The fundraiser and launch event will take place on February 26 from 5-9PM at Damenti’s Ice Bar located at 5 Bowman’s Mill Road (Exit 145, off Interstate I-81, West Hazleton, PA). [Get Google Maps Directions]

The event will feature a screening of the two new videos, hands-on demonstrations, and activities, and a photo booth with our trout puppets from the video. One video will follow Brooky the brook trout as he braves a storm and reconnects with his Auntie Rainbow. It will highlight AMD, blocked culverts, impediments to fish and aquatic life, fish ecology, AMD Treatment, and macroinvertebrate identification.

A take with Seven the Snail at the end of the Askam AMD Treatment System on Nanticoke Creek.

Auntie Rainbow Trout gazing into the clean stream upstream.

Brooky the Trout getting ready for his film debut at the Askam Maelstrom Oxidizer Treatment System on Nanticoke Creek.

Brooky the Trout and his puppeteer getting ready for some lines.

The second video will highlight the EPCAMR Staff taking two students on a tour of a local AMD discharge in South Wilkes-Barre, PA and walk them through how they monitor the locations for flow and chemistry. They will also learn how iron oxide is recycled and collected to create a pigment that EPCAMR processes to be used in various art forms and activities.

The youth actors and Laura are preparing for a scene along the Askam AMD discharge in the Nanticoke Creek watershed.

The students and the trout puppets will be featured in a three-station showcase of AMD Art, AMD Tie Dye Shirt Making, and AMD Chalk Making.

Brooky and Rainbow gather around the AMD Artwork at one of the EPCAMR Showcase Stations in the video.

This is one example of iron oxide pigment used for an AMD Tie Dye t-shirt.

EPCAMR’s Iron Oxide Chalk Making Station featured in one of the videos.

A meet and greet with producer Claudia Meglin, creative director for visual effect of the popular children’s show, Lazytown will also be happening and she will say a few words about working with EPCAMR over the last few years through ISI and funding provided by the Mental Insight Foundation, American Water Charitable Foundation, The Luzerne Foundation, and PA Council of Trout Unlimited’s Forever WILD funds and EPCAMR. Both videos were produced and co-directed by Centone Pictures and Reiner Productions.

Here are some of the crew and cast from the second EPCAMR video.

Here are some of the crew and cast for one of the videos.

There will also be a silent auction featuring some art made with recycled iron oxide from local streams.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to learn more about the organization’s mission and how they can get involved in their local community.

“We are excited to launch these new educational resources and provide young students with the knowledge and tools they need to positively impact the environment,” said Laura Rinehimer, EPCAMR’s Environmental Education Program Specialist. “Through this fundraiser and launch event, we hope to raise awareness and funds to support our continued efforts to educate and empower local children to become engaged locally in their watersheds.”

Since the pandemic, EPCAMR has tried to shift some of our educational focus toward creating short environmental education videos and virtual presentations and curricula that we could share with teachers and students across our region to reach a broader audience when we couldn’t get directly into the schools or conduct the outdoor watershed learning experiences we had commonly done in years past,” stated Bobby Hughes, EPCAMR Executive Director. “We involved several excited local youths in the videos, voice actors and puppeteers, as well as all Staff in the combined video productions and aimed for fun, a little comedy, play on words, and some fishy humor.”

EPCAMR invites community members, educators, families, children, and anyone interested in environmental education to attend the event and support their mission. A $5 donation includes admission to Damenti’s Ice Exhibit, Animals on Parade, a drink, and admission to the film screenings. A portion of the ticket sales will be donated to a number of non-profits serving folks in the community and towards the production and distribution of future videos and curricula for local schools and community centers.

For more information about the fundraiser and launch event, or to learn more about the organization and its mission, please visit [EPCAMR.org]. Call 570-371-3523 for details.

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In 2012, EPCAMR built a large mobile kiln for demonstration purposes in environmental education programs to showcase how oxides can be recycled from AMD. Funds were donated to EPCAMR by the Wilkes-Barre Area School District after the kiln construction to continue to use at other local school districts. This kiln and another smaller kiln, built for the Solomon-Plains Elementary School, has allowed EPCAMR to educate elementary students across the EPCAMR Region. The reason for the design was due to the need for a more efficient way of drying metal oxides collected from local mine drainage that is then utilized for education programs to make AMD Tie-Dye t-shirts, Iron oxide chalk, and paint pigment and wood stain for local artists. This project brings EPCAMR a bit off the grid by reducing the utilization of a soil oven, which consumes a fair amount of electricity to dry the oxides for only a small amount of dried oxide.

EPCAMR Program Manager, Mike Hewitt, designed a system that relieves the oven process. The solar kiln runs off of a 45-watt solar panel system and is made out of mostly recycled materials: motorcycle battery, 12 volt computer fan, single pane storm windows, T-111 wooden siding, and 2x4s. The computer fan is run by the solar panels to remove any excess moisture within the kiln. The inside of the kiln is painted black to absorb as much heat from the sun as possible. The larger kiln is approximately 4′ x 6′, with two hinged doors in the back for loading in the oxides. It rolls on wheels for easy outside access. The solar kiln can dry 8 cake pans at one time, as compared to the two cookie sheets the oven can dry at one time. Within 4 hours, on an 80 degree day, the kiln can reach an inside temperature of 120 degrees. The solar kiln can dry 40 pounds of oxides a day, as compared to 1 pound a day using the oven.

EPCAMR places hydroxides that are about 95% liquid rust into the cake pans and allows for the heat energy to dry them naturally. EPCAMR Staff, interns, and volunteers then sifts the oxide powder to remove any leaf litter or sticks and packages it up to be sold through the EPCAMR Online Store. Proceeds from the Store support our education and outreach programs as well as general operations of the organization.

The smaller solar kiln was provided to the Solomon-Plains Elementary School, who are consistently taking part in environmental programs with EPCAMR. There is a great need for environmental education for students within the Wilkes-Barre School District, who are among the lowest poverty level in Luzerne County, PA. The students can now dry and process their own oxides for when EPCAMR comes to conduct education programs. Other local schools, including Greater Nanticoke Area Elementary and Wilkes-Barre Area Elementary, have also seen the solar kiln in action.

A novelty of this project is that it uses zero use of electricity for the project, unless we produce pigments of Anthracite Red or Silverbrook Purple, which need to be dried in the soil oven after the solar kiln in order to get their darker hues. EPCAMR estimates the electricity used to power the soil oven costs approximately $120/year, just to dry the oxide from the Yellow Boy pigment to Anthracite Red. It costs EPCAMR nothing to utilize the solar kiln to dry the oxide to Yellow Boy.

AMD Pigments

The EPCAMR “Mobile Recycled Solar Kiln for Processing and Drying Oxides from AMD” project was funded by the PPL Empowering Educators Grant, in partnership with the Wilkes-Barre Area School District, PA DEP Environmental Education Program, Earth Conservancy, King’s College Environmental Club, Lowe’s, RESTORE, Appalachian Coal Country Team, Office of Surface Mining, and AmeriCorps Volunteers in Service Training for America.

The program involved EPCAMR Staff and interns from King’s College and Wilkes University assisting with the collection of oxides and construction of the solar kilns. Earth Conservancy provides us with the storage for the kiln and access to their AMD treatment systems in Nanticoke and Newport Township for oxides. The Solomon-Plains Elementary 6th grade class and their teachers participated in outdoor field tours with EPCAMR to AMD sites before utilizing the kiln. The students made AMD tie-dye t-shirts for their field trip with the dried Iron oxide they collected on a tour with EPCAMR and have made it an annual tradition that is 3 years strong. More recently, the Greater Nanticoke Area Elementary 4th and 5th grade classes got to see the solar kiln and utilized the Iron oxide from through EPCAMR’s AMD & Art Pottery Education program. Ann Devine and two interns from the PA DEP Environmental Education Program conducted a Solar Race Car Construction Workshop at Solomon-Plains Elementary. Alana Malar Roberts, former PPL Community Relations Coordinator, was was also instrumental in the project.

EPCAMR’s objective was to create a demonstration piece of equipment that would provide under-served elementary school students within the Coal Region the ability to dry Iron oxide from AMD on their own. There were two goals: 1) to go off the grid and be 100% solar and 2) provide students with an opportunity to learn about AMD impacts to their watersheds and find ways to recycle the oxides into many productive uses that are fun and “green”. The benefits of this projects are that students are engaged and introduced to Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math (STEM) principles that meet the PA Standards for the Environment and Ecology.

Students gather with PPL, EPCAMR, and WBAD at Solomon-Plains Elementary to receive grant check

EPCAMR has always been committed to restoring Pennsylvania’s waterways impacted by AMD and abandoned mine lands. EPCAMR plans to build a 3rd solar kiln in the Fall of 2015 with the remaining materials we have left over from the project and provide it to Heights Elementary. This project educates not only students, but teachers on how schools can be a part of the solution by working with EPCAMR. They will be provided with environmental education experiences on local environmental issues that impact their community directly. They will also learn about environmental stewardship and ways they can get involved in stream-side cleanup.

The post EPCAMR Mobile Solar Kiln Wins 1st Place Award from NCAC appeared first on epcamr.org.

(Ashley, PA)– EPCAMR, the Eastern PA Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation, Wilkes University, Misericordia University, Earth Conservancy, and Greater Nanticoke Area Elementary (GNA) have partnered for an Environmental Education Outreach and Pottery Art Program to teach students about abandoned mine drainage (AMD) water pollution problems in the Southern Wyoming Valley watersheds and how those pollution sources can be solved in creative ways reusing one of the by-products of past mining practices.  EPCAMR, who specializes in restoring streams impacted by AMD, conducting community cleanups, and providing education and outreach efforts to many regional schools throughout the Coal Region recently received a $3000 environmental education grant through the PA Department of Environmental Protection’s Environmental Education Grant Program in order to fund our project through the Summer of 2015. EPCAMR has purchased two pottery wheels, clay, and supplies to support the project.

EPCAMR will be taking the entire 4^th & 5^th grade classes from GNA to multiple AMD impacted sites within the School District and in S. Wilkes-Barre. Seven field trips are planned that  will allow students to experience where the iron oxide comes from before heading to EPCAMR to see how iron oxide can be processed and re-used in art projects. The iron oxide can be used for painting, tie-dying, making chalk, and creating pottery glazes. EPCAMR, with the help of Jean Adams of Wilkes University & Skip Sensbach of Misericordia University, both Artists and Professors who will be teaching the students at GNA how to create pottery and use reclaimed iron oxide in order to create sustainable art. GNA’s Mrs. Michelle Kordek, is assisting with the coordination of the project with EPCAMR, both inside and outside of the classroom. The students will be creating art after the Winter Christmas Break in early 2015 in their art classroom where they will be dipping their pottery that they create in one of several iron oxide glazes that will be mixed by EPCAMR and the Artists. EPCAMR plans to create its very own regional glaze mixture of iron oxide by the end of the project.

EPCAMR’s Executive Director and local resident of Nanticoke, Robert Hughes, who has worked previously with the Greater Nanticoke Area to bring grants and outdoor environmental education programs to the District over the last 8 years is happy to be able to bring this type of interdisciplinary education approach to the 4th and 5th grade students at GNA. He goes on to say:

“I really think that our students need to gain an understanding of the local world around them and the impacts that it is having on them directly or indirectly, whether or not they know what those problems are at this point in their young lives or not. By having our regional non-profit organization bring the students out into the surrounding local streams and watersheds that are within two miles of their own backyard and school to learn about the environmental impacts to our community is something that they should at least be aware of as they get older. They should understand why their rivers and streams are orange, smell like sulfur, where this mine water is coming from, and what can be done and is being done to clean it up. They should learn that they can become a part of the solution and become actively engaged in local stream cleanups or illegal dump site cleanups that EPCAMR has already coordinated within the School District and greater Southern Wyoming Valley. Those students who might want to become artists will also have another outlet and medium to work in once we show them how to recycle the iron oxide from these mine discharges that can be used for multiple art mediums in the classroom. These are just some of the reasons why I’ve decided to pursue this grant and was successful in having our organization receive the innovative grant award to serve our community first. I want my hometown to be the first School District to have the opportunity to utilize our regional iron oxide glazes that we will be creating and using in the classroom when we create some pottery art next year.”

The AMD Field Tours are going to be in the mornings from around 8am-12 noon on the following dates: November 21, November 24, November 25, November 26, December 2, December 3, and December 5.

Abandoned mine drainage (AMD) is caused by a reaction between pyrite, fool’s gold, and the oxygen present in the water. The result is a thick orange sediment which coats the stream bottom and makes it difficult for native plants and animals to live in the water. 5500 miles of streams in PA are polluted by AMD. www.epcamr.org 

Abandoned Mine Drainage (AMD) Environmental Education

 & Pottery Art Program Tour Agenda (Leave from GNA Elementary Center around 8AM)

Abandoned Mine Drainage (AMD)

– Pollutant that occurs as a result of past coal mining practices

– AMD forms when water from underground mines mixes with pyrite (fool’s gold) and oxygen to form rust

– The result is an orange muck which settles on the bottom of rivers and streams and pollutes the water  and makes it hard for plants & animals to survive.

Site 1: Red Lake

– Former Stripping Pit and municipal landfill at the far end of the pit looking north for the Glen Nan Colliery

– Orange/Red coloration from AMD upwelling into the stripping pit

– 20 acre lake bubbles and gurgles as water rushes into the lake from seeps and old mine gangways along the easterly portion of the stripping pit

– AMD from Red Lake meets up with the Honey Pot Discharge (Site #2)

Robert Hughes, Executive Director of Eastern PA Coalition for abandoned mine reclamation, takes water samples in mine drainage in Newport Township, Luzerne County, below Red Lake- (Michael J. Mullen)

Site 2: Honey Pot Discharge

– Discharges from an abandoned air shaft (#7) from the former Susquehanna #7 Colliery

– Was once the slackwater section for the Susquehanna North Branch Canal. Boats would come along the canal near Access Road to be loaded with coal.

– 2000 gal/minute average flow with high iron loading that eventually reaches the Newport Creek and  Susquehanna River

– Where EPCAMR get most of our iron oxide

– Have students assist with getting iron oxide

Wilkes University Volunteer cleaning up trash along the Honey Pot AMD discharge near the LCCC Park-n-Ride.

Site 3: Solomon Creek Boreholes

– 6 Boreholes (5 new & 1 old), 2 old ones collapsed and were replaced with 5 new ones

– Third largest borehole drainage area in the region

– 20 million gallons of water per day

– Boreholes are 240 feet deep

Solomon Creek AMD Boreholes in South Wilkes-Barre

Site 4: Askam Borehole AMD Treatment System (20 minutes)

– Askam Borehole drilled in the 1970’s to relieve water pressure from underground mines causing water  to go into residential basements;

– Collapsed in 1998 and two new boreholes had to be drilled on the other side of Dundee Road in between SR 29 and along the streambank of Nanticoke Creek

– Askam Treatment System uses the Maelstrom Oxidizer which uses a series of tubes which push air   into the water and cause the iron to fall out, making the water cleaner as it                      enters back into Nanticoke Creek following the dropping out of the iron in the series of ponds and baffles used to slow down the  water

– 3500 gal/minute into system

– Have students monitor water level (depth to the mine pool) at the Borehole with the Solonist Tape

Askam AMD Borehole along Dundee Road.

Site 5: EPCAMR Office

– Show students iron oxide station and examples of reuse of the pigment for various products

– Iron Oxide Solar Kiln for Drying and Processing AMD and converting into iron oxide packets for sale

EPCAMR AMD Solar Kiln

The post AMD Environmental Education & Pottery Art Program Tours Scheduled for Greater Nanticoke Area’s 4th & 5th Grade appeared first on epcamr.org.

The source of the AMD discharge feeding in to the Espy Run is located near the tree branch sticking out of the water on the right side of the photo.

EPCAMR completed AMD water quality and water flow monitoring of the Espy Run AMD Treatment System from August 2012-August 2013 in order to determine loading of iron, alkalinity, pH, acidity, and temperature at the Espy Run influent sites (old wetland,  new channel, new pipe), 3 points within the treatment system (Pond A, Pond B, Wetland), the Espy Run effluent, and downstream of the Espy Run combined AMD Treatment Systems. After completing the year long testing period, EPCAMR completed a final report detailing all of the data gathered on water flow and water quality. EPCAMR’s work on this project, in collaboration with the Earth Conservancy  allows them access to this area for educational outreach programs with local school districts in order to provide insight into AMD treatment systems, how to improve water quality through different water treatment technologies, and incorporate PA’s Department of Education’s Environment and Ecology Environmental Education Standards that compliment the various schools existing curriculum.

Weir #3 and Weir #4 on the outlet side of Espy Run before rehabilitation. As can be seen by the lack of flow and build-up of leaf debris, some maintenance was needed to get both weirs fully functioning again.

In 2011, after the Espy Run was rehabilitated, the average flow from the system was 521 gpm. With this flow, the system was able to remove 303 pounds per day of acidity while retaining 91.7 pounds of iron per day and thereby removing it from the stream. During the 2012 monitoring period, EPCAMR found that the average rate of flow from the system was 215 gpm, allowing the system to remove 162 pounds per day of acidity while retaining 18.8 pounds  of iron per day.

These numbers show a dramatic contrast between the 2011 assessment period and the 2012 assessment period. While these differences seem to point to a lack of effectiveness within the system, a number of factors led to these findings. 2011 was a year with above average precipitation while 2012 was a dry year with lower than average rainfall. The dramatic differences in rainfall greatly influenced the amount of flow within the system. In addition, treatment systems like the Espy Run system generally experience a “Honeymoon Period” in which the system performs better than expected. Treatment efficiency is related directly to flow and the eventual loadings of the iron, alkalinity, and acidity of the mine water.

V-notch weir post-construction spilling out cleaner water! The iron has been reduced by 90%, the pH and dissolved oxygen have been increased, as a slight increase in water temperature.

In order to help improve water residency time within the system, reduce short-circuiting  of the mine water, and optimize iron loading retention, the Earth Conservancy, through funding from a Quick Response Grant administered by our sister Coalition, the Western PA Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation (WPCAMR), applied further modifications to the system.  One of these modifications included sandbagging the inlet half-pipe channel to direct water into Pond B only. The outlet from Pond B was sandbagged, with Ponds A & B connected by a pipe allowing for flow from one to the other, leaving both ponds with a common outlet channel. In addition, a bridge was constructed over the outlet channel so that access to the old wetland system would be easier.

The bridge, shown going over the water in the rehabilitated Espy Run treatment system. The water, coming out of Ponds A & B in the system, is much clearer with a reduced orange color, indicating lower iron levels and cleaner water.

In order to redirect short-circuiting water issues a concrete Jersey Barrier was installed at the inlet to the old wetland system. Lastly, the weirs were lowered on the outlet of the old wetlands to lower water levels so that wetland vegetation had more surface area to grow. Cattails, phragmites, and several other wetland species of plants normally do not grow well in water at a depth of 18″ or greater. These modification proved to be successful, allowing for an additional 6 pounds per day of iron and neutralization of an additional 22 pounds per day of acidity. After gathering data on chemistry and flow, EPCAMR determined that optimal treatment levels are reached between 150-300 gpm. Flows lower than 150 gpm were not recorded during the assessment period, but if these low flow levels were to occur, they could cause detrimental chemical reactions in addition to allowing for excessive plant growth. On the other hand, if flows reach above 300 gpm, they can cause damage to the system. EPCAMR did not record flows at this level, but observation of damaged berms within the system indicated that water flow had been extremely high at some points during the assessment period.

EPCAMR staff member, Justyna, samples water from the raw water inflow to the settling ponds.

During the assessment period, EPCAMR made some additional observations that allowed for a better understanding of the effectiveness of the treatment system. Weather conditions had a significant impact on results. The greater precipitation, the more water trapped in the minepool, thus the greater the flow of AMD discharge into the treatment system. Higher flow, as mentioned above, can cause potentially cause damage to the system. EPCAMR observed that lowering the weirs in order to restrict water levels allows for mediation of this problem. In addition, warm weather conditions appear to create downstream “thermal pollution” on the cold water pouring out of the discharge, raising the temperature in ponds and wetlands 20 degrees fahrenheit or more. While this is an issue often associated with wetland type passive treatment systems, the beneficial removal of acid and heavy metal deposits is a worthwhile trade-off. On the other hand, cold weather conditions tend to slow down chemical reactions, hindering the removal of iron and neutralization of acids. During some of the winter sampling periods, Pond A suffered from periodic freezing due to the half-pipe’s “uneven” distribution. Modification of the system helped to remedy this issue.

Panoramic view of Pond B (left) & Pond A (right) showing the flow through pipe. Notice the brighter orange color of Pond B, indicating that more iron is settling out.

Although biological sampling and visual habitat were not a part of their services, EPCAMR noted evidence affirming that wildlife is inhabiting the treatment system. Frogs were croaking and jumping as EPCAMR staff walked across the berms, and tadpoles were seen in the spring to early summer along the outlet channels. Turtles were seen sunning themselves on the banks. Redwing Blackbirds and other bird species co-habitated throughout the area. A mother goose built her nest among the thick wetland plants and was often seen chasing EPCAMR staff around the wetlands a they gathered water samples. 

This baby Wood Turtle was seen sunning himself on the banks of the treatment system. His orange color is not from iron oxide, but shows his natural coloring. This little guy is a good sign!

Deer and turkeys were often seen roaming the fields above the ponds and wetlands. Pond A was teeming with schools of minnows. Beavers and muskrats were trapped out of the system so that they could not cause damage, but the beaver dam located near the USGS gauging station redirected the water over the weir, allowing for the system to work as it was originally intended to flow.

Taken downstream near the USGS gas station, this photo shows the beaver dam. This dam actually redirects the majority of flow back over the wier, The water here is cloudy, but the orange color is mostly gone, indicating that there is less iron in the stream.

EPCAMR’s year long assessment period showed that the Espy Run AMD Treatment Facility was largely successful at treating iron oxide deposits located in the stream. As of August 2013, the last assessment month for EPCAMR, the iron concentration coming into the treatment system was 10 Mg/L. As shown in the below left graph, after treatment, the iron concentration coming out of the system was approximately 32 Mg/L. As shown in the below right graph, as of August 2013, the iron load held within the system was approximately 22 lbs/day when the flow was around 225 gal/min. These figures show that after modification, the system was able to treat water at higher flows than was previously recorded.

While recorded data shows that they system was effective at treating iron oxide deposits and acidity within the water, visual assessment made it clear to any observer that the treatment system was helpful in reducing pollution within the water. The water leaving the treatment system was still cloudy, but lacked the bright orange pigment, indicating that the system was effective at removing a lot of acidity and iron oxide. Other indicators, such as visual observation of wildlife show that the wetland is able to be inhabited rather than remaining a biological deadzone as it had been prior to treatment. An increased number of fish species were found to be present downstream of the treatment system such as smallmouth bass, creek chubs, black-nose dace, blue-gills, and shiners.  EPCAMR will be continuing to monitor the system for the Earth Conservancy on a quarterly basis through the Fall of 2014.

The post EPCAMR Continues Monitoring of Espy Run AMD Treatment System for the Earth Conservancy in the Nanticoke Creek Watershed appeared first on epcamr.org.

Robert Hughes, EPCAMR Executive Director, and Michael Hewitt, EPCAMR Program Manager, stand with the Mobile Solar Kiln for processing AMD before off-loading it at Plains-Solomon Elementary School.

The Mobile Solar Kiln for processing AMD, which grew out of a desire by Robert Hughes, EPCAMR Executive Director to get “off the grid” became a reality when PPL and the W-B Area School District decided to partner with EPCAMR in order to make the project a reality upon being awarded a $2000 grant written by EPCAMR. EPCAMR worked with Mike Corcoran, Science Coordinator to partner on the grant. Alana Malar Roberts, who at the time was PPL’s Community Outreach Coordinator, was also integral in providing us with public relations on the project and assisted us with coming out and seeing the kids work with us on the project. Mike happened to be a former Assistant Coach of Robert’s when he was in Jr. High School at the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.).

Students gather with PPL, EPCAMR, and W-B Area School District at Leo E. Solomon Plains to receive the grant check.

Spring 2012 EPCAMR interns Dan Gilbert, Ryan Lawrence, and Zach Yodis, all from King’s College, helped Robert Hughes, Executive Director, and Michael Hewitt, Program Manager, complete the construction of the project.

Interns Dan Gilbert, Zach Yodis, and Ryan Lawrence helping Michael Hewitt, EPCAMR Program Manager, construct the wooden frame for the Mobile Solar Kiln for processing AMD.

Construction of the kiln consisted of creating the solar collector and kiln oven. The solar collector apparatus, made of PVC pipes and three solar panels, is capable of collecting 45 watts of power, which powers a recycled computer cooling fan that can be automatically turned on should the temperature get too hot inside of the kiln or if excess moisture was to build up on the recycled single-pane windows.

EPCAMR Staff laying out the components of the 45 Watt Solar Panel Kit

The old coal home windows  that were also used as  a part of the construction came from the Executive Director’s first home where he had replaced his windows with more energy efficient windows. The solar panel unit sends the excess electrical power that is generated back to a motorcycle battery for storage when the cooling fan is not in use or turned on. EPCAMR has been able to reach 200 degrees Fahrenheit on a day when it was 95 degrees outside.

The completed solar collector beginning to capture its first rays of sunshine before being connected to the battery backup unit!

The kiln oven was constructed out of standard pressure treated 2″ x 4″ wood and recycled single-paned storm windows. The windows serve a dual purpose. By allowing extra sunlight into the kiln, the windows allow the kiln to generate extra heat than just using the solar collector alone. In addition, the windows allow anyone using the kiln to watch the iron oxide reclamation process at work as it begins to dry the pigment and decant the water moisture, making it an awesome visual feature for projects with local school districts. After the wooden frame was painted a powder coat black, which helped the system to absorb the additional heat much like culm does on an abandoned coal bank, it was assembled , complete with wheels to make it mobile, and the windows were installed, leaving the solar kiln ready to be stained in a polyurethane mixture with EPCAMR’s signature iron oxide pigment color: Yellow Boy Orange.

EPCAMR’s Solar Kiln getting painted in the black powder coat prior to putting on the Yellow Boy iron oxide stain on the outside panels

The completed Solar Kiln, painted, stained, and filled with iron oxide for drying.

The EPCAMR Solar Kiln, completed almost 2 years ago, has been a great success in allowing EPCAMR to reclaim iron oxide “off the grid.” The kiln, which can reach upwards of 200 degrees is more than capable of effectively heating and drying iron oxide that EPCAMR uses in its AMD Tie-Dye Workshops, AMD Chalk Talks and Art Projects, and coming soon: AMD Pottery workshops. In addition, the kiln is a great way to get local school districts excited about “off the grid” energy options. When the kiln was first completed, EPCAMR traveled to the Leo E. Solomon-Plains Elementary School to work with the entire 5th and 6th grade students (230) and to teach then about AMD and the ways iron oxide can be used.

The students completed an AMD Tie-Dye workshop using recovered iron oxide from the Solar Kiln. The day was filled with fun art projects and lots of education about AMD and the ways it can be reused. The students also assisted EPCAMR with painting their own Solar Kiln that was a second smaller kiln constructed by the EPCAMR Staff in the Spring of 2013 that was left for the students to use year round.

Leo E. Solomon-Plains 6th Grade Elementary Students painting one of the Solar Kiln doors.

The students made the AMD Tie-Dye t-shirts that were worn on their 6th grade field trip to the Smithsonian Institute and other places around the Philadelphia area at the end of the school year and for the last two years, have been the topic of conversation when they go. It has become an annual tradition to use the Solar Kiln to make their t-shirts now. EPCAMR still has enough material to make a third Solar Kiln and will be donating it to the Heights Elementary school, once the organization can dedicate enough staff and internship time to completely build the third kiln. Heights Elementary is the alma mater of Robert Hughes, EPCAMR’s Executive Director.

Students at Leo E. Solomon/Plains Elementary School hang their AMD Tie-Dye t-shirts up to dry. Students used iron oxide from the Solar Kiln to create their annual 6th grade field trip t-shirts.

Another element that we added to the environmental education program that we held at Leo E. Solomon-Plains Elementary was the construction of a solar-powered race car exhibition by Ann Devine, Environmental Education Coordinator for the PA Department of Environmental Protection. The students enjoyed creating the miniature race cars with rubber bands, balsam wood, and a 2″ square solar cell, batteries, and of course, wheels.

Ann Devine-PA DEP EE Coordinator working with students to help them build their solar powered race cars.

Robert emphasized, “The solar kilns, and the projects that can be completed with it, allow students to directly interact with their environment and allows us to showcase the innovative ways in which we are cleaning up our surrounding watersheds. Getting the younger generation interested and involved is the first step towards creating a lasting impact on their desire to learn about AMD, how it can be remedied, and how the iron oxide collected can be used in useful and innovative ways. So far, the solar kilns have been a great way to achieve this! EPCAMR intends to bring our Mobile Solar Kiln to other school districts and events going forward in 2014. We get a lot of mileage out of it’s use nowadays because we can basically bake 8 cake trays full of iron oxide in one day, when a few years ago, we started with cake pans that were the size of the pans that went into an Easy Bake Oven. We look forward to building our third solar kiln this Summer and getting up to Heights Elementary in the City of Wilkes-Barre. Students will be able to explain solar energy to their teachers and the EPCAMR Staff. Students will be able to recognize and know three types of abandoned mine pollution impacts to the Susquehanna River. Students will be able to speak on recycled uses for EPCAMR’s iron oxide collected from the AMD Treatment Systems and AMD Discharges. Students will be able to locate and know what the names of their local streams. Teachers will be able to inform EPCAMR of the times that they will be able to incorporate any reference materials and curriculum materials into their school curriculum. Students will learn about Anthracite Geology and three types of rocks common to the Wyoming Valley and three types of metals that commonly are contained in AMD. These are all learning objectives that we hope to instill into the youth in our area.

Leo E. Solomon-Plains students on an AMD Field Tour to Newport Township’s Lake of AMD, called Loch Mess on a hot humid Summer Day.

I can’t wait to go back to my old elementary school to work with the kids in the classrooms that I haven’t been back to since the late 70’s and mid-80’s. I’m anticipating the build and the visits to work with the kids and teachers, many of which, are close friends of mine who teach and were former students of the school themselves at the same time that I was a student there. A straight A student, I might add. Check out Channel 16’s Power to Save video that was filmed with the students who did an excellent job of reporting on what they had learned during the project and were excited to talk about. http://wnep.com/2013/05/09/students-turning-waste-and-pollution-into-art/

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As the iron is exposed to oxygen, it falls to the bottom of the stream as thick orange precipitate, coating the sides and bottom of the channel and impacting native wildlife species. The Maelstrom Oxidizer injects large amounts of air through a series of tubes, allowing the iron to drop out of the water more quickly, this reducing the area coated with orange sediment, or Yellow Boy. However, the system does require the use of electricity, which can become a long-term maintenance cost issue for the Earth Conservancy.

This November 2013 photo shows the Askam AMD Treatment facility under construction.

In October 2011, EPCAMR was contracted by the Earth Conservancy to conduct a baseline study in order to test water quality, determine insect populations, and conduct a visual habitat assessment. The study, which took place over a period of two years from November 2011 to January 2013, showed that the Askam #1 and #2 have a combined typical flow of around 2000 gallons per minute with an average of 30 mg/L of iron. This means that 807 pounds of iron oxide are deposited into the Nanticoke Creek from this discharge alone daily.

This chart shows the amount of water flowing through the Askam #1 and #2 boreholes over a 2 year period. The flow can vary from 9000 gpm to 0 gpm.

One of two of the Askam AMD Boreholes spewing mine drainage into the Nanticoke Creek along Dundee Road just east of Loomis Park in Hanover Township

The data gathered by EPCAMR allowed staff to analyze and compare existing water conditions to previous baseline historic water quality data. After the construction project is completed, EPCAMR will continue to assess and monitor with 7 main services to be rendered. EPCAMR will first research, collect, summarize, and analyze existing baseline historic water quality data from reports, studies, assessments, projects, and remediation efforts in the Nanticoke Creek Watershed. Comparisons to historic water quality data will allow for a better understanding of how well the treatment system is working and how effective it is when compared to past water quality reports. Secondly, EPCAMR will be taking photo-inventory and descriptions of all Field Sites and Geographic Locations using GIS/GPS.

Located just off of Route 29, the Askam Treatment System would take up a proposed 61,650 square feet.

In addition, EPCAMR will perform Visual Stream Assessment and continued Water Quality Monitoring of the Nanticoke Creek Stream Habitat Corridor west of Middle Road to Loomis Park both pre & post construction of the treatment system, Areas that will be assessed within these areas include: Nanticoke Creek upstream of the Askam Borehole (instream), the Askam AMD Borehole Discharge, Nanticoke Creek downstream of the Askam Borehole (instream), and the Loomis Discharge along Dundee Road. EPCAMR will continue to assess the completed Askam Treatment System up to 1 year after completion. Along with assessment of water quality, EPCAMR will continue to take Biological Stream Samples in order to assess the presence and health of macro-invertebrates, fishes, and amphibians both upstream and downstream of the Askam Borehole. EPCAMR will perform water flow monitoring of Nanticoke Creek pre & post construction of the Askam AMD system. Assessing water flow will allow EPCAMR to determine the loading of iron, acidity, and alkalinity upstream and downstream of the borehole, at the Askam treatment system, and at the Loomis Discharge. Finally, EPCAMR will complete a final report compiling all of the data gathered over the course of the year long assessment period. All of EPCAMR’s services for the Askam AMD Treatment System will allow for continued monitoring of the area to assess stream health while providing an accurate picture of the effectiveness of the treatment system.

Once EPCAMR is finished with stream assessment and water quality testing, they will continue to be involved with the Askam Borehole Treatment system in order to use it as a resource for education and outreach on the impacts of AMD and the benefits of the Askam system. Using this will allow EPCAMR to provide insight to the local community and create and promote activities related to AMD treatment systems in partnership with the Earth Conservancy. “EPCAMR appreciates Earth Conservancy’s willingness to allow us to utilize this site and many others as outdoor environmental education classrooms throughout the year, otherwise, our students in this area will have learned very little about the mining impacts and the eventual treatment system processes that are improving our local waterways”, Robert Hughes, EPCAMR Executive Director enthusiastically stated.

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Being an avid lover of the outdoors and animals, yet not sure which career path to follow, he attended Kings College hoping to sort out his ambitions. There, he rediscovered his great love of the outdoors, and recognized that there was a need to preserve the beauty and transform our local landscapes back home, tarnished by the Anthracite Coal industry of years past. He decided to attend Penn State University and seek a degree in Environmental Engineering and put his passions to work in order to preserve our natural environment, that can benefit all, while sustaining it for generations to come. Realizing the errors of the past, he was inspired to become an environmental engineer in order to contribute to the community he calls home, right back here in the Wyoming Valley, where EPCAMR has its home base, in the heart of the Anthracite Coal Region.

He graduated from Pennsylvania State University in May 2013 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Engineering. While at Penn State, he gained an understanding of the influence of industrial actions on the environment and the choice of cost effective remediation strategies. He also took classes focusing on water and wastewater treatment and sampling and monitoring of the geo-environment. Through his educational experiences in the class, the lab, or field work, he has established the necessary foundation to build a career in the environmental engineering field.

At this time David is putting these skills to use as an unpaid Watershed Outreach Intern working part-time, for EPCAMR, under the direct supervision of the Executive Director, Robert E. Hughes.  He is a team spirited individual with a strong determination to solve problems in a cost efficient and effective manner. He is defined as a student for life; determine to succeed both personally and professionally.

“I anticipate that this internship will give me the experience needed to obtain a full-time job. Robert has already during my initial interview process informed me that within just a few short months time, I will have networked with over 50-100 organizations, industries, non-profits, State and Federal employees, and other reclamation-related partners that will ensure me at least an opportunity to tell them who I am, what my interests are, have the ability to establish a professional rapport with people in my field of interest, and refine my technical skills with hands-on learning, outdoor field training, and will learn all about mine drainage remediation and abandoned mine reclamation from many different aspects from my Supervisor, who is one of the most respected regional experts on watershed restoration efforts in the Coal Region. stated David enthusiastically.

David Svab, EPCAMR Watershed Outreach Intern sampling AMD at the Guten Mine Tunnel Drift discharge in Sullivan County, PA on his first day on the job

David has previously assisted with an EPCAMR Streamside Cleanup on Nockley’s Tributary, in the Solomon Creek watershed with his Father, Bernie Svab, on July 15th, 2013. His first day on his internship, he was able to travel up to Sullivan County with the EPCAMR Staff to conduct water sampling, flow monitoring, and a field investigation of the Lewis property Guten Mine Tunnel Drift discharge, in Cherry Township, Sullivan County, outside of Bernice, PA.  EPCAMR is working with the Moshannon District Mining Office of the PA Department of Environmental Protection, the landowner, Mr. Marc Lewis, and Hedin Environmental, Inc., our contractor to rehabilitate an Anoxic Limestone Drain (ALD) Treatment System that has been having some plugging issues and a reduced treatment system efficiency due to the plugging of the system with iron, aluminum, organic plant material roots from sedges that have taking over the pond, and possible mixing of a compost layer. “He was put to task right away with learning how to monitor AMD discharges in the field by utilizing our AMD HACH Testing Kits, sampling iron levels, acidity, alkalinity, pH, and Temperature. We’ve got lots of small projects for him to undertake that will allow him to get his hands dirty, so to speak, because with EPCAMR, if you don’t come back to the office with some amount of orange-colored iron oxide on you, you probably didn’t work hard enough that day,” joked Robert.

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