s Home Improvement Store (Volunteers), Loyalsock Cr. Watershed Assoc., Luzerne Conservation District, Luzerne County Commissioners, Luzerne County Community College, Lycoming County Conservation District
Macys (Grantor), Mahanoy Creek Watershed Assoc., Marshall Miller & Associates, Inc. (Study), Marywood University, Mehoopany Creek Watershed Association, Midway Gardens (Study), Mine Safety & Health Administration, Mother Jones Magazine (Publicity), M & T Charitable Foundation (Grantor), Nat’l Assoc. of Abandoned Mine Land Prog., National Fish & Wildlife Foundation (Grantor), Nat’l Renewable Energy Laboratory (Study), NEPA Alliance, Newport Township Community Organization, Northern Swatara Creek Watershed Assoc., Northampton Generating Co., Northeast Power Company, Northumberland County Conservation District, Northumberland County Commissioners, Old Forge Coal Mine, Inc., OSMRE (GeoSpatial Data Committee Task Force, Harrisburg Office, Washington DC Office, Wilkes-Barre Office, Pittsburgh Field Office), Pagnotti Enterprises, Peckville Genealogical Society, PA American Water Company (Grantor), PA Anthracite Council, PACD, PA DCED, PA DCNR (Bureau of Forestry, Bureau of State Parks, Bureau of Topographic & Geologic Survey), PA DEP (Harrisburg Office, BAMR Wilkes-Barre Office, BCR (319 Prog.), Bureau of Waste Management, Bureau of Watershed Mgmt (319 Prog.), California District Mining Office, Environmental Education Program, Mining & Reclamation Advisory Board, Moshannon District Mining Office, Pottsville District Mining Office), PA DOT, PA Environmental Council, PA Environmental Digest (Publicity), PA Envirothon, PAEE, PAEP, PA Fish & Boat Commission, PA Game Commission, PA RC & D, PA Tectonics, PASDA (GIS Data), PennFuture, Penn State Cooperative Extension (EE), Penn State University (Study), PHMC, Pine Grove Area School District, Plymouth Township, Pocono NE RC & DC, PPL, Renew Growing Greener Coalition, Representative Yudichak’s Office, Rettew Associates (Study), Schuylkill Action Network, Schuylkill County Conservation District, Schuylkill Headwaters Association, Schuylkill Intermediate Unit #29, Schuylkill River Restoration Fund, Senator Blake’s Office, Senator Casey’s Office, Senator Spector’s Office, Senator Toomey’s Office, Senator Yudichak’s Office, Shamokin Creek Restoration Alliance, Skelly and Loy (Study), Standard Speaker, State Conservation Commission, Sullivan County Conservation District, Susquehanna Greenway Partnership, Susquehanna River Basin Commission, Susquehanna Warrior Trail Council, Stanley Cooper Chapter Trout Unlimited, Stream Restoration Inc. (Study), Swatara Creek Watershed Association, Tamaqua Area School District, Taylor Energy Alternatives (Study), THE WEEKENDER, Times Leader, Towanda Area School District, Travelocity (Volunteers), Trout Unlimited (Study), Twin Oaks Consulting, LLC (Study), Union City School District (EE), USE Corporation (Study), URS Corporation (Study), USGS (Study), US Department of Commerce-Census Bureau, US Dept. of Energy (Study), US EPA, Volunteer Match (Volunteers), Weatherly Borough, Wegmans, (Volunteers), Widener University (Study), West Branch of the Susq. Restoration Coalition, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, West Wyoming Borough, Wiconisco Cr. Restoration Assoc., Wildlands Conservancy, Wilkes-Barre Area School District, Wilkes-Barre Area Vo-Tech, Wilkes-Barre City, Wilkes-Barre Boulevard Townhomes, Wilkes-Barre Riverfront Parks Committee, Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce, Wilkes University, WJP Engineers (Study), WPCAMR, W. Virginia DEP, WVIA (Publicity), Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority, and several more groups in attendance at our statewide conference. - Maintain EPCAMR Program Coordination to Conservation Districts in Eastern PA through Monthly Progress Report Documentation and Annual Reports.
See More Please see our Monthly Progress Report Documentation within our EPCAMR Board Page. - Collaborated with WPCAMR to produce 3 videos and accompanying guides
See More - Plan, Co-Sponsor, and Conduct the Annual PA AMR Conference in partnership with WPCAMR and other planning partners on the conference planning committee and participate in or sponsor regional workshops on AML issues throughout PA. EPCAMR staff co-hosted the PA AMR Conference on August 8-10th, 2013 at the Ramada Inn and Conference Center in State College, PA.
See More See 2013.treatminewater.com website for more details. Please see our Monthly Progress Report Documentation within our EPCAMR Board Page for other regional workshops. - Provide data, GIS layers, and maps, as a public service to watershed groups and municipalities impacted by AMD/AML.
See More A list of the GIS Data & Map Services is on our EPCAMR website and physically through the EPCAMR GIS Technical Assistance Center (TAC) in the EPCAMR Office. See list in “A” above for general public and government assisted. - Provide general EPCAMR Board Administration to increase communication and facilitation with the EPCAMR Board in order to strategically plan and conduct meetings.
See More Please see our Past EPCAMR Quarterly Meetings within our EPCAMR Board Page. - Maintenance of epcamr.org and treatminewater.com and provide information to the WPCAMR’s AMRClearinghouse.org websites.
See More We had 2,373,612 hits by 96,472 unique visitors in 4 yrs, since Sept. 2010, when switched to HostGator Servers (Awstats). Unfortunately, prior statistics cannot be gathered. 118 News Articles were posted to and are archived at the EPCAMR Website alone. Please see our www.epcamr.org, www.treatminewater.com and WPCAMR’s www.AMRClearinghouse.org websites, respectively. - Suggest to the PA DEP Section 319 Program Stream Segments in the EPCAMR Region that should be reassessed where improvements have been made to streams or segments previously on the 303 (d) List that stand a good chance of being removed from the List with supporting water quality monitoring or biological monitoring evidence.
See More - In 2010, recommended 20.67 miles of Catawissa Creek (Columbia County) should be removed from the list including 38 REACHCODE(S): 02050107000031(2), 02050107000032(2), 02050107000033, 02050107000034, 02050107000035(9), 02050107000036(4), 02050107000037, 02050107000038, 02050107000039(2), 02050107000040, 02050107000041, 02050107000042, 02050107000043, 02050107000044, 02050107000045, 02050107000046, 02050107000047, 02050107000048, 02050107000049(4), 02050107000050, 02050107000051(2). TMDL Status: EPA Approved 4/9/2003 Online Link: Catawissa Creek Watershed TMDL 3 Treatment Systems were constructed in the watershed: Oneida No. 1 AMD Treatment System was constructed in 2001 and discharges treated water to Sugarloaf Creek a tributary to Tomhicken Creek which is a tributary to Catawissa Creek (North Union Twp, Schuylkill County, PA). Sugarloaf Creek has recently been removed from the Audenreid AMD Treatment System was constructed in 2005 and discharges treated water to Catawissa Creek (East Union Twp, Schuylkill County, PA). Oneida No. 3 AMD Treatment System was constructed in 2009 and discharges treated water to Tomhicken Creek which is a tributary to Catawissa Creek (North Union Twp, Schuylkill County, PA).
- In 2011, submitted information regarding the treatment of AMD discharges in the headwaters of the Lehigh River in Luzerne County by EMARR and the Wildlands Conservancy which also benefit the river Carbon County.
- In 2012, recommend ~1.8 miles of the Sugar Notch Run tributary to Solomon Creek (Luzerne) to be switch to unimpaired. Supplied PA DEP 319 program with field chemistry, macros, and fish shocking surveys to support the findings. EPCAMR Staff and interns conducted two full days of 12 electro-shocking surveys on the Solomon Creek Watershed with Trout Unlimited as part of the Solomon Creek Coldwater Heritage Conservation Planning effort. A portion of Sugar Notch Run that was on the impaired waters list actually was supporting a trout population.
For up-to-date information, we encourage you to visit our website, especially our news page which is in chronological order and searchable. Our current initiatives page is also a great place to see our most recent and future programs.
