It is widely accepted that Pennsylvania is a leader in abandoned mine reclamation (AMR).  Many here in PA would agree that one reason we are so successful is because we have developed and maintained a cooperative community of agency employees at all levels of government, non-profit watershed associations, academia, and professional representatives of industry, business, and construction contractors all working towards a common good.  But beyond our cooperation, what specifically sets the AMR Community in Pennsylvania apart and what lessons can other abandoned coal mining-impacted states across our nation learn from us?

The Western PA Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation (WPCAMR) is interested in these questions and would like your participation in a discussion.  We are starting off with A SURVEY that digs deep.  It is only 20 questions, but it will get you thinking about PA’s success in AMR and the watershed movement more broadly.  We would like anyone and everyone who participates in abandoned mine reclamation in any capacity to complete THE SURVEY.

We will also be contacting key individuals for more in depth conversations on this topic.  If you would like to discuss this with us, feel free to give WPCAMR a call anytime at 724-832-3625 and ask for Anne Daymut.

We know that we are all busy and surveys can feel like a burden, but they can also be fun and, most likely, we have all thought about these questions a time or two.  And, who doesn’t like talking about themselves on occasion?  So, HERE is your chance to contribute to a great conversation. EPCAMR would like for our volunteers and partners in the region to participate in the survey. The results of THIS SURVEY will be shared at a national conference in September and will help to develop a Toolkit for the grassroots campaign underway that is promoting the Reauthorization of the collection fees associated with the Surface Mine Control and Reclamation Act of 1977.  Pass it along to anyone who can contribute.

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EPCAMR will be providing The Nanticoke Conservation Club with $500 to aid in the disposal costs and dumping fees of the trash. Community Aid, a committed partner of EPCAMR’s in the region, has provided $5000 in funds for EPCAMR to support the coordination and management of several cleanups around the coalfields. Several other cleanups are in the planning stages for later this year all the way through the Fall of 2017, including our annual cleanup of Centralia, PA. The City of Nanticoke, the Newport Township Crimewatch, Pennsylvania Environmental Council, NE Office, are all partners in the effort. The area of the cleanup, and along the mining impacted Newport Creek, which runs parallel to the road into the site will be the center point of the cleanup. They will just need to provide us with receipts and a tally of the number of bags and tires collected, number of volunteers and club members in attendance, along with the tonnage report for the two anticipated dumpsters that they will be getting so that we can provide a thorough report to Community Aid in the Fall 2017. EPCAMR has already reached out to our RECLAIM Crew volunteer database as well to see if they are interested in making it to this event and will be present to take some photos of the good work that they all will be doing in the Southern Wyoming Valley and along Newport Creek.

Gary Gronkowski, President, of the The Nanticoke Conservation Club estimates that 40 volunteers will commit at least 4 hours of their time on that Saturday morning to rid the community of the illegal dumping sites, valued at $3780.80, not including the use of the City’s Public Works equipment to transport trash to the dumpsters. “The entire Nanticoke Conservation Club thanks you for the support offered and to your ongoing dedication to our environment”, stated Gary Gronkowski, in his letter of request to EPCAMR for support. Chartered on April 4, 1951, The Nanticoke Conservation Club is an active organization comprised of hunters, fishermen and outdoor enthusiasts. Their goal is to protect, preserve, and manage their area’s wildlife and natural resources.

“Gary Gronkowski and I have been cleaning up trash for over 20 years together across the entire Southern Wyoming Valley. Our daughter’s went to elementary and high school together and played on many sports teams together, where we ended up seeing each other at a lot of events and began sharing our stories of our concern for our local environment, rivers, and streams. Long ago, we decided that we would make a commitment to conducting cleanups anywhere and everywhere that was necessary within our surrounding neighborhoods to rid the area of decades of past dumping on our environment.” recalls Robert Hughes, EPCAMR Executive Director.

“I’m glad that EPCAMR with the support of Community Aid, can provide them with some funds to alleviate the costs of the hauling and dumping fees to remove the trash because it’s a local burden on the communities that we are serving to try and secure funds for these costs. The value of the time and effort that the volunteers put in on any given Saturday are staggering when you compare it to the actual cash that you have to seek and spend on the removal of the trash. Without the conservation-minded people that are members of The Nanticoke Conservation Club, and the other partners that we continue to work with and strengthen our relationships with over time, we would never be able to remove the sheer tonnage, tires, televisions, mattresses, and volume of household littered trash and debris from our coalfield communities. I can’t thank them enough!” exclaimed Robert.

On the same day at the other end of Newport Township, the Newport Township Crimewatch, led by Amy Saraka, there will be a similar cleanup effort going on with additional funds provided by EPCAMR through a small ARIPPA grant from last year that was awarded to them in the amount of $500 to support the cleanup efforts outside of Wanamie, along the Industrial Park (IP) road on abandoned mine lands too. The funds will go towards hauling, proper electronics waste disposal, dumpster, and cleanup supplies  on an abandoned mine land area in Newport Township, Luzerne County, PA where up to 40 tires will be removed and 10-12,000 pounds of illegally dumped trash, discarded furniture, construction waste, and household wastes will be removed, in partnership with Newport Township, , Newport Township Police Department, Nanticoke Conservation Club, and EPCAMR. 50 volunteers are expected to participate with their time value at $4726.00, not including support from the Newport Township Public Works Department. EPCAMR will administer the grant on behalf of the NTCW.

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Apply now for the $5,000 ARIPPA AML/AMD Award.  EPCAMR and WPCAMR have partnered with the Anthracite Region Independent Power Producer’s Association (ARIPPA) to offer a competitive award to watershed organizations working on Abandoned Mine Land (AML) and/or Abandoned Mine Drainage (AMD) remediation projects. Grants at a maximum of $2,500 will be awarded to at least one eligible environmental organization or Conservation District in the Anthracite Region and one eligible environmental organization or Conservation District in the Bituminous Region in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania actively working on AML/AMD issues. Grant proposals should be for on-the-ground AML/AMD construction projects with a completion date between August 2016 and August 2017. Proposals are due July 8th. The amount granted is dependent upon demonstrated need. Applying organizations must support the mission of ARIPPA, including the removal and conversion of waste coal into alternative energy and the beneficial use of CFB ash for AML/AMD reclamation. You can obtain the official Request for Proposals and supporting documents here.

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Many of these sites are within the 2.6 miles of Class A Trout Streams in the watershed and in the area of the 1.84 miles of Sugar Notch Run that we are proposing to the Commonwealth of PA to be delisted. EPCAMR has followed up with the PA DEP Bureau of Conservation and Restoration to request that they have their Water Pollution Biologists come out for a follow-up field visit to warrant the delisting from the Federal List of Impaired Waters. EPCAMR has already followed up with the PA Fish & Boat Commission as well and were informed that at the time of our request for assistance, their Office and Staff were overwhelmed with projects dealing with the Marcellus Shale, that they were not able to provide us with much technical assistance on determining the correct types and best suited habitat structures for many of the project locations that we had initially selected, so some of those larger projects were put on the backburner for future evaluation when they had the time available to assist us in the field. Over the course of the year, EPCAMR gained funding through staff members contributing $7,757.20, volunteers and partners contributing an additional $12,625.50 in matching funds of  time and additional grants. EPCAMR was also able to secure an $8,000 grant from PA American Water.  This funding allowed EPCAMR to complete 15 successful projects, resulting in clean-ups and restorations of Sugar Notch Run and Nockley’s Tributary in the Solomon Creek Watershed. 5 Tons (10,000 pounds) of trash were removed. Several hundred tires were removed. Some vandals even decided to set one pile on fire leaving us with 84 tires less than anticipated to be removed, but a pile of rubber rubble to deal with on one occasion. EPCAMR Executive Director, Robert Hughes, emphasized, “We saved the taxpayers and citizens of Hanover Twp., the City of Wilkes-Barre, and the landowners ALOT of money through our hard earned grant writing efforts and coordination of our volunteers and students that we utilize and work with throughout Luzerne County. If every municipality had a grant writer that went after grants as aggressively as we do for the public good and with the success rate that we’ve  had, there wouldn’t be so many environmental problems in our communities and they’d save  a lot of money.”

Taken at SGl #207, this photo shows a blockage of tires and other man-made debris near the old concrete dam just above the double-wide railroad tunnel.

Dumpster Full

At Sugar Notch Run, EPCAMR addressed degradation issues such as woody debris blockages, sedimentation, trash and tire dumping, deep undercuts in stream banks, and other man-made blockages. EPCAMR also did a clean-up at State Game Lands #207 at Sugar Notch Run, where they removed tarps, gas canisters, sleeping bags, tires, and other trash that was creating blockages in the stream and impacting the natural habitat. After the blockages were removed, EPCAMR made sure to stabilize the creek and make sure that it had maintained its natural habitat features.

EPCAMR Staff cleaned out debris from this stream channel at Sugar Notch Run, outside of Carey’s Patch, locally called by the kids, “Dead End Creek”, and left the log and downed tree in place for habitat. Water can flow around it and down over a step pool just below the log that you can see looking upstream.

While the Sugar Notch Run clean-up was a success, EPCAMR spent the majority of the Summer and early Fall cleaning and restoring Nockley’s Tributary, named for the family that owns the land that the tributary runs along until it comes to its confluence with Solomon Creek, just northeast of S. Main Street in Wilkes-Barre. Dave, owns Nockley’s Pharmacy, located on S. Main Street (Middle Road, Hanover Twp.) and Frank runs Northeast Cartage Services, (on Fellows Ave, Hanover Twp.). Both gentlemen allowed us to access their property at any time to conduct the work and they also contributed deep discounts for dumpsters that we needed while conducting our cleanups. They both were very open to our projects and were familiar with EPCAMR’s Executive Director, since Dave had played High School basketball with him during their high school days at the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.), Wilkes-Barre, where both of them were outstanding basketball players under the now retired Coach John Hopkins.  Midway through June, EPCAMR, through collaboration with PA American Water Staff including John Yamona-Water Quality Manager and Susan Turcmanovich-Manager, began work on Nockley’s Tributary. This area was heavily littered with trash, illegal dumping, heavy sedimentation, stormwater drainage issues from antiquated drains, streambank erosion, and woody debris blockages causing flooding issues at the St. Peter’s Lutheran Church and a day-care, located adjacent to the tributary.

Volunteers help to clean debris in preparation for a riparian corridor tree planting along the banks of Nockley’s Tributary during the restoration and clean-up.One of the major features completed at the site was a riparian corridor planted with 125 native trees and nursery stock wetland plants in order to enhance and improve the fish passage and stream habitat that runs 2,640 feet from Nockley’s Tributary to Solomon Creek. Riparian corridors help to restore and improve stream habitat because they allow for native plants to help filter and trap sediment, preventing stream erosion and allowing for better water flow. EPCAMR staff along with the assistance of volunteers, David Svab- Watershed Outreach Intern, and Aaron Stredny-Watershed Specialist for the Luzerne Conservation District, completed the project over a period of 7 months.

Dawson Hughes (in orange) , EPCAMR Stream Cleanup Volunteer and oldest son of the Executive DIrector, who has been helping out since he was 8 years old and is now going on 14 with Wilkes University Colonels volunteers at a cleanup on Nockley’s Tributary.

EPCAMR knew that as we got further down in the watershed, the environmental degradation issues become more problematic and costly and will warrant much further details, investigations, surveys, and designs for future improvements. Woody debris provides many benefits to the stream ecosystem, but individual debris jams that we have investigated increased erosion or endangered roadways, bridges and personal property. In these cases, it was necessary to remove all of the jam to alleviate the problems. Removal decisions of the woody debris areas were subjective and were made individually, ultimately removing or altering only what is necessary. In the more forested areas, such structures remained intact to continually shape and change a stream channel as a natural process without interference.

Watershed Specialist, Aaron Stredny, speaks to PA DCNR’s “Watershed” Education Program High School students from across Luzerne County who planted 125 trees along the banks of Nockley’s Tributary in the Fall 2013.

EPCAMR believes that the improvements they have accomplished so far will lead to further protection of the native brook trout population , as well as other warm water fisheries in the lower reaches of the watershed. Over time, the number of fish and aquatic life present in the watershed could possibly increase as a result of addressing areas with degradation issues. As of November 2013, EPCAMR still has funds available to continue to clean and restore the Solomon Creek Watershed. During Spring and Summer of 2014, EPCAMR Staff plans to monitor and evaluate the completed projects while continuing to work on projects that will result in cleaner water and streams, improved stream and riparian corridor habitat, stream bank stabilization, and a reduction in sediment loads and trash to the Solomon Creek watershed. EPCAMR knows how to create partnerships! See the list for these successful projects completed below: Nockley’s Pharmacy-landowner access Earth Conservancy-landowner access PA Game Commission-landowner access Northeast Cartage Services-landowner access and discounted pricing on hauling, dumpster roll-offs, and waste removal Mahantongo Scrap Tire Recycling, Liverpool, PA– removal and recycling of scrap tires, discount on hauling and price per tire for removal St. Peter’s Lutheran Church-landowner access, free parking, use of open space area for lunch breaks for EPCAMR Volunteers and students, use of restroom facilities, volunteer assistance from their Board of Trustees in removal and cutting of downed trees across Nockley’s Tributary, removal of brush piles Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority-inspection of sewer main at the confluence of Nockley’s Tributary before entering Solomon Creek Stanley Cooper Chapter of Trout Unlimited-provided volunteers (2) who assisted on July 1, 2013, with illegal dumping and tire removal from Nockley’s Tributary, served as a media outlet to their members to recruit additional volunteers to assist with the EPCAMR stream restoration projects Luzerne Conservation District-provided technical expertise and Staff to coordinate the stream restoration projects within the Solomon Creek Watershed with EPCAMR, secured additional funding and was awarded funding by EPCAMR towards projects, worked with EPCAMR on cleanup days, woody debris removal field events, tree plantings, and tire removal events; Chapter 102 review, Chapter 105 review, coordination with PA DEP PACD, Inc.-provided $2,000 funding towards the riparian tree plantings on Nockley’s Tributary and educational and outreach program on non-point source pollution and stream restoration ARIPPA-provided EPCAMR with $500 in funding that was awarded to the Luzerne Conservation District through our mini-grant program to purchase stone for energy dissipaters to be placed below antiquated stormwater culverts that are directed towards Nockley’s Tributary PA DCNR-Environmental Education Specialists coordinated a tree planting event with EPCAMR and the LCD with (40) students from different high schools within the Wyoming Valley and Hazleton Area on October 17, 2013 City of Wilkes-Barre, Ashley Borough, and Hanover Township-supportive of our efforts within the Solomon Creek Watershed to implement recommendations with funding that was not from the local taxpayers and assisted with prioritizing future cleanup efforts within the watershed within their municipalities PA  DEP, Wilkes-Barre Regional Office-provided EPCAMR and the LCD on guidance as to the need for any necessary permits for our projects Wilkes University-(36) Freshman College students participated in a coordinated stream-side cleanup and tire removal event on July 15, 2013; Coordinated with Megan Boone Valkenburg, Civic Engagement Coordinator; They were unable to make the July 1, 2013 event due to rain and bus scheduling EPCAMR Community Service Volunteers-(11) total participated in the cleanups on July 1, and July 15, 2013 that were registered through American Rivers (www.AmericanRivers.org/Cleanup) Nanticoke Junior Trojans Youth Football Program Players– 11, 12, & 13 year old football players (7 of them) and Jill Williams, mother of one of the players, volunteered on the September 21^st, 2013 cleanup event that was coordinated with Michelle Dunn from Keep PA Beautiful in conjunction with the International Coastal Cleanup South Wilkes-Barre Mini-Football Program-provided a $300 donation towards our restoration efforts in honor of a local conservationist and avid fisherman, Mr. Abe Coolbaugh, who passed away, and has a son, who coaches for the mini-football program who wanted to see the funds used towards some conservation practices where his Father fished Keep PA Beautiful-provided EPCAMR with publicity, garbage bags, and gloves; (www.KeepPABeautiful.org) International Coastal Cleanup and Ocean Conservancy-provided outreach and publicity on their website for volunteer recruitment of our cleanup events and garbage bags and gloves to our PA registered cleanup events through Keep PA Beautiful ( http://www.oceanconservancy.org/our-work/international-coastal-cleanup/ ) American Rivers-provided EPCAMR with trash bags and outreach and publicity on their website for volunteer recruitment and provided EPCAMR with a free year long membership for registering our cleanups for the 2013 National River Cleanup participation ( www.americanrivers.org ) EPCAMR promoted our project through our Social Media Page on FaceBook (Search EPCAMR) and created events along with notifications to our volunteer base to come out and assist with our local projects. EPCAMR coordinated with Wilkes University, Stanley Cooper Chapter Trout Unlimited, Nanticoke Junior Trojans Youth Football Program, and the PA DCNR to create events that a large group of students could attend to assist us with as well.

• https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151752670094095.1073741828.95647429094&type=1
• https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151754642629095.1073741829.95647429094&type=1
• https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151871591689095.1073741836.95647429094&type=1
• https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151874410689095.1073741837.95647429094&type=1
• https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151876638429095.1073741838.95647429094&type=1
• https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151887054564095.1073741840.95647429094&type=1
• https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151887072209095.1073741841.95647429094&type=1
• https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151902848599095.1073741842.95647429094&type=1
• https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151965495674095.1073741843.95647429094&type=1

EPCAMR received media coverage from Ch. 16-WNEP when we coordinated our second cleanup on July 15, 2013. (http://wnep.com/2013/07/15/getting-dirty-to-clean-up-the-creek/) PA American Water provided a news release on their website about the project and others that were funded:

• http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/AMERPR/2493767894x0x656204/b4fe1755-dddf-4286-848a-fd064eb3b0f7/656204.pdf

PACD prepared an article on the projects that they funded state-wide, including the one for the Luzerne Conservation District, in partnership with EPCAMR:

• http://pacd.org/2013/06/over-47000-awarded-for-nonpoint-source-pollution-prevention-educational-mini-grants/

Brendan Gibbons, Environmental Beat Reporter for the Scranton Times-Tribune and the Citizen’s Voice covered a story for the newspaper on our project and also participated in a cleanup as a volunteer. Article is below:

• http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/timesshamrock/doc/1399978542.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jul+15%2C+2013&author=&pub=Citizens%27+Voice&edition=&startpage=&desc=Water+Quality+Projects+Are+Worthy+Endeavours  (archived article-costs $$)

• http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/into-the-void-mapping-abandoned-mines-in-3d-1.1560241  
• Page 13 of the Citizen’s Voice from July 8, 2013 has the PA American Water Check Presentation Photo

Tom Venesky, Outdoors Writer with the Times-Leader Newspaper, prepared an article on our work in the Solomon Creek Watershed:

• http://www.timesleader.com/news/outdoors-sports/596165/Study-provides-hope-for-trout-in-Solomon-Creek

These projects were the first of its kind in the Solomon Creek, particularly in the native brook trout fishery headwaters and tributaries of the watershed.  EPCAMR will make periodic trips to the sites once completed to check on the long-term stability of the structures installed and constructed. EPCAMR will seek the support of avid people who fish in the area to report back on how the structures are holding up and if the areas are remaining free of debris, storm flow debris, tires, illegal dumping, trash, and sedimentation. EPCAMR will advise private landowners to check on the areas worked on periodically to report back to EPCAMR, however, should additional work or maintenance be needed, the financial burden would have to fall on the landowner. If areas are determined to be private, EPCAMR will work with the landowners to see if visitation to the project sites can be made open to the public use through a conservation easement, right-of-way access agreement, or hold-harmless agreement. EPCAMR has a well-established partnership with the Stanley Cooper Chapter of Trout Unlimited in the Wyoming Valley, whose members are always willing to assist private landowners with improvement their property, including fish habitat and restoration work.

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Follow this link for details and be sure to check out the descriptions of the dozens of Volunteer Opportunities that we have throughout the year on VolunteerMatch.org. Just search for EPCAMR.

where you can join us and learn about how we are restoring our watersheds impacted by past mining practices, educating our youth, preserving our past, and reclaiming our lands from black banks to greener pastures.

FOLLOW THIS LINK TO THE ONLINE APPLICATION! http://epcamr.org/home/donate-your-time-talent-or-treasures/epcamr-volunteer-opportunities/

Become a volunteer for FREE NOW! You’ll surely want to become an active Member following your experiences with EPCAMR and our Staff! $5 for students and $10 for Individuals.

Wilkes University students processing iron oxide at the EPCAMR Office

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He hiked several miles of stream with us and was officially taught how to identify macro-invertebrates (aquatic bugs/insects), conduct a visual stream habitat assessment, monitor the streams for iron concentrations, pH, acidity concentrations, alkalinity concentrations, dissolved oxygen concentrations, and stream temperature.

He also became familiar with the local geology and mining history of our region through his Father’s rambling and endless conversations during the stream walks. Dawson has also assisted in a Teacher Training Workshop with local Science Teachers from the Wilkes-Barre Area in 2012, attended a QuickBooks for Non-Profits Training Seminar in Pittsburgh, PA (that was rough…but the instructor was quick to point him out and crack some jokes about “quality time” being spent with his Father, at the expense of work), storm drain stenciling several years ago throughout Plymouth Township, community gardening and historic preservation at the Avondale Hill Mine Disaster Memorial location in Plymouth Township, the painting of the Avondale Ballad Sheet Metal Art Piece in partnership with the Wilkes-Barre Area Machine Shop Class, illegal dump site cleanups throughout the Wyoming Valley, AMD Tie Dye T-shirt Programs at many of our events throughout the Anthracite Coal Region, and most recently, our stream restoration project on Nockley’s Tributary, an impaired stream reach filled with woody debris, trash, tires, and sediment.

Dawson Hughes (in orange) , EPCAMR Stream Cleanup Volunteer and oldest son of the Executive DIrector, who has been helping out since he was 8 years old and is now going on 14

As a Father, especially during those down times, during the Summer months, where I know that most of his time is going to be spent at home in his little man cave in our basement playing X-Box 360, PS3, the computer playing MINECRAFT in his virtual reality, or on some other social media site, I think it’s more important to invite him out and get some fresh air and not be so closeted about what natural beauty and environmental degradation lie just outside the house. I am encouraging him to become a part of the solution, much like I have been since I was very young, and instilling in him that even kids his age can and should want to make a difference in their communities and become well-rounded and inquisitive about our natural history and cultural history that are some our best kept secrets in our region. Truth is not enough of it is being told at the elementary level, high school level, or collegiate level for that matter. All history is local. EPCAMR’s Staff and myself believe in teaching our youth through a place-based philosophy or getting to know your surroundings and not succumb to what’s colloquially known as “nature deficit disorder”.

I appreciate the time spent together and I know that he has enjoyed all the times that we have spent working side by side with each other, whether it’s on the football field, basketball court, baseball diamond, or mine-impacted stream, I’ve never gotten a complaint out of him. He’s a hard worker, a natural team leader, and a very smart kid, who is a straight A student in school, and doesn’t have trouble interacting with adults and other youth alike. I’m very proud to call him my oldest son, and hope that he will continue to join me on our many adventures throughout the Coal Region as we work on other interesting restoration, education, and remediation projects to improve our land and water impacted by abandoned mines.

Dawson goes on to say, “My Dad is a walking encyclopedia of all things living, historical, coal-related…a real Nature Boy and Super Hero for the environment…He’s respected by so many in his field and it seems like everyone either knows him or he knows them. Wherever we go  and he is well-liked and respected for his work.  I  enjoy hanging with him, even though he usually just puts me to work, but at least I know at the end of the day it’s for a good cause, the cleanup of the local environment and community. The work he does is appreciated by those that we work with side by side, who wouldn’t have been able to complete it without my Dad’s support through EPCAMR. He teaches everyone and he teaches me, that goes without saying. He doesn’t yell as much on illegal dump site cleanups or stream surveys as he does on the football field or basketball court as a Coach, so in all actuality, he’s rather mild to work with on our Nature and Anthracite history adventures!”

Dawson Hughes (age 10) assisting EPCAMR as a Water Quality Monitoring Volunteer on Sugar Notch Run in the Solomon Creek Watershed

Dawson Hughes playing his Father as the “mini” Limestone Cowboy in 4th Grade during an Environmental Comedy Skit put on for his class at GNA

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