Samantha Schafer at “Ringing Rock” State Park, outside of Allentown, PA. Ringing Rocks Park is a 128 acre State Park nestled in the woods in Upper Black Eddy. Located within the park is a field of boulders, about 7-8 acres in size, that have an unusual property. When the rocks are struck with a hammer or another rock, they sound as if they are metal and hollow and ring with a sound similar to a metal pipe being struck.

 Since Fall 2013, the EPCAMR Staff have been working to scan underground mine maps as part of the PA Department of Environmental Protection Mine Subsidence Insurance Program (PA DEP MSI). The 3 year project, which awarded EPCAMR approximately $340,000 in funding to process maps owned or controlled by the Commonwealth of PA, U.S. Office of Surface Mining (OSM) or from private collections, will aid the public in determining whether or not it is necessary to purchase Mine Subsidence Insurance. The scanned maps will include information about the four Anthracite coal fields, with some of Earth Conservancy’s maps from their Blue Coal collection also being scanned. EPCAMR was the only regional non-profit to receive funding due to our expertise and knowledge of the Anthracite region. All other funding was awarded to universities and colleges. By the end of the project, EPCAMR will complete a total of 8000 maps, with 2000 from DEP’s Pottsville Bureau of Deep Mine Safety (DMS), 5000 DEP Wilkes-Barre Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation (BAMR), 1000 maps from Earth Conservancy’s Blue Coal collection, unless some of the map numbers are reallocated due to underestimates within the State’s collections. In addition, EPCAMR will georeference 1000 maps from Pottsville District Mining Office (DMO) and 500 maps from Earth Conservancy’s Blue Coal, while digitizing 300 maps from Pottsville DMO, 500 maps from Wilkes-Barre BAMR, and 200 maps from Earth Conservancy’s Blue Coal. The total catalog of scanned maps will include 2000 maps from DEP’s Wilkes-Barre BAMR and 5000 mine images from DEP’s Mine Image Inventory.

The maps, which come in a variety of materials such as Mylar, Sepia, etc., are usually very wide and long, making them difficult to process using normal scanners. In order to mediate this issue, EPCAMR purchased two 56′ Color Trac Scanners in order to make the maps accessible by computer. Once the maps are scanned, they are uploaded into a system called PHUMMIS, which stands for Pennsylvania Historic Underground Mine Map Inventory System, where they are cropped and aligned. After this the images, which enter PHUMMIS as tagged image files, or TIF files, are converted to seamless image database files, or SID files. Converting the images to SID files allows for them to be compressed 20x smaller than their original size, making it easier for the files to be uploaded over the internet and used in other software programs, such as ArcGIS.

After the map files are converted, with the help of Michael Hewitt, EPCAMR Project Manager and Robert E. Hughes, EPCAMR Executive Director, Staff will georeference the maps in order to align them with base maps and aerial photos. Georeferencing is a crucial part of the process because it ensures the greatest amount of accuracy for aligning the map with the actual land. Many of the maps are very old and hand-drawn, meaning that the map alone cannot serve as an accurate picture of where the mines are located. After the maps are georeferenced, Mike uploads the images and lines up the maps in order to look for specific features such as mine entrances, shaft length, depth, coverage area, and mine shaft elevation.  Determining these features allows for development of an accurate model of the underground mines. After features are determined, the plotted images are uploaded into geodatabase, the common spatial data storage and management framework for ArcGIS. If the elevation of the mine shaft can be determined, then a 3-D digital model of the mine can be produced.

Samantha has previous experience using GIS and field geophysical equipment which will come in handy right away on the job. She is a team player and very self-motivated.  She is a member of several Geology Professional Affiliations, such as the Geological Society of America, American Association of Petroleum Geologists, and was a member of the Pittsburgh Geological Society earlier in her collegiate career. She spent time studying geology in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming with SUNY Buffalo taking a geological field course and camp.  Her Senior research consisted of geologically mapping an area north of Bloomsburg, PA to further understand the folding associated with the Appalachian Mountains in the Fishing Creek Watershed and is already familiar with the “Whaleback” Geologic feature in Bear Valley, in the Shamokin Creek Watershed down in the Western Middle Anthracite Coalfields.  Samantha stated, “Geology has been a very exciting and rewarding topic to study for me.  It encompasses my love of nature, geologic landscapes, and the outdoors.  Hiking, kayaking, and climbing are more enjoyable with the knowledge of the environment in which I play and now get to work in, especially having an opportunity to understand and gain experience in the coalfields of Northeastern PA with one of the premier state-wide environmental organizations across PA working on abandoned mine reclamation, watershed restoration, underground mine mapping, and outdoor environmental education.” 
She has worked at Whitewater Challengers as a River Guide for eight years on the Lehigh River where she utilized her hydrology expertise to guide up to 120 guests down river and coordinate whitewater trips. While she was in College at Slippery Rock University, she organized and led trips for rock climbing, whitewater kayaking, and canoe trips and became a certified belayer at the indoor climbing wall for Slippery Rock University Outdoor Adventure, where she was an Outdoor Adventure Specialist.

She exclaimed, “I am very excited to join the team here at EPCAMR.  This is an amazing opportunity to gain experience as a GIS Technician.  I expect to learn a lot about the Coal Region that I call home. It’s going to be very rewarding to be able to learn about the surface abandoned mines and underground coal mining hydrogeology and structural geology that will increase my knowledge of the Coal Region. This is a huge undertaking by EPCAMR, but from what I’ve heard and seen about their quality of work, level of expertise and professionalism from others, I’m confident that this position will suit me well and help to advance my career in the future.”

Robert stated, “I’m very happy to bring on board yet another “rock hound” like myself who I think will bring her goal oriented, determined, and productive attitude to the work that EPCAMR is currently going full steam ahead on. She will be a nice compliment to our existing team and will get started scanning right away on the mine map collections as well as some initial training on interpreting and reading Anthracite Mine Maps, both from the surface perspective, and the underground mining perspective. It’s sure to give her a whole new level of understanding of the work that EPCAMR has been doing in the Coal Region for the last 20 years.”

The post EPCAMR Hires Samantha Schafer, Emmaus, as a Part-Time GIS Technician to Work on the Mine Subsidence Insurance Mapping Project appeared first on epcamr.org.

Kelsey is a hard worker, efficient, often quiet, yet focused, on fulfilling the scope of work of our MSI Mine Mapping Project. She has agreed to step into a leadership position where given her seniority and experience in the EPCAMR Office, she will now be able to train other Staff coming in to work on the project as positions are filled. She has done a great job to date and will be providing some training and technical assistance to David Svab, another former Watershed Outreach Intern, who is now in the GIS Technician position, fulfilling the scanning and cataloging of the mine maps for the Northern Coal Fields. EPCAMR is still taking resumes to fill the other GIS Technician position that has room to move up, following training and provided that they can show they have achieved a high level of competency in the work load that they are given.

Robert E. Hughes, EPCAMR Executive Director, stated, “I’m confident that from my very positive evaluation discussion with Kelsey earlier today, that since she is moving into the GIS Specialist position, knowing I expect her to take a more assertive leadership role from within the EPCAMR Staff, especially within our GIS Team, which, albeit is small at the moment, she will do an exceptional job! She is easy going, soft-spoken, goes with the flow, is a problem solver who works around hurdles, is getting more and more comfortable with the EPCAMR Staff, who are also laid back, yet very professional, have strong work ethics, and are very efficient and produce high quality work products, no matter what we are working on. She represents EPCAMR’s exceptional work standards that are a cut above the rest. It’s my job to put my Staff in positions where they can shine, allow them to grow professionally, mentor them, help them to find their passion, interact with the public, and develop strong positive working relationships among the Staff to build the strongest team that I possibly could to promote and support the mission and goals of EPCAMR. Like I’ve told her today, I am as sincere as they come and I like to treat my Staff like Family, because we spend as much or more time with each other on a daily basis than we do at home with our own families, and when we can make work seem like play and do it together as a family or team, it makes all of our work that much easier and enjoyable.”

Mike Hewitt, EPCAMR Program Manager, who oversees the GIS Team working on the project even went out of his way to create name templates for Dave and Kelsey yesterday with their titles on them out of fancy recycled bond paper and provided them to the two of them today. They were surprised and had a chuckle at the same time. Noone has ever made them a homemade name plate before. Robert joked, “It’s the little things we do to make our EPCAMR Family happy!” The smile on her face was priceless and bigger than the one that she had when she was an intern and I caught her off-guard and took a photo of her for the Staff Page when she first started with EPCAMR.”

Kelsey Biondo, who was promoted today from her old title of GIS Technician to EPCAMR GIS Specialist is all smiles as she gets handed her new homemade name plate.

The post EPCAMR Promotes Kelsey Biondo to GIS Specialist to Lead the Way on our Mine Mapping Project for the PA Mine Subsidence Insurance Program appeared first on epcamr.org.

David said, “Robert seems to know just about everybody in the Valley and that turned out to be good for me!”.

Being an avid lover of the outdoors and wildlife, yet not sure which career path to follow, he attended King’s 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 then 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 waste water 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. David is still in the process of taking tests to obtain his Engineering in Training License, before he can go on to become a Professional Engineer and take his Professional Engineering Exam.

At this time David is putting these skills to use what was for the most part, 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. EPCAMR was able to secure some small stipends throughout his time with us on several projects including the monitoring of the Groasis Waterboxxes and Stream Restoration Projects, Illegal Dump Site Cleanups, Woody Debris removal projects, and riparian Stream-side plantings, in the Solomon Creek watershed.

“I knew that the EPCAMR internship would give me the experience needed to obtain a job in my field. Robert has already provided me with many networks, connections to other environmental professionals, and interactions with a multitude of organizations, industries, non-profits, State and Federal employees, and other reclamation-related partners that allowed me an opportunity to tell them who I am, what my interests are, and to have the ability to establish a professional rapport with people in my field of interest, to refine my technical skills with hands-on learning, outdoor field training. I’ve learned so much about abandoned mine drainage (AMD) remediation and abandoned mine reclamation in a relatively short period of time from many different aspects from Robert and his Staff, who are one of the most respected regional expert organizations on watershed restoration efforts in the Coal Region,” stated David enthusiastically.

David also had the opportunity as a Watershed Outreach Intern to learn how to read mine maps, shadow other Staff working on mine map scanning,  geo-referencing, and cataloging the data that EPCAMR is collecting for the Mine Subsidence Insurance Program into the PA Historic Underground Mine Mapping Inventory System (PHUMMIS) database. This previous familiarity and training from the EPCAMR Staff has allowed him to be given the chance to move from the Internship into a Part-Time GIS Technician position with EPCAMR starting on March 3, 2014 of this week. He’s in an introductory probationary period now for the next 90 days, but will have the opportunity to stick around with us for the next 2.5 years to complete our scope of work under the MSI Mine Map Grant. “Out of the Internship, and into the Fire!”, joked Robert. “He’ll be scanning, cropping, editing, and cataloging, several thousand mine maps for the majority of the time of his job. He’s fitting in just fine. Just goes to show you the VALUE of an unpaid internship early in his career. Others college students and recent graduates that have little experience, should follow in his footsteps.” suggested Robert.

The post EPCAMR Promotes David Svab, from Watershed Outreach Intern to Part-Time GIS Technician to work on Mine Subsidence Insurance Underground Anthracite Mine Mapping Project appeared first on epcamr.org.