The state Department of Environmental Protection announced $15.2 million in grant awards for the environmental restoration of 15 abandoned mine land (AML) projects as part of the Abandoned Mine Land and Abandoned Mine Drainage Grant Program. All of the projects are located in townships and will benefit these communities. Some of the projects will implement an existing remediation plan, while others will pay for engineering to create a remediation plan for future funding. 

“Reclaiming these areas is an important part of the work DEP does to restore the environment and protect the communities in the Commonwealth, all while simultaneously creating jobs and bolstering the economy,” said DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley. “These grant recipients are taking on projects to pave the way for meaningful efforts in improving water quality, fostering ecosystem recovery, and revitalizing communities for a greater quality of life for Pennsylvanians.” 

Natural Stream Foundation Inc., will receive $1,798,608 for the Rowes Run project, a nearly 900,000 cubic yard coal refuse pile located in Redstone Township, Fayette County, that will be reclaimed. Reclamation efforts will address water quality issues, remove dangerous hazards, and restore the land for human and natural ecological uses. 

The Schuylkill Conservation District received $6,632,829 for Schuylkill Haven East (SGL 286 Reclamation). Over 247,000 cubic yards of waste coal slurry will be removed from an abandoned dredge desilting basin located along the Schuylkill River in North Manheim Township, Schuylkill County. These reclamation efforts will restore nearly 21.5 acres of the Schuylkill River floodplain. 

The funding was awarded under Pennsylvania’s federally funded Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Program, funded in part by the Infrastructure, Investment, and Jobs Act (IIJA), which has invested more than $700 million into reclaiming Pennsylvania’s AML since 2022. Through the Grant Program, DEP prioritizes funding to address serious human health and safety problems resulting from abandoned coal mines, as well as treating abandoned mine drainage (AMD) to continue watershed restoration efforts under the AMD Set-Aside Program and prevent the loss of restored streams. Click here to view the rest of the funded projects.