ORDES
PENNSYLVANIA BASELINE
Part 2 - Impact Assessment Data Base
Chapter 1 - Characteristics and Human Utilization
of Natural Ecosystems
Sections 1-3 - Geology, Climatology and Soils
PHASE II
OHIO RIVER BASIN ENERGY STUDY
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June 1979
PENNSYLVANIA BASELINE
Part 2 - Impact Assessment Data Base
Chapter 1 - Characteristics and Human Utilization
of Natural Ecosystems
Sections 1.-3 - Geology, Climatology and Soils
by
Norman K. Flint
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261
Prepared for
Ohio River Basin Energy Study (ORBES)
Grant Number R805608-01-03
OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
2.1.1. TOPOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY pAQE
2.1.1.1 TOPOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS-
A. Introduction 1
B. Pittsburgh Plateaus Section 1
C. Glaciated Section 2
D. Allegheny High Plateaus Section-- 3
E. Allegheny Mountain Section 3
2.1.1.2 GEOLOGIC CHARACTERISTICS
A. Geologic Structure 5
B. Stratigraphy 6
C. Coal Resources 7
D. Oil and Gas Resources 9
E. Other Mineral Resources 10
F. Seisn>icity-; 16
2.1.2 CLIMATOLOGY
2.1.2.1 CLIMATOLOGIC CHARACTERISTICS 18
A. General >— —18
B. Precipitation 18
C. Temperature 19
D. Thunderstorms and Tornadoes 20
E. Flooding -20
F. Snow— 21
G. Growing Season 21
H. Wind 21
I. Fog 22
J. Clear Days 22
2.1.2.2 AIR POLLUTION POTENTIAL 22
A. Basic Meteorology 22
B. Teknekron Data 22
2.1.3 SOILS
2.1.3.1 SOIL TYPES AND DISTRIBUTION 23
A. General 23
B. Class if icat ion 23
C. Mapping 2k
2.1.3.2 SOIL SUITABILITY FOR WASTE DISPOSAL 25
A. Methods 25
B. Site Suitability 26
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LIST OF TABLES
Table No.
2.1.1.-1
2.1.1.-2
2.1.1.-3
2.1.1.-4
2.1.1.-5
2.1.1.-6
2.1.1.-7
TOPOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY
Title
Recoverable Coal Reserves of
PA (over 2k, 28, and 36 in.)
In-Place Coal Reserves of PA
In-Place Reserves of Pittsburgh Coal
Estimated Strippable Coal Reserves of
Southwestern PA (by seams)
Estimated Strippable Coal Reserves of
Southwestern PA (by counties and seams)
Estimated Strippable Coal Reserves of
Southwestern PA (by seam and sulfur content)
Production and Reserves of Oil and Gas
in- Pennsylvania
Page
28
29
29
30
31-33
35
Table No.
2.1.2.-1
2.1,2.-2
2.1.2.-3
CLIMATOLOGY
Title
Monthly Mean Precipitation at 30
Weather Stations in the PA ORBES
Reg ion
Monthly Mean Precipitation at 7
Weather Stations in the PA ORBES
Region
Maximum Amount of Precipitation
at Various Intervals
37
38
Table No.
2.1.3.-1
2.1.3.-2
2.1.3.-3
SOILS
Title
Soil Properties and Limitations
Affecting Selected Land Uses
Industrial Waste Disposal Sites
in the PA ORBES Region
Summarized Criteria and Standards
for Land Disposal of Wastes
Area Covered by Soils Suitable
for Land- Disposal of Wastes
Page
39-1*0
11
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure No.
2.1.1.-I
2.1.1.-2
2.1.1.-3
2.1.1.-4
2.1.1.-5
2.1.1.-6
2.1.1.-7
2.1.1.-8
2.1.1.-9
2.1.1.-10
2.1.1.-11
2.1.1.-12
2.1.1.-13
2.1.1.-14
2.1.1.-15
2.1.1.-16
2.1.1.-17
2.1.1.-18
TOPOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY
Title
Physiographic Provinces of PA
PA ORBES Region Drainage
Geologic Map of Pennsylvania
Axial Trace of Anticlinal Structures
in the Pennsylvania ORBES Region
Geologic Structure Section Through
Selected PA ORBES Region Counties
Generalized Stratigraphic Section
Recoverable Coal Reserves (1970)
in the PA ORBES Region
Strippable Coal Reserves (1968) in
the PA ORBES Region
Coal Seams of the Main Bituminous and
Georges Creek Fields
Oil and Gas Fields Map of Pennsylvania
Annual Production of Crude Oil in PA
Production, Consumption, and Reserves
of Natural Gas in Pennsylvania
Limestone and Dolomite Distribution in
Pennsylvania
Water Yielding Capability of Rocks of
Pennsylvania
Tectonic Map
Earthquake Epicenters, 1800-1972
Alabama Lineament Plotted on Seismotectonic
Map of the Eastern United States
Seismic Stations
Page
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
35
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
F igure No.
2.1.2.-1
2.1.2.-2
CLIMATOLOGY
Title
Mean Annual Precipitation
Mean Monthly Precipitation at Pittsburgh
Page
64
65
111
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Figure No.
2.1.2.-3
2.1.2.-14
2.1.2.-5
2.1.2.-6
2.1.2.-7
2.1.2.-8
2.1.2.-9
2.1.2.-10
2.1.2.-11
2.1.2.-12
2.1.2.-13
2.1.2.-14
2.1.2.-15
2.1.2.-16
2.1.2.-17.
2.1.2.-18
2.1.2.-19
2.1.2.-20
2.1.2.-21
Figure No.
2.1.3.-1
2.1.3.-2
Title
Mean Annual Precipitation at Pittsburgh
Rainfall in Inches for One-Hour Duration
and a 2.33 Year Return Period
Rainfall in Inches for 2^-Hour Duration
and a 2.33 Year Return Period
Mean Minimum Temperature (°F), July
Mean Maximum Temperature (°F) , July
Mean Minimum Temperature ( F), January
Mean Maximum Temperature (°F), January
Average Annual Snowfall, 1962-72
Average Length of Growing Season
Annual Snowfall at Pittsburgh
Mean Monthly Snowfall at Pittsburgh
Average Monthly Wind Speed at Pittsburgh,
1968-77
Maximum Monthly Wind Speed at Pittsburgh,
1968-77
Monthly Wind at Pittsburgh, 1968-77
Number of Clear Days at Pittsburgh
Number of Days of Thunderstorms and Heavy
Fog at Pittsburgh
Monthly Temperature at Pittsburgh
Number of Times Destruction was Caused by
Tropical Storms, 1901-55
Total Number of Forecast-Days of Meteor-
ological Potential for Air Pollution
Expected in a 5~year Period
SOILS
Title
General Soil Map
Standard Septic Tank-Seepage Bed System
REFERENCES
Page
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
72
73
73
7k
75
75
75
76
76
77
79
80
iv
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2.1.1. TOPOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY
2.1.1.1. TOPOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS
A. Introduction
The ORBES Region of Pennsylvania lies in the Appalachian Plateaus Physio-
graphic Province (Fig. 2.1.1.-1). This province is bound on the east by the
"Allegheny Front," a topographic boundary between the plateau to the west and
the Ridge and Valley Province to the east. The plateau is sub-divided into
four sections: (1) the Pittsburgh Plateaus Section, (2) the Allegheny High
Plateaus Section, (3) the Glaciated Section, and (4) the Allegheny Mountain
Section.
B. Pittsburgh Plateaus Section
The major part of the ORBES Region is in the Pittsburgh Plateaus Section.
This section includes all or part of the counties of Allegheny, Armstrong,
Beaver, Butler, Cambria, Clarion, C.learfield, Fayette, Greene, Indiana,
Jefferson, Venango, and Washington. It is well-dissected and hilly, with relief
on the order of 300 to 500 feet. Steep slopes are common.
Dendritic drainage is prevalent. Major streams are the Monongahela and
Allegheny Rivers which join at Pittsburgh to form the Ohio River (Fig. 2.1:1.-
2). An important tributary of the Ohio River is the Beaver River. The Beaver
is formed where the Mahoning River joins the Shenango River near New Castle
in Lawrence County, and from there flows southerly to the Ohio River at
Rochester about twenty miles downstream from Pittsburgh, A principal tribu-
tary of the Beaver is Slippery Rock Creek, a stream that drains much of north-
ern Butler County in the Glaciated Section of the plateau. Slippery Rock
Creek is joined by Connoquenessing Creek a few miles east of the Beaver River.
Connoquenessing Creek and its tributaries drain most of the southern part of
Butler County.
The Ohio River is a major stream of the area. From Pittsburgh it takes
a northwesterly course for about 20 miles to Beaver where it turns southwest-
erly to form the Ohio-West Virginia boundary. The rather abrupt change in
the flow direction of the Ohio River at Beaver is the result of diversion of
the river in glacial time. Pre-glacially, the ancestral "Monongahela" flowed
to Pittsburgh as it now does, and then on to Beaver where it continued north-
ward along the course of what is now the southerly flowing Beaver River to the
Lake Erie basin near Ashtabula, Ohio. When glacier ice blocked this northerly
flow the stream was forced to seek another direction which was southwesterly
along the course of the present Ohio River. A similar diversion occurred in
the upper Allegheny River. Pre-glacially, the ancestral "upper Allegheny River"
flowed through Olean, New York northwesterly to the Lake Erie basin, but be-
cause of ice-blocking was forced to take the southwesterly course that the
present Allegheny now flows in flowing from Warren (Warren County) through
Tionesta (Forest County) to Franklin in Venango County. French Creek, a tri-
butary of the Allegheny, was also involved in a reversal of flow because of
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glaciation. French Creek now flows southeasterly through Meadville (Crawford
County) and then to the Allegheny River at Franklin, but in pre-glacial time,
French Creek was a northwesterly flowing stream that emptied into the Lake
Erie basin. Thus, it is a stream whose flow direction has been reversed. From
the Clarion River downstream the Allegheny River follows essentially the same
course now that it did prior to glaciation. Neither the present Monongahela
River nor its tributaries have realized any appreciable changes in flow dir-
ection because they occur south of the glaciated area and therefore were not
directly affected by glacier ice.
C. Glaciated Section
The northwestern part of the Pennsylvania ORBES Region lies in the
Glaciated Section of the Allegheny Plateau (Fig. 2.1.1.-1). This is mainly
in Mercer and Lawrence Counties but also includes parts of Venango, Butler,
and Beaver Counties. Glacial drift covers the bedrock in this section. The
thickness of the drift ranges from a few feet in hilltop areas to several
hundred feet where pre-glacial valleys have been filled or partly filled.
Local relief in this section is moderate, on the order of 100 feet or so, and
although some steep slopes occur, in general slopes are considerably more
gentle than those in the Pittsburgh Plateaus Section. Various types of glacial
landforms and deposits are present. They include ground moraines, end moraines,
kames, kame terraces, kame moraines, eskers, and outwash deposits in valleys.
Swampy, poorly drained terrain is common. The drainage pattern overall is
dendritic but locally there are deranged patterns caused by glaciation. The
dominant drainage direction in Mercer and Lawrence Counties is southerly by
means of Shenango River, Neshannock Creek, and Beaver River. Slippery Rock
Creek and its tributary, Wolf Creek, also drain a large segment of the glac-
iated terrain. Muddy Creek, a Slippery Rock Creek tributary, is of interest
because it is in Muddy Creek valley that a man-made lake (Lake Arthur) was
created in 1969.for recreational purposes in the same basin that contained a
natural, .glacial lake in Pleistocene time. Lake Arthur, the modern lake, has
been reestablished at a somewhat lower water level than the ancient lake by
the construction of an earth-fill dam near the site where glacier ice once
blocked the flow of Muddy Creek. Other notable bodies of water occur just
outside the boundaries of the ORBES Region but within the Ohio River drain-
age basin in Crawford County. These are Pymatuning Reservoir and Conneaut
Lake. Pymatuning Reservoir is the result of the damming of Shenango River,
This reservoir also extends into Ashtabula County, Ohio. Conneaut Lake is a
natural glacial lake in a valley tributary to French Creek valley. Both
bodies of water occur in valleys partly filled with glacial drift.
Notable tributaries entering the Ohio River from the south are Chartiers
Creek and Raccoon Creek, both having their headwaters in Washington County.
Chartiers Creek also flows through southern Allegheny County and joins the
Ohio River downstream from Pittsburgh at McKees Rocks; Raccoon Creek flows
through southern Beaver County to join the Ohio about 10 miles upstream from
the Pennsylvania-Ohio boundary.
Allegheny River enters the Pennsylvania ORBES Region from the north,
Its headwaters are in Potter County in the Coudersport drainage area. From
there it flows northwesterly into New York through Olean where it turns and
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takes a southwesterly course to Pittsburgh. It is the main stream of the
northern part of the ORBES Region. Principal tributaries of the Allegheny
are the Kiskiminetas River (a stream formed by the joining of Loyalhanna
Creek and the Conemaugh River), Crooked Creek, Mahoning Creek, Redbank Creek,
and the Clarion River.
The Monongahela River, the major stream in the southern part of the
ORBES Region, enters Pennsylvania from West Virginia and flows northerly,
forming the boundary between Greene County and Fayette County, and also be-
tween Washington County and the southwest corner of Westmoreland County. From
there it flows through southern Allegheny County to Pittsburgh. An important
tributary of the Monongahela is the Youghiogheny River. This stream's head-
waters are in western Maryland. From there the Youghiogheny flows north-
westerly through the mountainous section of the Plateaus Province in Pennsyl-
vania to join the Monongahela at McKeesport. Western tributaries of the
Monongahela are Tenmile Creek in Washington County and Dunkard Creek in
Greene County. An eastern tributary is Turtle Creek whose valley is heavily
industrialized. Turtle Creek flows into the Monongahela at East Pittsburgh
11 miles upstream from the Point in Pittsburgh where the Monongahela joins
the Allegheny to form the Ohio River.
D. Allegheny High Plateaus 'Section
The northern tier of counties in the Pennsylvania ORBES Region (Venango,
Forest, Elk, and northern Clearfield) lie in the Allegheny High Plateaus
Section. This section is characterized by hilly terrain and steep slopes.
It is largely a forested area of fairly sparse population. Summit elevations
of 1,900 to 2,000 feet are common as compared to ones in the 1,400- to 1,500-
foot range in the Pittsburgh Plateaus Section. Also, local relief is rela-
tively high in the High Plateaus Section, being on the order of 600 to 800
feet in areas adjacent to major stream valleys. The area of eastern Elk
County and most of Clearfield County is part of the High Plateaus drained to
the east by Sinnemahoning Creek and the West Branch of the Susquehanna River.
The major part of Clearfield County, lying in the Pittsburgh Plateaus Section,
is in the drainage basin of West Branch of Susquehanna River (note drainage
divide Fig. 2.1.1.-2), and is not part of the Ohio drainage system,
E. Allegheny Mountain Section
The southeastern part of the region is located in the Allegheny Mountain
Section of the Appalachian Plateaus Province. Terrain in the Mountain Section
has a pronounced linear aspect not found in other sections, This linearity
owes its presence to three parallel anticlinal mountains of northeast trend;
Chestnut Ridge, Laurel Hill, and Negro Mountain; and one homoclinal mountain
of the same trend known as Allegheny Mountain. Allegheny Mountain forms the
"Allegheny Front" whose summit elevation is about 1,000 feet higher than
elevations in the adjacent valley to the east at the western edge of the
Ridge and Valley Province. Summit elevations of the Allegheny Front are
highest in Somerset County (about 3,000 feet) and get progressively lower
northeastward. At the Clearfield County-Cambria County boundary, the summit
elevation is about 2,600 feet.
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The Allegheny Front is a continuous feature along most of the east edge
of the ORBES Region but the three anticlinal ridges die out as prominent
topographic features to the northeast. Chestnut Ridge dies out as a con-
spicuous ridge in the vicinity of Blairsville although it is a noticeable
feature beyond there into the Indiana-Clymer area of Indiana County. Laurel
Hill also terminates as a prominent ridge in Cambria County in the vicinity
of Nanty Glo. Negro Mountain is prominent only in southern Somerset County
in the area of Mt. Davis, the highest point in Pennsylvania (3,213 feet).
These anticlinal ridges become less evident to the northeast because the anti-
clines plunge in that direction. Although Chestnut Ridge anticline and Laurel
Hill anticline are not manifested as such conspicuous ridges in the north-
east part of the ORBES Region as in the southeast part, the structures do
exist in Clearfield and Elk Counties where they impart a less noticeable
linearity to the terrain of the High Plateaus Section of the Allegheny Plateau.
In southern Somerset County and adjacent Bedford County the Allegheny
Front jogs to the east by about 10 miless and the mountain forming the Front
there is known as Little Allegheny Mountain. The Somerset County-Bedford
County boundary line follows the summit of this mountain whose southern ex-
tension into Allegany County of western Maryland is known as Dans Mountain.
Drainage in this extreme southeastern part of the ORBES Region is in the
Potomac system. Wills Creek is one of the streams in this system. Little
Allegheny Mountain and its southern extension, Dans Mountain, is a homoclinal
ridge on the east flank of the Georges Creek syncline. The counterpart homo-
clinal ridge on the west flank is Savage Mountain. Because the syncline
plunges to the southwest, these homoclinal ridges converge in the northeast
direction and form a synclinal nose in southern Somerset County. It is at the
site of this nose that the Allegheny Front makes the jog to the east.
Local relief in the Allegheny Mountain Section is in the 1,000- to 1,500-
foot range where major streams have cut gorges through the anticlinal ridges.
The Conemaugh River gorges through Laurel Hill west of Johnstown and through
Chestnut Ridge east of Blairsville are notable. Other prominent gorges are
the Loyalhanna Creek gorge through Chestnut Ridge east of Lotrobe; Youghio-
gheny River gorge through Chestnut Ridge between Ohiopyle and Connellsville.
Also, Casselman River, which is a Youghiogheny River tributary, flows through
a gorge in Negro Mountain more than 500 feet deep. The highest point in
Pennsylvania (3,213 feet) occurs about 5 miles south of this gorge at Mt.
Davis, a slight local prominence on Negro mountain whose summit elevations
in that area are generally in the 3,000- to 3,200-foot range.
Streams in this section in part follow the northeast-southwest trend of
synclinal valleys and in part cut transversely across anticlinal ridges and
synclinal valleys. The Conemaugh River whose headwaters are on the west
slopes of Allegheny Mountain is a transverse stream that cuts across several
folds in flowing to Blairsville. Youghiogheny River, in its upper reaches in
western Maryland and Somerset-Fayette Counties, Pennsylvania follows the trend
of the Youghiogheny syncline to Confluence, but from there turns northwesterly
and becomes a transverse stream. Casselman River 'is unique in that it flows
northeasterly along the trend of the Meyersdale syncline from western Maryland
to Meyersdale, Pennsylvania where it turns northwesterly and crosses Negro
Mountain anticline. At Rockwood, the stream turns southwesterly and roughly
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follows structural trend to its junction with the Youghiogheny River at Con-
fluence, thus making a broad U-turn in its course of flow. Another stream
that joins the Youghiogheny at Confluence is Laurel Hill Creek, a southerly
flowing stream. Indian Creek is a stream in the Ligonier syncline as is
Loyalhanna Creek before turning northwesterly at Ligonier to become a trans-
verse stream.
There are several water impoundments in the Allegheny Mountain Section.
The largest is Youghiogheny Reservoir, a combined flood-control and recreational
facility in Somerset County, Pennsylvania and Garrett County, Maryland. The
Youghiogheny dam is located near Confluence, Pennsylvania. Another reservoir
is Quemahoning Reservoir in Somerset County on a tributary of the Conemaugh
River south of Johnstown.
•2.1.1.2 GEOLOGIC CHARACTERISTICS
A. Geologic Structure
In the ORBES Region of Pennsylvania the exposed bedrock ranges from Upper
Devonian through Permian. The younger, Permian rocks occur in the southwest
corner of the state. From there south-southeastward, older and older rocks
crop out, down through the sequence of Pennsylvanian and Mississippian to the
Devonian (Fig. 2.1.1.-3). This is because the strata are rising gently in
the up-plunge direction of the Pittsburgh-Huntington basin. The most widely
distributed surface rocks in this basin are the coal-bearing rocks of the
Pennsylvanian System. Pleistocene glacial deposits cover the bedrock in the
northwestern part of the area. The mineral resources of the area include
coal, oil, gas, limestone, clay and shale, sandstone, sand and gravel, and
ground water. Principal geologic hazards are lands!iding, subsidence from
coal-mining, and flooding. Seismic risk is minimal.
The Pennsylvania ORBES Region lies in a high trough known as the Pitts-
burgh-Huntington basin (Fig. 2.1.1.-4) whose axis trends southwesterly through
Pittsburgh to Huntington, West Virginia and into eastern Kentucky. In Penn-
sylvania this basin has a southwesterly plunge causing rock strata to have an
overall gentle inclination in that direction. This is why relatively young
Permian strata are present in Greene and Washington Counties in the southwest
corner of the state whereas older beds appear at the surface to the northeast
(Fig. 2,1.1.-3). However, this regional southwesterly dip is dominated in
the western counties by a southeasterly dip that extends from eastern Ohio
into western Pennsylvania. Superimposed on the gentle southwesterly plunge
of the Pittsburgh-Huntington basin are several northeast-trending folds that
are most prominent in the southeastern, Allegheny Mountain Section of Appalach-
ian Plateaus (Figs. 2.1.1.-3, 4, 5). Along the axial trends of these prominent
anticlinal folds Mississippian strata crop out in rather extensive areas, and
here and there Upper Devonian beds are also exposed along the same trends.
West of Chestnut Ridge, the westernmost of these prominent anticlinal folds,
there is a continued succession of northeast-trending anticlines and synclines
as far west as Pittsburgh. These folds become ever more gentle to the west
and do not exert any marked effect on either outcrop areas or topography west
of Chestnut Ridge. Strata in much of the region are essentially flat-lying,
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that is they dip at an angle of less than one degree.
In Mercer, Venango, Clarion, Butler, Lawrence and Beaver Counties, and
in most of Allegheny, Washington, and Greene Counties there is a southeasterly
dip that averages about 60 feet per mile (a little more than h degree). This
dip is locally modified by minor doming, particularly near the axis of the
basin close to the more highly folded strata on the eastern limb. Map #9
(Appendix I) is a structure contour map that shows the structure of the entire
ORBES Region. A more detailed structure contour map, Map #43 (Appendix I),
shows the structure in six southwestern counties in the so-called Greater
Pittsburgh Region which includes Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Wash-
ington, and Westmoreland Counties.
The eastern limb of the Pittsburgh-Huntington basin is complicated by
anticlinal and synclinal folds which are most prominent in the southeast
part of the region in Somerset, Fayette, and Westmoreland Counties. These
folds are depicted in the structure section, Figure 2.1.1.-5. The folds are
also present in other eastern counties but are less intense there (Cambria,
Indiana, Armstrong, Jefferson, Clearfield, and Elk Counties) and do not dom-
inate the topography as much as in the southeast area. The amplitude or
structural relief of the folds increases from west to east. In the vicinity
of Pittsburgh, near the axis of the basin, folds have an amplitude on the
order of 350 feet whereas Chestnut Ridge, Laurel Hill, and Negro Mountain
anticlines to the east have an amplitude in -the 2,000- to 3,000-foot range.
Spacing of the axes of the major structures is from 10 to 15 miles apart.
Axial traces of folds in the southeastern area are relatively straight, but
become increasingly sinuous to the west.
Although the dominant structural trend by far is a northeasterly trend,
"cross-structures" having a west-northwest orientation are recognized. An
example is Cross Creek syncline in Washington County (see Map #43, Appendix I).
Also, "lines of structural discontinuity" occur in Butler County as west-
northwest-trending zones "along which fold axes terminate, diminish, or change
direction." These have been referred to by Briggs and Kohl as "Wagner-Lytle
Lines" which are thought to be indicators of oil and gas fields. There is
speculation that these cross-structures may be "the expression of long-lived,
very slowly and intermittently moving strike-slip faults in crystalline base-
ment."
Faults are common, at least in the subsurface, in the eastern part of
the region, but are virtually unknown in the western part. In the eastern
area of folded rocks, faults are associated with the folds. Some faults are
parallel or subparallel to the trend of the folds, and others are transverse.
Generally speaking, surface evidence of faulting is not plentiful, but oil-
and gas-well drilling provides subsurface evidence. There is surface evidence
of faulting, however, in Clearfield County where a notable area of trans-
current (wrench) faulting occurs near the east edge of the Plateau. These
faults are identified by recognizing offsets in surface coal beds and assoc-
iated strata. Some faults that parallel the structural trend can be traced
in the subsurface for a distance of 10 to 20 miles (see Map 19, Appendix I);
others can be traced for less than a mile, Vertical displacements are not
large. They are commonly on the order of 100 to 200 feet. Evidence of the
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horizontal displacement of transverse faults is generally lacking but it too
is thought to be relatively small. In the ORBES Region there are no known
major faults that extend for several tens of miles and have a displacement of
thousands of feet as in some of the more tectonically disturbed areas of the
United States.
B. Stratigraphy
Exposed bedrock strata in the ORBES Region range from Upper Devonian to
Permian (see Fig. 2.1.1.-6). These strata are sedimentary rocks consisting
mainly of shale, sandstone, siltstone, limestone, coal, and clay. Shale and
sandstone are most abundant but other rocks that comprise only a small per-
centage of the total are of more economic value. These include certain coal,
limestone, and clay beds. Various subsurface strata of Mississippian and
Devonian age are reservoir rocks for oil and gas. They are primarily sand-
stones, but one cherty formation (Huntersville chert) is also a gas producer.
Considering the stratigraphic column as a whole and the occurrence of
commercially important resources within it, the lower beds (Upper Devonian
and Mississippian) contain the productive oil and gas reservoir rocks and
the upper part of the Mississippian contains the siliceous Loyalhanna Lime-
stone which is quarried extensively for aggregate stone in the Allegheny
Mountain Section. The resistant Connoquenessing and Homewood sandstones of
the Pottsville Group provide some of the more scenic terrain, for example,
the gorge of Slippery Rock Creek at McConnell's Mill State Park in Lawrence
County. The Allegheny Group has the Vanport limestone, the only source of
flux stone for steel-making in western Pennsylvania. This group also con-
tains several mineable coal seams. The Conemaugh Group has several clay-
stone units that are landslide prone; the Monongahela Group has mineable
coal beds including the famous Pittsburgh seam; and both the Monongahela and
Dunkard Groups have shales, shaly limestones, and calcareous shales that are
landslide, prone.
Quaternary beds consist of unconsolidated Pleistocene glacial deposits
plus recent alluvial deposits in stream valleys. These unconsolidated mater-
ials cover bedrock of different ages ranging from Upper Devonian to Pennsyl-
vanian, depending on the locality within the region,
C. Coal Resources
The ORBES Region lies within the Main Bituminous Coal Field of Pennsylvania
(see Fig. 2.1.1.-7). The Georges Creek Coal Field of Somerset County in the
southeastern corner of the region is also included, A small, relatively
unimportant part of the main field lies outside the ORBES Region, in Cameron,
Clinton, and McKean Counties. Coal reserves in the latter three counties are
small compared to those in other counties of the region.
Coal rank ranges from low-volatile bituminous in parts of Somerset and
Cambria Counties through medium-volatile bituminous in other parts of Somerset
and Cambria Counties and also in parts of Fayette, Westmoreland, and Clear-
field Counties to high-volatile bituminous in all other counties of the region,
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The higher rank coal occurs in the eastern part, the lower rank coal in the
western part of the region. In the high-rank coal area of Somerset and
Cambria Counties the fixed carbon content of coal on the dry, ash-free basis
is up to 85%. This percentage decreases westerly to 57?o at the Ohio border.
In the Georges Creek Field the coal has a fixed carbon percentage of about
The heat value of the coal ranges from an average low of 14,700 Btu/lb
in Beaver and Lawrence Counties to an average maximum of 15,800 Btu/lb in
northern Somerset County, south Cambria County, and in the Georges Creek
Field.
Coal seams of the Main Bituminous and Georges Creek Coal Fields are
shown in Figure 2.1.1.-9. There are 12 principal mineable seams indicated in
bold type. The area! distribution and thickness of these seams plus one
other (Washington coal) are shown in Plates 1 through 13 (Appendix II). The
major mineable seams occur in the Allegheny and Monongahela Groups which are
widely distributed in the region. Mineable coal seams of lesser importance,
in the Pottsville Group, occur principally in Lawrence and Mercer Counties
whereas those of the Conemaugh Group are confined mainly to Somerset County,
particularly in the relatively small Georges Creek basin.
Recoverable coal reserves in the Main Bituminous and Georges Creek Fields
as of January 1, 1979 ar.e shown by county on the coal fields map of Pennsyl-
vania (Fig. 2.1.1.-7). These reserves are also presented in Table 2.1.1.-1
not only by county but also by thickness category and coal rank. Recoverable
coal is defined as that which can be extracted and marketed. In these estim-
ates it excludes coal less than 24 inches thick and coal that will be lost
in mining (an estimated 37%). Counties having the largest in-place reserves
as of June 1, 1970 are Washington, Greene, Indiana, Somerset, Fayette, West-
moreland, and Cambria Counties, in that order. The northern tier of counties
(Mercer,.Venango, Forest, Elk).has a comparatively small coal reserve.
The principal mining activity has been in Fayette, Allegheny, Westmore-
land, Washington, and Cambria Counties (see Table 2.1.1.-2). Much of the
mining in the first four of those counties was in the Pittsburgh coalbed,
whereas in Cambria County mining has been mainly 1n Lower and Upper Kittanning
and the Lower and Upper Freeport coalbeds. Remaining reserves in the Pitts-
burgh coalbed as of 1970 are shown in Table 2,1.1.-3.
Reserves of strip-mineable coal have been calculated for 16 of the 19
ORBES counties. In the other 3 counties (Elk, Forest, and Venango) reserves
are very minor. The estimated strippable coal reserves are presented in
Table 2.1.1.-4 and Figure 2.1.1.-8 which show county-by-county reserve estim-
ates. These estimates are based on the amount of remaining coal having 120
feet or less overburden. It is notable that Butler County is the number one
county with respect to reserves of strip-mineable coal, Reserves of strip-
pable coal on an individual seam basis are presented in Table 2,1,1.-5.
Table 2.1.1.-4 shows the reserves in each of 18 mineable beds and Table
2.1.1.-5 shows reserves for each of the 16 counties of southwestern Pennsyl-
vania on a seam-by-seam basis. In general the coal beds of the Allegheny
Group contain the largest reserves. These include the Brookville and Clarion
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coalbeds; the Lower, Middle, and Upper Kittanning; and the Lower and Upper
Freeport seams. The Waynesburg coalbed of the Dunkard Group also has large
reserves. Areas in which these coal seams are susceptible to strip-mining
can be inferred in a general way from the "distribution and thickness" maps
of Plates 1 through 13 (Appendix II). On those maps the outcrop trace of a'
given coal bed is represented by the boundary between a colored area and an
uncolored area (white). Strip-mining will be done within the colored areas
close to their boundary with uncolored areas. Mining will start at the out-
crop and extend into the colored areas (into hillsides) until the overburden
becomes prohibitively thick.
No coal seam in the Pennsylvania ORBES Region is known to have an aver-
age sulfur content of less than one percent without beneficiation (Edmunds,
1972) and thereby classify as "low sulfur" coal. However, some coal seams
in some parts of the region are in the "medium-sulfur" category (1% to 2%).
Other seams which contain more than 2 percent sulfur fall in the "high-
sulfur" coal category. Table 2.1.1.-6 shows the sulfur content by seam of
the strippable coal reserves of all ORBES counties except Elk, Forest, and
Venango. It should be noted that the sulfur data in this table are based
on average sulfur content of coal seams in each county and do not take into
account local areas within which the sulfur percentage may be lower or
higher than the reported value. No published sulfur data are available for
deep-mine coal, but it is expected that the sulfur content of such coal
largely conforms to that of strip-mine coal.
*
D. Oil and Gas Resources
The distribution of oil and gas fields in Pennsylvania is shown on Map
#10 of the Pennsylvania Geological Survey (Fig. 2.1.1.-10). These fields
appear in more detail on the Survey's Map #3 (in Appendix III) which also
shows gas storage fields and principal gas pipelines in the region. The
names of oil arid gas fields and pools, including ones in which gas is stored,
are all listed on Map #3. More^ than 50 gas-storage fields are located in the
ORBES Region. These are fields from which gas has been previously extracted
and are now being used for underground storage of pipeline gas from other
producing areas mainly. Gas in these storage reservoirs is available on a
demand basis particularly in winter months when domestic heating is at a
maximum. .
Reservoir rocks that contain oil and gas are shown in their stratigraphic
position in Figure 2.1.1.-6. A distinction is made in Pennsylvania between
deep production and shallow production of oil and gas. The so-called shallow
production is from reservoir rocks of Middle Devonian age or younger. As
can be. seen on Map #3 and Figure 2.1.1.-10, deep-reservoir gas fields are in
general located in the eastern part of the region, shallow-reservoir gas
fields are in the central part, and shallow-reservoir oil fields are in the
western part. There 1s a general northeast trend of oil- and gas-bearing
areas. This trend is more pronounced in easterly areas than in westerly
ones because anticlinal folds which are responsible for the trapping of gas
in "pools" are more pronounced to the east.
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Cumulative oil production in Pennsylvania through 1976 is 1,289,564,000
barrels (Lytle, 1977). In 1976 the production was 2,950,000 barrels (see
Fig. 2.1.1.-11) about half of which came from the Bradford field in McKean
County outside the ORBES Region. Reserves of oil in Pennsylvania (1976) are
estimated at 50,563,000 barrels (see Table 2.1.1.-7). Much of this reserve
probably occurs in McKean County.
Cumulative natural gas production in Pennsylvania through 1976 was
9,013,560 million cubic feet (Table 2.1.1.-7), a large part of which was from
the ORBES Region. Figure 2.1.1.-12 shows that gas production in 1976 was
not significantly different from that in 1946. Production was generally
higher in the 1950's than in other decades; peak production in the period
since 1946 occurred in 1954. Proved recoverable reserve estimates of "native"
gas (exclusive of stored gas from other areas) are also shown in Figure 2.1.1.-
12. Except for a decrease in the 1950's, these reserves increased in the
period between 1948 and the end of 1967, and showed an overall decrease from
1967 to 1974. If both native gas and stored gas are considered together,
Pennsylvania's total proved recoverable reserves showed an overall increase
in the period from 1946 through 1975.
E. Other Mineral Resources
Mineral resources other than coal and oil and gas include limestone, clay
and shale, sandstone, ar\d sand and gravel. These are exploited principally
by open-pit mining although there is some underground mining. A 1976 Mineral
Producers Map of Pennsylvania fay O'Neill (Plate 1 of Pa, Geological Survey
Information Circular 54, 1977; in Appendix IV) shows the distribution of
these operations and lists by county the mineral operations. There is a
clustering of clay mines in Clearfield County and in the Beaver-Lawrence
County area, a clustering of sand and gravel operations in Lawrence, Butler,
Mercer, and Venango Counties (the glaciated area) and along the Allegheny
River valley where glacial outwash deposits are present in the stream bed and
also in both low-level and high-level terrace deposits. There are two prin-
cipal areas of limestone mining. One is in Butler and Lawrence Counties
where the high-calcium Vanport limestone (Pennsylvanian) is mined; the other
is along Chestnut Ridge in Fayette and Westmoreland Counties where most of
the siliceous Loyalhanna limestone (Mississippian) quarries are located.
Sandstone operations, which are less abundant, show no particular concentra-
tion in any one area.
Each of these mineral resources is discussed more fully in the following
paragraphs.
The principal limestone units exploited in the Pennsylvania ORBES Region
are the Vanport limestone of the Pennsylvania Allegheny Group and the Loyal-
hanna limestone of the Mississippian System (see stratigraphic column, Fig.
2.1.1.-6). The Vanport is the only source of high-calcium limestone (90% to
96% CaCOj) in western Pennsylvania. It is used as flux stone in the iron
and steel industry, in making cement, and as agricultural limestone, aggre-
gate stone, and roadstone. The Loyalhanna, on the other hand, is siliceous
(sandy) limestone composed of about half-and-half calcium carbonate and
quartz sand. It makes good quality aggregate stone that is used extensively as
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base or sub-base roadway material, in making concrete, and as railroad ballast.
An overall view of areas in which the Vanport limestone and Loyalhanna lime-
stone are worked is presented in Figure 2.1.1.-13 (Map #15 of the Pa. Geo-
logical Survey). The distribution and thickness of the Vanport limestone are
shown in detail on Map £4 of Bulletin M 50, Part I of the Pennsylvania Geo-
logical Survey (in Appendix V). This is a map showing areas in which the
limestone is either at the surface or close enough to it to be economically
mined by open-pit or shallow underground methods. The limestone is also
present in some areas south of that representing the mineable area, but is
too deeply buried to be exploited. It does not exist to the north where it
has been eroded away, leaving the older underlying rocks exposed. Typical
thicknesses of the Vanport limestone in its workable area are in the 15- to
20-foot range. It attains an uncommon thickness on the order of 40 feet near
Elliott Mills in Lawrence and Butler Counties. The principal reserves of
Vanport limestone 15 feet or more thick are in Butler, Armstrong, Lawrence,
Beaver, and Clarion Counties. Estimated reserves in these counties as of
1964 (O'Neill, 1964) were as follows:
County Reserves (tons)
Butler 13,300,000,000
Armstrong ' 3,700,000,000
Lawrence ' 2,050,000,000
Beaver 30,000,000
Clarion 20,000,000
Total 19,100,000,000
In 1976 there were 13 active limestone operations in the Vanport lime-
stone, two of which were underground mines; the remaining 11 were quarries.
One of the quarries is in Butler County, 3 in Lawrence County, 2 in Clarion
County, and 1 in Armstrong County. There was no quarrying of Vanport lime-
stone in'Beaver County in 1976.
The Loyalhanna limestone is accessible for quarrying only in the south-
eastern part of the region where it crops out along Chestnut Ridge, Laurel
Hill, and Negro Mountain anticlines in Fayette, Westmoreland, and Somerset
Counties (Fig. 2.1.1.-13). There are 8 active quarries, all but two of which
are on Chestnut Ridge; one of the others is on Laurel Hill (Somerset County)
and the remaining quarry is on the breached crest of Negro Mountain anticline
near Mt, Davis, the highest point in Pennsylvania (3,213 feet), in Somerset
County. Three of the Chestnut Ridge quarries are in Fayette County and 3
are in Westmoreland County. The main reason for this concentration of Loyal-
hanna limestone quarries on Chestnut Ridge is because that area is closer to
the primary markets for crushed stone to the west than are the Laurel Hill
and Negro Mountain areas.
The thickness of the Loyalhanna in areas where it is quarried is approx-
imately 50 feet. It is commonly referred to as "blue stone" because of its
bluish-gray color. It is high quality stone for use in road construction,
being classified by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT)
as Type A roadstone. Reserves of Loyalhanna limestone amenable to quarrying
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are estimated at 47 million tons in the Chestnut Ridge district and 85 million
tons in the Laurel Hill district (O'Neill, 1964). No reserve estimates have
been published for the Negro Mountain area.
Clay and shale are used in the Pennsylvania ORBES Region for making
refractory products, stoneware, and cement. Clay used in refractories occurs
as underclay of coal beds (fireclay) in the Allegheny and Pottsville Groups
primarily. Some of this is plastic fireclay and some is flint fireclay. The
more important clay beds are the Mercer clay (Pottsville) and the Brookville,
Lower Kittanning, Bolivar, and Upper Freeport clay of the Allegheny Group
(see stratigraphic section, Fig. 2.1.1.-6). Shale suitable for making common
bricks, sewer pipe, tile, etc. occurs at several stratigraphic levels in the
Allegheny and Conemaugh Groups. It is more widely distributed than fireclay,
although shale operations are few in number compared to clay operations.
Clay and sha*le are mined chiefly by open-cut methods but the number of
underground mines is substantial. The ratio of open-cut to underground mines
is approximately 4 to 1. Clearfield County has about 25 open-pit clay mines
where the Mercer and Clarion fireclays are the principal clay beds. Lawrence
and Beaver Counties have about one-half that number of fireclay mines. The
chief clay beds mined in that area, occur in the Allegheny Group. The lower
Kittanning clay is the most'important of these clay beds.
Sandstone operations are not extensive in the Pennsylvania ORBES Region.
There are about a dozen sites where sandstone is worked for the production
of crushed stone and broken stone for uses such as aggregate, construction .
stone, sand blasting, foundry sand, engine sand, and riprap. The sites are
scattered through the region. At one locality (West Winfield, Butler County)
sandstone is produced from an underground mine along with the Vanport lime-
stone but at other places it is produced from quarries. The main restriction
on extensive exploitation of sandstone in the region is the lateral vari-
ability of sandstone units, both in quality and thickness. They are prone to
change over fairly short distances from thick-bedded or massive sandstone to
shaly sandstone. Also, their thickness may change locally from 40 to 50 feet
to less than half that.
Sand.and gravel for commercial use is found in several types of deposits.
It occurs in the channels of the major rivers (the Allegheny, Ohio, and Beaver),
as low-level terrace and high-level terrace deposits along those rivers, and
in kame terraces, kame moraines, and eskers within the glaciated area, Rivers
in the southern part of the region like the Monongahela, Youghiogheny, and
Kiskiminetas are not sources of this material because they have never been
the sites of glacial outwash deposition like rivers in the northern part of
the region. Sand and gravel is used extensively in the ORBES Region in the
construction industries, particularly in road-building where large quantities
of concrete are used. Although sand and gravel is relatively plentiful,
there are land-use conflicts that significantly reduce the areas in which
this product can be exploited.
The location of sand and gravel operations is shown in Plate 1 of the
Pennsylvania Geological Survey's Information Circular 54 (in Appendix IV),
Numerous operations occur along the Allegheny River valley in Allegheny,
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Armstrong, Clarion, Venango, and Forest Counties. Others are present in the
Ohio River valley in Beaver County, and the Beaver River valley of Beaver and
Lawrence Counties. Sand and gravel is produced by dredging in some of these
operations where deposits either in the present stream channel or on the "low-
level" terraces are being worked. Where the "high-level" terrace deposits
are worked, open-pit techniques are used. These high-level deposits occur
on terraces about 200 feet above the present streams. The deposits are glacial
outwash material laid down on the valley bottoms, presumably in Illinoisan
glacial time before the valleys had been deepened to their present level.
The deposits of the low-level terraces and stream beds are outwash material
thought to have been deposited in Wisconsinan glacial time on bedrock valley
bottoms that were on the order of 100 feet lower than present ones. The
present streams, in other words, are flowing on alluvial deposits that accumu-
lated to this depth as an abundance of glacial rock debris was being trans-
ported downstream away from glacial sources to the north. A common thickness
of these glacial deposits is in the 50- to 85-foot range. Similar thickness
is reported for the high-level terrace deposits. The quality of the sand
and gravel in the low-level terraces and stream beds is better than that in
the high-level deposits because the lower level (and younger) deposits, are
less weathered.
Another source of sand and gravel are the kames, kame terraces, kame
moraines, and eskers distributed throughout several counties in the area once
covered by glaciers. This area includes all of Mercer County, most of Law-
rence County, and parts bf Beaver, Butler, and Venango Counties. The distri-
bution of these deposits is shown on the Glacial Deposits Map of Northwestern
Pennsylvania by Shepps (Bulletin G32, Pa. Geol. Survey, in Appendix VI),
Most of the places where the glacial deposits are being worked are in Law-
rence and Mercer Counties, but several are in Butler and Venango Counties as
well. .
Ground water in the Pennsylvania ORBES Region occurs in both bedrock
formations and in unconsolidated Pleistocene glacial deposits. The latter
deposits occur not only within the glaciated area itself but also outside
it in the form of outwash deposits along the Allegheny, Beaver, and Ohio
River valleys. A generalized map of the Pa. Geological Survey (Fig. 2.1.1.-14)
shows the water-yielding capabilities of bedrock formations in the region,
but does not evaluate the surficial deposits within the glaciated area. The
map indicates that throughout the largest part of the region there are bed-
rock aquifers capable of yielding 100 to 200 gallons per minute from wells.
Lower yields, on the order of 25 to 50 gallons per minute, are common in two
counties (Washington and Greene) in the southwestern corner of the state.
Bedrock aquifers with the highest yields (200 to 850 gpm) are available in
the northern tier of counties of the region (Mercer, Venango, Forest, Elk
particularly) and in the Laurel Hill, Chestnut Ridge, Negro Mountain areas
of Fayette, Westmoreland, and Somerset Counties. The highest water yields
of all come from the permeable, unconsolidated glacial sands and gravels,
Yields up to 2,000 gpm are reported from these.
Within the glaciated area (see Fig, 2.1,1,-14) and Glacial Deposits Map
of General Geology Report G32 in Appendix VI) the thickness of glacial deposits
ranges from a few feet to as much as 400 feet. The deposits are thickest
-13-
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where deep bedrock valleys have been filled, or partly filled, with glacial
drift. Some of the drift is relatively impermeable till and some is very
permeable sand and gravel. It is" the sand and gravel beds that are the good
aquifers. For the most part, sand and gravel deposits occur along valleys
whose dominant orientation is northwest-southeast. The glacial map shows
these deposits collectively as kames, kame moraines, kame terraces, and eskers
of either Wisconsinan or Illinoisan age.
There are also outwash deposits that have been transported beyond the
glacial boundary and deposited on the bedrock floor of the Allegheny, Ohio,
and Beaver valleys. As explained in the section dealing with Sand and Gravel
Resources, this type 'of deposition occurred at two different stages, first
in Illinoisan glacial time and later in Wisconsinan glacial time so that these
outwash deposits are now found at two different levels. The earlier deposits
(Illinoisan) occur about 200 feet above the present streams and are known as
the "high-level" terraces; the lower ones occur in the bottom of the present
valleys and are knowrr as the "low-level" terraces. The thickness of these
deposits at both levels is on the order of 50 to 85 feet. The present streams
are flowing on these deposits and not on a bedrock floor. Industrial plants
along the Allegheny and Ohio valleys obtain ground water from wells drilled
into the valley-bottom deposits. Some communities also obtain part of their
water supply from that source. In the Pittsburgh area, this flow of ground
water through the Wisconsinan outwash sand and gravel is popularly known as
Pittsburgh's "underground river."
Bedrock aquifers are primarily sandstones in the 20- to 40-foot thick-
ness range although locally they may be as thick as 80 to 100 feet, or even
as much as 300 feet in the case of the Pocono Formation. The better aquifers
occur in the upper part of the Mississippian System and in the Pottsville
Group of the Pennsylvanian System. These aquifers include the Pocono sand-
stone (Mississippian) and the Connoquesnessing and Homewood sandstones of the
Pottsville Group. There are also good aquifers in the Allegheny Group,
particularly in the lower part. Areas in which a given aquifer is productive
depend i'n part on its position with respect to depth below the surface. The
optimum position is one below drainage level, that is, below the level of the
deepest valley in the area but above the zone of brackish water and salt water.
Another factor that governs the quality of an aquifer is its permeability.
Sandstones in the Pennsylvanian System typically show lateral variations in
permeability so that a given sandstone aquifer may yield quite different
amounts of water from place to place.
A generalized evaluation of bedrock aquifers in the ORBES Region is as
follows:
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Bedrock Unit
Yield from Wells (gpm)
Median Range
Dunkard Group
Greene Formation
Washington and
Waynesburg Formations
Monongahela Group
Conemaugh Group
2
2
10
1 to 35
1 to 70
1 to 50
2 to 200
Allegheny Group
35
5 to 500
Pottsville Group
35
5 to 500
Mississippi an System
Pocono Formation
? to 1,000
Counties where Aquifer
Occurs
Washington and Greene
Washington, Greene; parts
of Allegheny, Fayette,
Westmoreland
Allegheny, Beaver, Butler,
Armstrong, Westmoreland,
Fayette, Jefferson,
Indiana, Somerset, Clear-
field, and Cambria
Beaver, Lawrence, Mercer,
Butler, Clarion, Arm-
strong, Jefferson,
Indiana,.Somerset, Clear-
field, and Cambria
Lawrence, Mercer, Venango,
Forest, Clarion, Elk,
Jefferson, Clearfield,
Somerset, Fayette, and
Westmoreland
Mercer, Venango, Forest,
Elk, Somerset, Fayette,
and Westmoreland
(see Figure 2.1.1.-6 for stratigraphic positions)
It is' noted that, in general
in the stratigraphic section and
of the region at suitable depths
south-southwesterly dip of strata
meable formations to be too deep
counties but at shallower depths
northern counties. An exception
Somerset, and Westmoreland where
shallow enough to be in the fresh
, the better bedrock aquifers occur lower
that they are present in the northern counties
for them to be good aquifers. It is the
in the region that causes these more per-
(in the salt-water zone) in the southern
and within the fresh-water zone in the
is in the southeastern counties of Fayette,
anticlinal folds cause the aquifers to be
-water zone.
The evaluation of bedrock aquifers on a stratigraphic basis as presented
above can be related to water-yielding capabilities by area as Figure 2,1,1.-
14 shows. Relatively low yields of 26 to 50 gallons per minute in areas
depicted in purple color are found where aquifers occur principally in the
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Dunkard and Monongahela Groups. Higher yields of 101 to 200 gpm in the wide-
spread area of orange-red coloration occur mainly in Conemaugh Group aquifers,
and the highest yields from bedrock aquifers of 201 to 859 gpm in the green
areas are present where Pocono, Pottsville, and Allegheny aquifers occur.
Water yielding capacity data in Figure 2.1.1.-14 and those in the above eval-
uation do not match because Figure 2.1.1.-14 shows the median-yield range of
that formation within an area having highest yield whereas the above figures
are those for all aquifers within the various strati graphic units represented.
It should also be pointed out that Figure 2.1.1.-14 does not show areas where
the highest water yields of all occur (2,000 gpm or more), namely those where
permeable, stratified glacial deposits are present.
Further information on ground water may be found in publications by Poth
(1973, 1974), Newport (1973), Gallaher (1973), Schiner and Kimmel (1976),
Carswell and Bennett (1963), Lohman (1938, 1939), Leggette (1936), and Piper
(1933).
F. Seismicity
Seismic activity in eastern United States has been studied recently by
the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Atomic Energy Commi-
ssion. One result of the study is a seismotectonic map showing major tectonic
features, the location of epicenters of earthquakes having an intensity of
III or higher on the Modified Mercalli scale, and areas of seismic activity
classified according to seismic activity level and structural control (Hadley
and Devine, 1974). Figure 2.1.1.-15 is a portion of the tectonic map pub-
lished in that study. It shows that western Pennsylvania lies within two
tectonic provinces, the western part of the Central Appalachian Fold Belt
and eastern part of the Find!ay Arch which is the. northeast branch of the
Cincinnati Arch. There are no major faults shown in the ORBES Region of
Pennsylvania, although faults of less than major extent do occur in the south-
eastern part where the most pronounced folds are located (Chestnut Ridge anti-
cline, Laurel Hill anticline, and Negra Mountain anticline), and in the north-
east (Cl-earfield County) where folding is less pronounced but minor faults are
common. In the central and western part of the region faults are virtually
unknown and folds are very gentle, particularly in the west where folds
die out and a gentle, fairly uniform southeasterly dip away from the crest
of the Findlay Arch prevails.
Figure 2.1.1.-16, also from the Hadley and Devine report, shows that two
epicenters of earthquakes of MMIII or higher occurred in the Pennsylvania
ORBES Region in the period from 1800 to 1972. Those earthquakes were minor
ones in the MMIII to VI range. An earthquake of intensity III is so mild
that many people do not recognize it whereas one of intensity VI is felt by
all yet damage is slight, meaning that damage is restricted to such things
as fallen plaster and broken chimneys. Figure 2.1,1.-16 has seismic frequency
contours plotted on the basis of the total number of earthquakes of intensity
greater than MMIII per 10,000 square kilometers. The contours are numbered
4, 8, 16, and 32, thus some areas are ones of low -seismicity in which there
have been between 0 and 4 earthquakes per lO^km^. Other areas have a fre*
quency between 4 and 16, and between 16 and 32, The ORBES Region of Pennsyl-
vania falls entirely within the 0 to 4 frequency category. Data on which
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Figure 2.1.1.-16 is based were obtained from the Environmental Data Service
of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and from the Dominion
Observatory, Ottawa, Canada.
Another result of the U.S. Geological Survey study was the delineation
of seismic-activity areas. These areas were determined on the basis of (1)
seismic frequency or area! density of epicenters, (2) maximum epicentral
intensity, and (3) structural control of epicenter distribution. Five levels
of seismic activity and three categories of structural control were used.
The ORBES Region is categorized by activity level 1, the lowest level of
seismic activity. At that level structural control is not relevant, meaning
that there are no geologic structures (faults) with which seismic activity
might be associated. "The closest areas where more intensive activity is indic-
ated are in northeast and southeast Ohio where areas of activity level 2 are
present, meaning that earthquake frequency is in the 8 to 32 per lO^km^ range,
but no earthquake of maximum epicentral intensity greater than VI has occurred,
The closest area to the east where areas of seismic activity levels 2 and 3
occur is in southeastern Pennsylvania, western Maryland, and the eastern West
Virginia panhandle. At level 3, earthquake frequency is from 8 to 32 per
lO^km^ and at least one earthquake of epicentral intensity VII or VIII is
recorded. An earthquake of intensity VII does considerable damage to poorly
built or badly designed structures, and one of intensity VIII does great
damage to poorly built structures and considerable damage to ordinary sub-
stantial buildings.
A geologic explanation of these two more seismic areas to the west and
east that border the area of low seismicity in western Pennsylvania is given
by King and Zietz (1978). They have identified a major northeast-trending
lineament in the basement rocks under the Appalachian basin extending from
New York to Alabama (Fig. 2.1.1,-17), This lineament was identified by
aeromagnetic mapping principally, with additional data from regional gravity
surveys. King and Zietz think that the lineament marks the southeast edge
of a stable crustal block. The northwest edge of that stable block is marked
by a parallel, seismically active zone extending from New Madrid, Missouri
to the St. Lawrence River valley. The ORBES Region of Pennsylvania lies
within the stable block, and the two seismic areas to the southeast and
west lie within less stable zones that are probably related to deep-seated,
geologically old strike-slip fault zones in the basement rocks. The only
two areas of level 5 seismic activity in eastern United States include the
New Madrid site in Missouri and the Charleston area in South Carolina.
Those are areas that have experienced earthquakes of intensity IX or higher
(great damage, buildings shifted off foundations) and in which seismic fre-
quency is greater than 64. The Attica area of western New York (Fig. 2,1.1.-
15) is one of seismic activity level 3 (earthquake frequency between 16 and
32 and at least one earthquake of intensity VII or VIII). Attica is con-
sidered part of the seismic belt that extends from New Madrid, Missouri to
the St. Lawrence River valley.
There are 5 stations that monitor seismic activity in Pennsylvania, all
operated by the Pennsylvania State University (Fig. 2,1.1.-18). Two are
in western Pennsylvania at Erie and Beaver. The other three are at State
College, Millersville, and Abington (near Philadelphia). These are part of
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a network of seismic stations that form the Northeastern U.S. Seismic Net-
work. Quarterly bulletins of seismicity of northeastern United States have
been issued since March, 1976. No Pennsylvania ORBES Region earthquakes
are reported in these bulletins for the period from October, 1975 through
December, 1977.
2.1.2. CLIMATOLOGY
2.1.2.1. CLIMATOLOGIC CHARACTERISTICS
A. General
The ORBES Region of Pennsylvania has a humid, continental-type climate.
Prevailing westerly winds bring most of the weather disturbances from the
interior of the continent, but coastal storms occasionally affect the weather
of the region. The topography of the Allegheny Plateau locally influences •
the weather. Rugged terrain causes considerable variation in the freeze-
free season, it being considerably shorter in northern counties than in
southern counties. Latitudinal difference between the northern and southern
sections has a climatic effect.
The climate of Pennsylvania is summarized in a publication by Daily
(1971). Local climatological data are available from the Environmental
Science Services Administration - Environmental Data Service at Asheville,
North Carolina and from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Climatologist at the Pennsylvania State University.
B. Precipitation
Mean annual precipitation in the Pennsylvania ORBES Region is about
41 inches; the range is from 35 Inches to 47 inches (see map, Fig. 2,1.2,-!),
The greatest amount of precipitation occurs in the southeastern mountainous
section in Somerset, Cambria, Westmoreland, and Indiana Counties; the least
amount occurs in the central-west part, in the Ohio Valley area of Beaver
County. Precipitation data for the 1941-1970 period from 36 weather stations
throughout the region are presented in Tables 2.1.2.-1 and 2, At Pittsburgh,
in the period from 1872 through 1976, the mean annual precipitation was 36,15
inches. At the same locality the mean annual precipitation ranged from a
high of 43.38 inches (in 1950) to a low of 26.79 inches (in 1963) in the
40-year period from 1937 through 1976 (Figure 2.1.2.-3), Precipitation is
fairly well distributed through the year, although larger amounts usually
fall in the spring and summer than in other seasons. July is generally the
wettest month and February the driest. Winter precipitation is ordinarily
3 to 4 inches less than that in summer. Mean monthly precipitation at Pitts-
burgh between 1872 and 1976 was at a maximum of 4 inches in July and minimum
of 2.36 inches in November (Fig. 2.1.2.-2), At Ebensburg in Cambria County
precipitation was 11.6 inches in June, 1972, the month in which Hurricane
Agnes occurred.
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Rainfall amounts of both one-hour duration and 24-hour duration that can
be anticipated in a 2.33-year return period have been estimated (Pennsylvania
Department of Environmental Resources, COWAMP report Study Areas 8 and 9,
1975). Figures 2.1.2.-4 and 5 show by means of rainfall lines (isopluvial
lines) the expected amounts in the ORBES Region. On the basis of these maps
the greatest rainfall of one-hour duration (between 1.4 and 1.5 inches) is'
likely to occur in Indiana and Armstrong Counties. Greatest rainfall of 24-
hour duration in a 2.33-year return period is likely to occur in the south-
eastern section in Somerset, Fayette, Westmoreland, Cambria, Indiana, and
Armstrong Counties where values range from 2.4 to more than 2.8 inches. With-
in these southeastern counties the greatest local concentration .is indicated
in southern Somerset County where the highest terrain of the region occurs.
Maximum amounts of precipitation at various intervals (1, 2, 3, 12, and 24
hours) recorded at 23 different stations in the region are presented in Table
2.1.2.-3.
Occasional dry spells may persist for several months in the region.
They are not confined to any particular season. During these spells monthly .
precipitation may be less than one-quarter inch.
Prior to industrialization, the pH of rainfall was governed primarily
by the carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere (300 ppm). Based upon this
concentration and the equilibrium of carbon dioxide dissolved in water, a
pH of 5.7 can be "back-calculated" as the pH value of rain unaffected by
man's activity. Acid rainfall is currently a "hot issue" in the Northeastern
United States. Emissions of sulfur dioxide to the atmosphere are believed
to be the reason for pH measurements less than 5.7. Kane (1974) measured
a pH range of 4.1 to 5.8 on precipitation events seven miles north of down-
town Pittsburgh. He reported, from a comparison of free H+ content with
total H+ content, that Pittsburgh precipitation is a weak acid solution.
Kane's calculated pK values, ranging from 4.39 to 7.58 with an average of
5.56, further support this conclusion. Gelburd (1977) measured the pH
spectrum'of individual raindrops, from six precipitation events in Pittsburgh.
He detected a pH range of 3.9 to 5.0 among the individual drops of all six
events. The "drop average" for each of the six events was found to range .
from 4.3 to 4.7.
C. Temperature
The average annual temperature in Pennsylvania ranges from about 47° in
the north-central Plateau to 57° in the southeastern part of the State. Al-
though precise data for the ORBES Region are not available, the average annual
temperature within it is.probably about 50°. The average summer temperature
in the region is near 70°; the average winter temperature about 30°. Figure
2.1.2.-19 shows for Pittsburgh the average monthly temperature, and also
the average daily maximum and minimum temperature on a monthly basis, Temp^-
eratures above 90° occur on the average of 10 to 20 days per year in the
region. Northern counties have fewer days with such temperatures than
southern counties. Freezing temperatures occur on the average of about 100
days. Below 0° readings have been recorded from November through April,
January mean minimum temperatures range from 15° to 25°; January mean maximum.
temperatures are in the 35° to 43° range. In July mean minimum temperatures
-19-
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are in the 52° to 65° range and mean maximums in the 80° to 87° range. The
distribution of July and January mean maximum and minimum temperatures through-
out the region is shown in Figures 2.1.2.-6, 7, 8, and 9. These isothermal
maps show that the coldest areas are in the northeast (Elk, Forest, and
Venango Counties) and the warmest areas are in the southwest (Greene, Wash-
ington, Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, and Lawrence Counties).
At Pittsburgh, in the period 1969-1976, the total heating degree days
(based on a temperature of 65°) ranged from a high of 6,336 to a low of 5,282.
The total cooling degree days in that same period ranged from 855 to 358.
D. Thunderstorms and Tornadoes
Thunderstorms average between 30 and 55 per year. They occur mostly
in the summertime and account for most of the summer rainfall. At Pittsburgh
there was a yearly average of 37 thunderstorms in the decade from 1968 to
1977 (Figure 2.1.-2.-18). The greatest number in this period was 43 in 1974;
the least number was 28 in 1969.
Although hurricanes rarely affect the area, tornadoes do occasionally
occur. An average of 5 to 6 tornadoes are recorded annually in Pennsylvania.
June is the month of highest frequency followed closely by July and August.
The southwest plateau area is one of the three principal ones for such storms.
The other two areas are the extreme northwest and the southeastern Piedmont.
The most destructive tornado activity in the State occurred in the ORBES
Region in southwestern Pennsylvania on June 23, 1944. On that date, there
were three tornadoes that killed 45 persons, injured 362, and caused more
than $2 million property damage. Figure 2.1.2.-20 is a map showing areas
in eastern and southern United States affected by tropical storms that
caused destruction between 1901 and 1955. It is noted that there is a north-
easterly trending belt of such storms through West Virginia, Pennsylvania,
and New York, and also a western "bulge" extending across Lake Erie and
adjacent-parts of northern Ohio, southeastern Michigan, and Ontario, Canada.
E. Flooding
Floods may occur in any month. They occur most frequently in March and
April, but heavy rains may produce a flood in any season. In winter, heavy
rains combined with snowmelt may cause flooding. Local flooding sometimes
results from ice jams during a spring thaw, particularly along the Allegheny
River. Localized thundershowers may also cause severe flash-flooding. Floods
are expected at least once in most years. At Pittsburgh, flood stage is
expected on the average of 1.3 times per year, based on the long-term record,
Years in which major flooding occurred on the Allegheny River are 1865, 1889,
1892, 1905, 1907, 1910, 1913, 1936, 1942, 1947, and 1964; on the Monongahela
River in 1888, 1907, 1918, and 1936; and on the Ohio River in 1907, 1936,
1942, and 1954 (Dailey, 1971). Hurricane Agnes which caused major flooding
in eastern Pennsylvania in 1972 did not so affect the ORBES Region in the
western part of the State. Construction of several flood-control dams in
the Allegheny River and Monongahela River systems in the last two or three
decades has alleviated damaging floods considerably although the threat still
exists as evidenced by the Johnstown flood of 1977.
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F. Snow
Winter storms most commonly move northeasterly through the area. When
temperatures are low enough snowstorms of considerable magnitude may occur.
Some storms drop as much as 30 inches of snow as did the November, 1950
storm at Pittsburgh. Annual snowfall has a wide range from one locality
to another and from one year to another. Mountainous areas in the northern
part of the region may receive more than 100 inches in a year whereas lower-
lying and more southerly areas may receive less than 10 inches. A map of
the average annual snowfall in the region is presented in Figure 2.1.2.-10.
At Pittsburgh the mean annual snowfall in the 24-year period from 1953 to
1976 was 45.3 inches; the range was from a low of 16.6 inches in 1974-75 to
a high of 82 inches in 1950 in the period between 1937-38 and 1975-76 (Figure
2.1.2.-12).
Measurable snow generally falls between November 20 and March 15 in the
region, but snow has been recorded as early as the beginning of October and
as late as May. The largest monthly amount usually occurs in December and •
January, but at Pittsburgh it occurred in January and February in the 1953
to 1956 time period (Figure 2.1.2.-13). The greatest amount of snow from a
single storm usually comes in the month of March.
G. Growing Season (freeze-free season)
Altitude is an important control of the growing season. At the higher
altitudes the growing season is shortened because of a greater potential for.
frost in the early fall and late spring. The growing season in the region
ranges from a low of about 115 days in Elk County in the northeastern part
to a high between 175 and 180 days in parts of Allegheny County in the south-
western part (Figure 2.1.2.-11). The southernmost parts of the region do not
have the longest growing season nor does the most northerly part in general
have the shortest growing season. This is because of the hilly terrain in
the south where nocturnal cooling is effective in valleys, and the ameliora-
ting influence of Lake Erie in the north, especially in the northwestern
counties closest to the lake (Mercer and Venango). The average length of
the growing season in various parts of the region as depicted by the "iso1'
lines in Figure 2.1.2.-11 can be misleading. At specific locations there may
be considerable departure from the average. For example, at Somerset (Somerset
County), in a 33-year period the growing season averaged 134 days, but the
range was from 86 to 171 days.
H. Wind
Prevailing winds in the region are from the west-southwest. As cyclonic
storms move through the area wind directions may change through the 360 degrees
of a circle, but the direction of the wind that blows the greatest percentage
of the time is west-southwest, i.e., it is the prevailing wind, Monthly
wind data from the weather station at Greater Pittsburgh airport for the 10-
year period 1968-1977 are plotted in Figures 2.1.2.-14, 15, and 16, In
figure 2.1.2.-16 resultant wind direction for each month in that period is
shown by means of directional arrows. Resultant wind is the vector sum of
wind directions divided by the number of observations. There was a 35-degree
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variation in the direction of resultant monthly winds in the 10-year period,
from 280 degrees (west-northwest) to 245 degrees (west-southwest). The
prevailing direction, or the average of the resultant monthly winds, was 260
degrees (west-southwest). The more northerly resultant winds (276 and 280
degrees) occurred in February and May and the more southerly ones (245 to.
266 degrees) occurred in the remaining months of the year.
The maximum wind speed at Pittsburgh since 1953 was 58 miles per hour
in February, 1967. That, too, was a west-southwest wind (260 degrees). Max-
imum wind speeds represent the fastest one-minute value observed.
I. Fog.
Heavy fog is defined as fog that reduces the visibility to one-quarter
mile or less. The ORBES Region is subject to such fog. Cold air drainage
down the slopes into valleys frequently leads to the forming of early morning
fog; particularly during the cooler months.
Fog data from Pittsburgh (Greater Pittsburgh airport) are plotted for
the period 1968-1977 in Figure 2.1.2.-18. The number of days of heavy fog
ranged from a low of 9 to a high of 28. The average number of days per year
of heavy fog in that 10-year'period was between 20 and 21.
J. Clear Days
*
A clear day is one during which the sky cover is between 0 and 3 on a scale
of 10. At a value of zero there are no clouds at all and at 10 the sky is
completely overcast. At Pittsburgh in the 1968-1977 decade the number of
clear days ranged from a mimimum of 47 to a maximum of 75. The average number
of clear days was between 59 and 60 (Figure 2.1.2.-17).
2.1.2.2. 'AIR POLLUTION POTENTIAL
A. Basic Meteorology
Holzworth (1972) has made a study of the potential for air pollution in
the United States, and has produced a map showing the total number of fore-
cast-days of high meteorological potential for such in a 5-year period
(Figure 2.1.2.-21). This map shows that in the ORBES Region of Western
Pennsylvania the number of forecast-days is in the 15- to 25-day range.
B. Teknekron Data
Nieman and Mahan (1978) examined the impact of long-range transport of
air pollutants from Ohio and West Virginia upon Pennsylvania's air quality,
It was determined, by examination of meteorological data, that the first
and second most frequently occurring persistent winds were directed toward
Western Pennsylvania from Ohio and West Virginia. On the average, these wind
conditions occur at most locations approximately thirty times or more per .
year. Analysis of June 1974 - August 1977 air quality data revealed that the
24-hr. TSP (total suspended particulates) standard was violated 33 times at
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the Sharon-Parrel! Site (Mercer County) while the 24-hour sulfate standard
was violated 7 times at the same location. Long-range transport conditions
"...were either confirmed or deemed probable for 63% of the days on which
either of these standards was exceeded. Long-range transport from the south-
west and the south predominated, although dates were also found with trans-
port from the north-northwest, the west, and the south-southwest." Analysis
of air quality data from Monongahela Valley monitors £3 (Washington County)
and #5 (Fayette County) revealed long-range transport conditions on 38% of
the days when the secondary 24-hr. TSP standard was exceeded and 33% of the
days on which the sulfate standard was exceeded. On the dates of standard-
excursions 46% of the extremely persistent winds came from the southwest,
39% from the west, and 15% from the south.
2.1.3. SOILS .
2.1.3.1. SOIL TYPES AND DISTRIBUTION
A. General
Soils are important from the standpoint of agriculture, vegetation,
soaking up of rainfall and snowmelt, disposal of domestic wastewater by
means of septic tanks and seepage beds, slope stability, and for the disposal
of industrial and municipal wastewater by spray irrigation and ridge-and-
furrow spreading.
Soil is composed principally of weathered rock material, organic matter,
and water. It is derived from the physical and chemical alteration of
parent bedrock, alluvium, and glacial deposits. Soil characteristics are
determined by such factors as the nature of the parent material, topography,
climate, .plants and animals living on or in it, and time. Thin soil generally
develops on steep slopes and th'ick soil on gentle or flat slopes including
flood plains and flattish upland areas. Colluvial soil is that which has
moved downslope to an "out-of-place" position.
B, Classification
Soils vary in color, texture, structure, and degree of compaction.
Color is affected by the parent material, leaching and oxidation of minerals
in the soil, organic matter, and vegetation types. Texture refers to the
size, shape, and abundance of constituent particles. A textural classifica-
tion delineates such types as sand, loam, and clay, and various combinations
of those. Texture is an important property as it affects the permeability
of soil. Soil structure refers to the manner in which discrete particles
are arranged and held together as an aggregate. Different soil structures are
described as crumb, granular, blocky, columnar, and platy.
Soils are generally classified in "soil series" according to their pro-
perties. They are placed in various series on the basis of profile char-
acteristics determined from cores. Names applied to soil series are names
of towns or physiographic features (such as the Monongahela Valley terraces).
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Soil series are generally mapped at a scale of 1:20,000 or larger. Smaller
scale regional mapping is done to show the distribution of "soil associations"
which are groupings of soil series. The General Soil Map (Figure 2.1.3.-1) is
a soil associations map of the region. It is adapted from an "Environmental
Resources Inventory of the Pittsburgh District" of the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers. It is useful in making general comparisons of soils in the study
area but not for planning specific land uses. Soil interpretations for
wastewater disposal suitability are based almost entirely on the soil series
category. Soil associations ordinarily contain one or more major soil series
and at least one minor soil series. Soil series in a given soil association
may also occur in another association, but commonly in a different pattern,
that is, with different proportions of the series that compose the association.
C. Mapping
The accompanying General Soil Map (Figure 2.1.3.-1) produced by the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers (1976), shows soil associations that occur in a con-
sistent, defined geographic pattern. Each association normally consists
of a few major soils and several others that are less extensive. The name of
an association is derived from the soil of greatest area! extent. As may
be noted, major soils in one association may occur in one or several other
associations.
Soils within one association are closely related geographically but may
differ widely in their properties such as slope, depth, texture, or natural
drainage. Because of such differences, the soils within the association may
vary in their suitability for agriculture and/or non-agricultural use. A
general soil map such as this is adequate only-for the purpose of getting a
broad, overall picture of relative conditions across a county or region but
not for specific selection of sites or for design purposes.
The.best and most recent state and regional soil maps were utilized in
compiling the General Soil Map. The table, Soil Properties and Limitations
Affecting Selected Land Uses (Table 2.1.3.-1) lists and describes major soils
in each association. For the soils of the region, it summarizes their .
natural drainage and physiographic position, their texture and soil profile,
slope range, depth to rock, and seasonal high-water table, permeability,
engineering classification, and use limitations. The major soil limitations
for most engineering and agricultural uses in the project area are steep
slopes and seasonal wetness. The wetness problem is most often caused by
fragipan which is a dense, firm layer at varied depths that in effect causes
a high-water table, normally during the spring months. Shallow soils general-
ly are associated with steep slopes, These two factors, steep slopes with
their associated thin soils and seasonal wetness, combine to impose severe
restrictions on most uses other than those associated with forestry recreat-
ion and wildlife.
Soil association maps are available for 12 of the 19 counties in the
ORBES Region (Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Clarion, Clearfield,
Indiana, Jefferson, Lawrence, Mercer, Venango, and Westmoreland). Some maps
are in color, some in black and white. Most of them are at a scale of about
4 miles to an inch. Others are at 3, approximately 5, and approximately 8
-24-
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miles to an inch. Accompanying each map is a brief description of soil
associations in the county. The available county soil maps and descriptions
of soil associations are included/in Appendix VII.
2.1.3.2 SOIL SUITABILITY FOR WASTE DISPOSAL
A. Methods
A Comprehensive Water Quality Management Plan (COWAMP) study of the
Upper Allegheny River basin (Study Area 8) has been undertaken by the Pennsyl-
vania Department of Environmental Resources. The following information on
methods of disposal of wastewater, and on the evaluation of soil for waste-
water disposal is from a preliminary draft copy of a 1975 report of that
study.
The "no-discharge" policy of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act
Amendments of 1972 has resulted in a great deal of recent interest in land
disposal of wastewater and treatment process residues which may contain
viruses, bacteria, antibiotics, hormones, nutrients, herbicides, fungicides,
pesticides, heavy metals and toxic chemical compounds. Successful land dis-
posal is dependent on the ability of the soil to remove these substances
without contamination of ground and surface water.
Land disposal of wastes has been practiced for centuries through use of
privies, cesspools and septic tanks. Basic elements of a standard septic
tank - seepage bed system are depicted in Figure 2.1.3.-2. Waste effluent
from the home enters the septic tank, a watertight steel or concrete con-
tainer which removes solids from wastewater so that effluent from the tank
will be transmitted more easily through soil. Suspended particulate matter
in the sewage settles and accumulates as sludge in the bottom of the tank.
Anaerobic biological decomposition of organic matter in the sludge reduces
its volume and releases methane, carbon dioxide, ammonia and soluble organic
compounds. A scum of solids also forms at the water surface; both sludge
and scum accumulations should be removed from the tank periodically to pre-
vent overflow into the disposal field. Effluent from the tank is disposed
of in a seepage bed consisting of one or more trenches partially filled with
gravel. Drain pipes are placed on top of gravel along the length of each
trench, then earth is filled into the surface. Drain pipes allow effluent
to flow into the gravel trenches where it discharges evenly into the soil.
Where physical conditions (i.e. slope, soil, etc,) are not conducive to
a standard septic system, the Department of Environmental Resources will
permit use of alternative methods such a.s an elevated sand mound, a sand-
lined trench, an oversize area, or a method devised for shallow placement
areas. These alternative methods must be designed by a registered professional
engineer, and must be used with extreme caution.
Spray irrigation, a relatively new method of disposing of municipal
sewage effluent in the United States, has been used in Europe for centuries;
however, spray irrigation, (or a modification, ridge-and-furrow spreading)
has a respectable history of use in the United States by the food processing
-25-
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industry for disposal of seasonal wastes.
In any system for renovating'wastewater through spray irrigation, sewage
generally is pretreated to remove suspended solids. The effluent is then
pumped by pipeline to forested and agricultural areas where it is sprinkled
onto land surface. In the forest, nutrients (predominantly nitrogen and
phosphorus) from the wastewater are cycled and recycled through trees, leaves,
other vegetation, and the forest floor. Nutrients from water sprayed on
agricultural areas are taken up by plants which eventually are harvested.
As remaining wastewater seeps through soil into the groundwater reservoir,
a certain amount of renovation takes place, thus, plants and soil act as
a natural filter for the effluent. If the system is properly designed and
operated, high-quality water is recharged to the groundwater reservoir.
This renovated water can then be drawn up through wells to supplement natural
groundwater supply, or eventually be discharged to rivers and lakes.
Sludge is the solid phase by-product of physical, chemical or biological
treatment of wastewater. As it comes from the treatment-plant processing
stream, solids content is low (less than 5%), so sludge usually is dewatered
to increase the solids content and reduce cost of ultimate disposal. Treated
sludge may be landfilled, incinerated, or spread onto the land surface.
Untreated sludge (under strict control) may be sprayed directly onto land
surface in agricultural or forested areas similar to the spray irrigation of
effluent.
The major residues of coal-fired power plants include: (a) fly ash,
(b) bottom ash (defined as bottom ash and boiler slag), and (c) flue gas
desulfurization (FGD) sludge resulting from the removal of sulfur dioxide
from the combustion gases. In the Pennsylvania ORBES Region most coal ash
disposal sites are located in ravines or basins with deposition depths rang-
ing from 200 to 300 feet. The land consumed for disposal ranges from 240
acres (for a 1,000 MW plant with 10-yr. life, operating @ 70% l.f.) to 1,000
acres (for a similar plant with a 30-yr. life) (Bern, 1976). Perhaps the
most outstanding disposal location within the study area is the Little Blue
Run Valley site in Beaver County. This 8.2 million cubic yard, man-made
impoundment accommodates the wastes of the Bruce Mansfield plant and was
named one-of ten outstanding engineering achievements of 1976 by the National
Society of Professional Engineers. This site and other industrial waste
disposal sites of the Pennsylvania ORBES Region are listed in Table 2.1.3,-2.
B. Site Suitability
Land disposal of municipal wastes is permitted through the Pennsylvania
Department of Environmental Resources which sets standards for all sewage
disposal facilities in the Commonwealth. Table 2.1.3.-3 summarizes important
criteria and standards for land disposal of wastes as established by.DER,
It has been determined in the COWAMP study that in 16 counties of the
Pennsylvania ORBES Region a small percentage of the land is suitable for
spray irrigation and sludge disposal (Table 2,1.3.-3). This is probably also
true of the other three counties (Clearfield, Cambria, Somerset) for which
such data are not yet available. Because of the low percentage of area
-26-
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suitable for conventional septic systems alone, areas suitable for septic
tanks includes both alternate and standard systems (Table 2.1.3.-4). Areas
suitable for only standard septic/tank disposal systems closely coincide
with those suitable for spray irrigation and sludge disposal.
The generally negative results of soil-suitability evaluation in the
study area point out the need for thorough site evaluation before design-
ing a land disposal system. In addition, if large-scale spray irrigation of
treated effluent is considered as an alternative to other methods of waste-
water treatment and disposal, a close look at current standards, controls,
and criteria may be required.
Coal ash and FGD' sludge disposal sites should include a stable founda-
tion, control programs for groundwater and surface water contamination, and
slope stabilization by revegetation. Fly ash and bottom ash sites may cover
a wide variety of topographic situations. In some instances the residues may
be pumped to the final disposal site without further processing. In ravine
or slope site disposal the material must be handled as required to maintain
the structural integrity of the area. In some ravine operations, fly ash
and bottom ash are mixed to optimize the shear strength characteristics of
the fill. Moisture content of this material is carefully controlled and
vibratory compactors may be-employed. Several proposed sites are consider-
ing mixing dry fly ash with FGD sludge in ratios needed to lower the result-
ant moisture content for the maintenance of structural stability.
-27,
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TABLE 2.1.1.-1
N>
OO
I
fi«eov«rob/» cool r*<«rv«* of Ponntyhanla over 24, 28, and 36 Inches thick by covnltai and rank at of January ), 1970
(mllllont of jfiort torn).
RtcovonbU reserves c
HELD
COUNTP
MAIN BITUMINOUS
Blilr ..
ClcurieW
Elk
Fiyotte . ,
McK«*n ,
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Total
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AND GEORGES
850
. . . . 1 iOO
. . . 880
H
1 100
... 1 400
18
110
630
. . 1 000
15
'140
1 600
,. . 4800
1 100
160
. . 130
110
a ooo
, .. ' HO
4 300
....• a.ioo
HIjb- M88*
630
1.100
350
9
860
1.000
13
83
450
710
9
110
1.100
4.000
1.700
680
180
68
sa
1.600
81
3.800
1.000
Hiib-
vol.
bttural-
noui
680
' 1.100
. 350
860
»
450
180
110
1.700
. 4.000
1.300
880
150
98
81
SI
3.800
1.800
c* over
Mod.-
vol.
blluml-
BOUt
"I
400
83
830
9
400
400
800
400
13 bichc* thick
U»»-
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1
600
- 800
Snot-
»o- An-
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cite dt«
- -
BeoovcnbU rao«nrc3 enrol
Tolol
>39
160
830
800
3
370
300
0
3
80
60
8
48
1.100
4.700
630
160
77
S
al
070
7
a.ooo
1,300
HUb.
voL
blt-onj-
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960
830
SOO
370
0
80
aa
49
830
S.700
470
fi60
77
S
ai
7
1.600
1.000
Med.-
voL
bltnmi-
ecnu
I
160
0
3
63
e
.I7°
160
340
160
38 bx&ei thick
Ltm-
•voL
blMmJ-
BOtU
r
830
330
Scml-
«o- An-
thro- lkr»-
dla die
- -
Tol.U 17.000 11.000 4.000 1.800 -
- ti.OOO 17.000 .3.000 1.400 - - 18.000 9.800 1.900
580 - -
From Edmunds; 1972
-------
TABLE 2.1.1.-2
tn-pfaco Coal flejervej of Pennsylvania by Countiet
as of January 1, 1970 (Milliont of short tons)
Field
County
Minimum
thickness
included
Mined out
and lost
to 1/1/70
Remaining
in-phce
reserves
1/1/70
MAIN BITUMINOUS AND GEORGES CREEK FIELDS
Allegheny '...... 18' 1.800
Arrnitrong " 450
Beaver '. 14' 34
Blair 18' 55
Butler 14" 250
Cambria 18* 1,500
Cameron " 2
Centre " 140
Clarion. ..; .- " 190
Ocarfeld .-. " 680
Clinton " 40
Ok - 100
FayetJe (not specified but 24" or lea) 2.500
Greene 18' 610
Indiana " 900
Jefferson i " 430
Lawrence 14* 44
MdUaa 18' 1
Mercer '. " 110
Somerset , " 610
Venango " 17
Washington " 1,600
Westmoreland " 1.800
Total 14' fc 18-
14,000
1.400
5^00
2.500
43
5,400
5^00
59
570
1,900
5400
75
460
5300
8.900
5.400
2^00
740
420
590
5.500
380
8^00
4,600
64.000
TABLE 2.1.1.-3
fn-p/oce Reserves of the Pittsburgh Coal as of
. ' January 1, 1970 (Millions of Ions)
County
Allegheny
Armstrong
Beaver
Fayettc
YVaihington
Westmoreland
Remaining
in -pi ace reserves
over M in.
(millions of tons)
.... 36
10
19-
3,700
5
31
3,200
140
Remaining
in-place reserves
over 28 ifl.*
(millions of tons)
35
10
19
3700
5
31
3.200
140
Total for Pa.
7.100
7.100"
•Over 99% of the reserves over 28 inches thick ire also over 42 inches thick.
Figures are rounded to first two digits (or first• digit if 9 million or less). Figures
do not add to totaJ due to independent rounding.
From Edumunds, 1972
-29-
-------
TABLE 2. 1.1. -4
Eriimof«cf rlrippobh coal resemai of 16 jotrtW«r/»rn Penruy/vanio
, January 1, J96B, by s«o/ru (thousand* of ihorl low).*
Remaining on] in
• place with
overburden
Remaining coal In = to 15X »verag«
Remaining coal in place with 0-120 seam*
place with 0-120 feet of overburden thickness less 20%
Coal Seam feet of overburden less 20% mining loss raining lots
SewxUey
Redstone
Pittsburgh
Mahoning
Upper Freeport ........
Lower Freeport
Upper Xiiunning
Middle Kitunning
Lower Kiuanning
Clarion1
Bra&vflJc* i
Upper Mercer*
Lower Mercer
Qaakertowa .
•Sharoa
Toad '..
76.100
188.400
22500
65200
. 72.000
1.000
5300
596300
312.000
154300
145,900
X6JOOO
95^00
H2.700
M^OO
29J900
800
. 22.900
2272300
-60^00
150.700
18.400
52200
57400
800
4.700
477.300
249,600
123300
116,800
244,800
76.400
114200
27,400
24.000
600
18,500
Ul 8,200
54.700
71^00
9j600
20.100
S7J900
900
2jOOO
194300
99300
46.700
41.900
89^00
50200
46.100
11JOO
8300
200
tjxn
752300
* Adapted from Table A62 of The resrrvet of bituminous coal end ligniu for itrif,
mining rn the United Stales, U. S. Bureau of Mines, Information Circular 8531.
* Referred tit as "Upper Clarion" in Table 59 of U. S. Bureau of Mines report.
•Rcraed from Table 59 of U. S, Bureau of Mines report by adding "Lower Clarion"
loaoage from Clarion County and subtracting "Brookville" tonnage from Clarion
County.
'Revised from Table 59 of U. S. Bureau of Mines report by adding "Brookville" ton-
nage froea Oarioa County and "Homewood" tonnage from Lawrence County.
From Edmunds, 1972
-30-
-------
TABLE 2.1.1.-5
Eitimaled ilnppable coo/ reiervei o^ 16 southwestern Pennsylvania
lonuary J, )96fl, by coun
-------
Table 5 (continued)
Ave,
team
thick-
County nea
Scua (inch a)
Qurfidd Co.
Upper Frceport ..
Lower Freeport ..
Upper Kittanning
Middle Kitunning
Lower Kiiunning
Brook ville
Toul ;
Fayctie Co.
Waynesburg .....
SevicyJey
Pittsburgh
Upper Frctport ..
Toul
Greene Co.
Waynesburg
SewicVlcy
Pittsburgh
Total
Indiana Co.
Upper Freeport . .
Lower Freeport ..
Lower Kittanning
Total
Jefferson Co.
' Upper Freeport ..
Lower Frceport . .
Lower Khlanning
Toul
Lawrence Co.
Upper Freeport ..
Lower Freeport . .
Middle Kitunning
Lower Kitunning
Homewood
Upper Mercer
Lower Mercer ...
Qualertown
Toul ..?
S3
38
16
44
37
44
44
51
ss
42
62
54
76
62
44
40
S3
37
40
30
39
42
42
36
36
42
42
42
36
Remaining coal
Remaining coal in in place with
Remaining coal place with 0-120 overburden = to
in place with feet of overburden 15 X average jeam
0-120 feel of leu 20% mining thicineu. lea
• overburden lost 20% mining loss
40,800
83.700
47.400
39,100
70,300
17^00
298^00
41^00
14500
. 4.100
62.600
122.100
53.400
8.700
8.200
70400
700
52JOOO
22.000
20200
93,300
43400
29.100
28^00
29200
129300
2.400
8.700
19400
2JOO
9.000
2.000
1.700
800
46500
32.600
67,000
37^00
31400
56200
14.000
239.000
33.000
} 1.400
3400
50.100
97,800
42.700
7.000
6.600
56400
600
41,600
J7.900
16200
76400
34.600
23400
22.600
23.400
J 03,900
1500
7^00,
15.600
1.700
7500
1,600
1.400
600
37,000
10^00
25400
13.700
10.600
20^00
6500
87.600
14400
5,800-
2400
21.000
44,100
26400
3.800
5.000
35400
400
18400
7500
6500
32.100
12.800
9400
6300
9.100
38.000
800
2.900
5,600
600
3.000
700
600
200
14.400
(continued)
-32-
-------
Table 5 (concluded)
Ave.
team
thick-
County nes»
Seam . (inches)
Mercer Ox
Broolville
Lower Mercer ...
Total
Somerset Co.
Redstone
Pittsburgh
Upper Freeport . ..
Lower Freeport ..
Upper Kitunning
Lower Kittanning
Toul
Washington Co,
Washington ......
Waynesburg
Pittsburgh ......
Total'
Westmoreland Co,
Redstone .......
Upper Freeport . .
Total
Grand Total
48
54
38
41
41
40
54 '
41
41
57
41
55
65
58
79
48
Remaining coal In
Remaining coal place with. 0-120
in place with feet of overburden
0-120 feet of lea 20% mining
overburden Ion
42200
28,200
22.900
93,500
9,600
9,500
58.100
14,400
• 65000
58500
175,500
76.100
95300
7200
27.500
204.400
11.700
9.400
28,800
55.700
2272.500
55.800
22,600
18400
74.700
7,700
7.600
50,500
11,500
52.000
51.100
140.400
60.900
75.000
5300
21,800
163.500
14,000
7.500
25,000
44.500
1,818200
Remaining coal
in place with
overburden = to
15 X average Kara
thidcneu, lex*
2070 raining loa
16^00
7.700
7^00
50^00
5200
5,100
12200
3,900
21300
12.800
56iOO
54.700
. 50300
2.000
14200
81.700
5300
5500
11,000
22200
752.500
' Unpublished data from U. S. Bureau of Mines.
From Edmunds, 1972
-33-
-------
TABLE 2.1.1.-6
Edimolcd riflppotfe coo/ rejervei of 16 toulhwcdern Pennsylvania
counl'iet, January J, 1965, by team onJ ivlfur content (thouiondi of short Ions).1-*
Scant
Washington
Waynaburj
ScwicUcy
Pittsburgh
Brush Creek.
Upper Tree port
Kiddle KJtunnlaj
Lower Xittanning
BrookviUe* \
Upper Mercer*
Sharon
Total
Low
Sulfur*
(0-1%)
—
-
—
• —
—
-
—
-
—
—
—
.: —
—
—
, —
-
'. —
-
Medium
Sulfur*
(1-2%)
—
-
-
12^00*
32.5o
-------
Production Kosecvos
*7 Penna. Grade
v%
— 2 Corning Grade
£ TOTAL OIL
natural Gas
Liquids
(1,000 bbls.)
Shallow
Deep
« 5
"§, TOTAL GAS
• X CumuJjCivo
1976 1975 Change to 12/31/76
2,887 3,132 - 8 1,288,944
63 .67 '-6 620
2,950 3.199 - 8 • 1,289,564
69 65 +6
76,632 . 72,620 +6 —
13,342 12.152 +10
89,974 84,772 + 6 9.013,560
Stored Recoverable Gas
t
1976 1975 Chtnge
49,975 . 47.,377 + 5
588 651 -10
50,563 48,028 + 5
446 515 -13
...
—
1,651,898* 1,682,460* - 2
512,861 . 596,324 . . -14
•Stored Recoverable Gas Included
TABLE 2.1.1.-7
From Lytle, 1977
Production and reserves of oil and gas in
Pennsylvania
'—HJrodford F««ld
. (Pa. K.T.»
'. Ptoduciion
•to >»n> >wo
FIGURE 2.1.1.-11
n«0
From Lytle, 1977
Annual production of crude
oil in Pennsylvania
-35-
-------
From Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources, COWAMP report, 'Study Area 9 (197:
V*«itar Slafleo
MttaHorah AC VSOI
Mttiborih Cttf SUO
Aowtotil* Uxk 3
4cK*c«port
Brvcttoa
fMimrrrll)* 2St DAH
Klttunnlnp Vnek 7
S«t>Borr IS
Jhlttrfawnt
Tord City 4S CAK
Sntr.""««rT t. 4 D
Hc»v«r Till*
«*VCll
jnlenfovn 1 TtC
runnel l«»Jllo 3
Lt»n71v«nc« 1IW
fivnctbur^ 1C
Orion Center 2SJ
:rtrlc.ivllle 6EVT
HnYovIlJr 3SE
^i«rlerel
•rrr
lev Stincon
toners
/andtrrri't
tv«r«f*
CountT
Allrr.liMIV
A) 1 *eh«nt
Allti^xflT
All«K«»r
A.llPRh««T
Arwtroat
Ar« trout
Arwcroo*
ArulTOnt
Atoa:ron«
ArMtrong
Arv«trenn
B««vn*
Tnd<«n&
Tndiano
U»«Mnf too
Wnthlnrroo
Vc«tMarel«nrf
Vevlvirvl »n^
Vornorrl Jnd
VefctthorrlAnd
Monthly H.-«n >-rrr!rf r nt Inn - Inchoi (Rrcordrd lStl-1970)
7. 71
J.61
Z.?l
2.61
7.67
3,05
Z.97
3.JA
3.0'
2.74
2.86
2.78
2.64
2.51
2.82
2.9f.
2.7H
3. JO
2.71
2.77
3.41
3.02
3.63
2.83
J.79
3.1«
3.10
2.47
J.70
2.M
2.35
2.:*
2.59
2.25
2.30
2.7S
2.73
2.59
2.6(1
2.i*
2.65
2.47
2.26
2.15
.32
2.«3
2.28
2.82
2.2ft
2.35
2.98
2.62
3.15
3.38
2.35
2.57
2.6i
2.21
2.48
2.49
3. KO
3.5*
3.73
3.40
3.38
3.7J
3.63
3.82
3. 51
3 4«
4.01
3.61
3.*3
3.10
2^i.
3.65
3.46
3.95
3.5*
3.5*
*.03
3. SI
*;17
3.57
3.72
3.M> !
3.63
Ulncvr
2.91
2.S2
3.07
2.7S
2.78
3.1*
3.11
3.18
3.09
2,89
3.18
2.95
2.77
2.58
3.89
3.01
2.84
3.31
2.»*
2.8S
3.47
3.OT
3.«
2.92
2.93
3.17
3.12
3.10 2.72
3.55 2.91
3.63 ' 3-00
Aprtl
3.40
3.4*
3. A3
3.*1
3.45
4.09
3.87
3.91
3.90
3.70
3.87
3.81
3.60
3.18
3.76
3.62
3.66
3.74
3.5*
3.4«
4.23
3.94
.37
3.6X
3.6*
i.3i
«'T
3.61
3.59
3.69
3.63
3.6T
*.27
4.06
4.47
4.06
4.04
3.97
3.7S
3.71
3.66
3.99
4,4
4.30
4.04
4.12
3.76
4.60
4.2*
June
3.4*
3.7*
3.89
3.81
4.24
3.76
3. SI
3.73
4.02
3.74
3.71
3.81
3.37
3.62
3. S3
4.25
4.0/
4.32
3.M.
3.95
4.14
4.01
». 79 14. 77
4.12
3.83
4.37
3.51 '4.10
3.3* 3. 84
3.73 3.93
3.7? '4.01
3.A6
3.41
3.80
3.81
3.57
4.04
3.90
.Spring
Avornf^c
3.50
3.59
3.80
3.61
3.77
4.04
3.IM
4.03
3.99
3.»2
3.83
3.50
3.56
3.48
3. 86
4.03
4.01
4.04
viu
3.71
4.32
i.M
4.64
3.81
3.63
4.iO
3. SO
3.59
3.90
3.88
Julj
3.84
3.78
4.13
3.?1
4.19
4.43
3.9f
4.30
4.M
4.36
3.94
4.20
4.01
3.79
4.17
3.97
4.31
4.38
4.3*
4.45
4.58
4.7«
4.88
4.25
3.94
3.01
Au:
3.15
3.18
3.65
3.3*
3.56
3.73
3.59
3.73
3.63
3.81
3.56
3.67
3.16
3,14
3.53
3.43
3.89
3.98
3.57
3.93
4. (X)
3.78
4.17
3.4H
3.45
3.99
4.04 4.00
3.75
4.27
3.6A
3.69
4.21 3.64
S«-pc
2.52
J.S3
2.68
2.57
2.79
3.32
2.92
3.:s
3.15
J.98
2.S6
2.70
2.70
2.48
3.07
3. OS
3.23
3.12
2.95
3.00
3.22
3.08
3.25
3.08
SlMMf
Avcrai(<
3.17
3.16
3.48
3.20
3.51
3.83
3.49
3.76
3.70
3.64
3.4*
3. 52
3.29
3.20
3.39
3.35
3.81
3.89
3.A2
3.79
3.93
3.87
4.10
3.60
2.9) | 3.43
3.10
3.16
2.72
2.H2
2.95
4.03
3.73
3.37
3.39
3.60
Oft.
2.52
2.47
2.82
2.29
2.42
3.22
J.9»
3.21
3.06
2.98
2.74
2.74
2.62
2.70
Kov.
2.47
2.49
2.90
2.52
2.59
3.25
3.05
Titr..
2.48
2.32
2.74
2.43
2.60
2.96
2.99
3.3313.06
3.24|3.07
2.8912.66
2.90(2.80
7.7911.6*
2.64
2.49
2.42
2.29
2.45 2.8*12.68
2.63 2.9112.71
2.59 2.77
2.77 2.97
2.4*
2.61
t
2.40 2.65
3.1613.33
2.92
3.19
3.31
3.65
2..S9 2.73
2.47
2.7?
I
3. Ill3. 41
3.8412.79
2.6ol}.32
3.01 2.81
1
2.7612.89
2.73
3.20
7.54
2.56
3.4*
2.93
3.56
2.5*
2.63
3.07
2.47
2.35
2.66
fall
Av«fftR«
2.4«
2.^9
2.«
2.41
2.53
3.14
?.99
3.20
3.1T
2.84
2.81
2.72
2.36
2.49
:.65
AnQu4 1
36.13
36.22
39.56
35.97
37.82
42.60
40.33
42.54
41.75
39.74
3S.86
39. 00
3*. 36
I
35. 3\
39.01
2.73 140.01
2.69 140,07
2.98
2.J3
42.67
38'. .Si
2.33 l38.*0
3.37
3.05
3.46 j
4.5. 3J
" i
47.22 J
47.58
i
2.62 138.89
2.63
37.93
3.19 44.71 I
2.83
40.40
2.49 136.55
2.82
1
1.7*1 2.80
39.69 !
1
39. 84 :
Table 2.1".2^-1 Monthly mean precipitation-at 30 weather stations in ORBES region
-36-
-------
From Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources. COWAMP rennri- SM.HW Ar-»a 8 flQ?1^
»CAT>« STATION
MABFCRO 4K «S.
BRANCH) r.AA A.P.
KAM 11*5
RlftREH
>6ACviu£ is
JiXSTON 2»fl •
FRWM.IM
T1»«TA 2SC 0AM
CLARICN JSK
RIOCCAAY
G-TCEXVIUE
FAHaEU-SHUWM
KDl CAJTU IN
* V C A A 0 C
UXJMTY
McKCAX
McKEAH
HcKEAH
SAJWEN
CHAWCRO
CAAHFORO
VEJIANOO
FOREST
CLARION
OX
HERCER
KflCCR
UnREKCE
KJOTU.Y KCAN PRECIPITATIGH-INOCS (RECWOEO 1941-1970)
JAN.
2.93
3.17
1.23
2.71
2.79
2. S3
2.03
2.9S
3.02
2.72
2.79
2.6<
2.74
2.8S
FEB.
2.64
2.83
2.01
2.40
2.46
2.16
2.33
2.61
2. 67
2.40
2.2B
2.16
2.32
2.46
MARCH
3.44
3.43
3.67
3.33J
3.3?
3.06
3.12
3.46
J.St
3.40
3.23
2.93
3.28
3.33
rt INTER
VERAGE
2.97
3.13
3.24
2.11
2.SS
2.59
2.76
3.01
3.09
2.84
2.77
2.5J
2.78
2.68
Apan.
<:cxs
1.79
4.14
9.70
1.77
3.7S
3.88
4.17
4.06
3.86
3.94
3.41
3.47
3.8S
HAY
4.34-
4.20
4.71
4.22
4.20
4.oe
4.22
4.B6
4.33
4.4$
4.04
3.83
3.67
4.24
JUNE
4.47
3.63
.4.17
4.40
4.23
3.93
3.08
3.60
.3.68
3.80
4.06
3. SI
3.73
3.99
SPfllNir
AVERAGE
4.29
3.94
4.34
4.10
4.06
3.92
3.99
4.17
4.09
4.03
4.01
3.63
3.69
4.02
JULY
4.71
4.29
4.93
4.46
4.90
3.68
4.40
4.33
4.37
4.69
3.S4
3.35
4.09
4.33
AUG.
3.34
3.36
3.76
3.63
3.71
3.23
3.32
3.32
3.47
3.62
3.41
3. 47
3.18
3.46
SEPT.
3.67
3.46
3.94
3.68
3.09.
3.04
3.10
3.12
2.98
1.22
2.63
2.43
2.71
3.17
SOfCfl
AVERAGE
4.04
3.70
4.21
3.89
3.76
3.36
3.60
3.S9
3.67
3.11
3.33
3.13
3.32
3.63
OCT.
3.43
3.16
3.44
3.42
3.17
3.12
3.17
3.32
3.12
2.92
3.23
2.62
2.83
3.19
KJV.
4.16
3.34
3.76
3.83
S.SO
3.19
3.43
3.90
3.34
3.27
3.23
2.87
2.78
3.41
oec.
3.13
3.01
3.16
3.01
2.86
3.47
2.83
2.94
2.91
2.«2
2.62
2.46
2.43
2. tO
FALJL
VOUGE
3.37
3.24
3.43
3.42
3.34
2.91
3.07
3.23
3.12
3.00
3.00
2.65
2. 87
3.13
Amvi,
44.64
42.13
43.78
42.69
42.10
38.42
40.33
42.13
,41.93
41.07
39.36
36.04
37.41
41.07
* Stations in ORBES region
Table 2.1.2.-2 Monthly mean precipitation at 7 weather stations in ORBES region.
-------
From Technical Paper No. 15, U.S. Weather Bureau, 1956
in Pa. DER, Cowamp report, Study Areas 8 and 9, 1975
Town
Builtr
Kochtxir
Tort City 0»
7indIU»
ll»*
«iit~"T
Cl>rlM
rirk«r'l UlUlai
Him. Kllla
CIHIXT
Cr«vr>r4
Cr.vUrJ
Vrt«
)fcf..«
Kclrui
tu
ClirlM
ei.rioo
;»ff.r««
I n<~r
1. 31
J. 00
1.7}
I.W
I.JO
l.J»
l.«.
1.19
l.M
J.14
1.55
l.J»
l.J»
;.M
l.JJ
1 Jr..
1.13
1.5J
1.17
J.J*
1. 10
l.«l
l.M
J.17
1.71
).iS
l.»4
i.:o
1. 10
l.M
7.00
J Krt.
1.1]
J.JJ
l.JJ
».S5
l.JS
?.(>
l.M
1. 11
1.7»
1.13
l.M
l.t»
>.»
1.15
1.07
11 •>>.
3.3»
1.0
1.11
l.M
J.et
J.I7
J.5«
J.10
j.rt
>.n
l.Cl
>.7S
1.71
3.14
3.27
Jl in.
».J«
3.U
3.1J
1.11
3.7*
3.37
7.J1
!.U
l.M
t.U
3.«1
l.M
3.U
3.l»
1.31
*Not in ORBES region
Table 2.1.2.-3 Maximum amount of precipitation
at various intervals
-33-
-------
TABLE 2.1.3.-1
SOIL PROPERTIES AMD LIMITATIONS AFFECTING SELECTED LAND USES
SOIL R3IZS
*~"
tU^KTJ
OSZCE1
O7S32
gETTIT
K^^A
FLATU
DCHL'IAKT
SAT,-UL WAlJiUZ SIOTE
*jo mesiKitJiuc Term?.! ASD/OB •CVTJF.E or SOIL PROFILE n^nr */
fCSIIIC* SITTACC SUBSOIL SUtSTMTVH (Percent!
!^r — . , . jilt IOM> 6(lt/ 6l.y L««io«te<» .llty 0 - S
So^-A.t poor Snt'Io*. Eltty cl.y LMin»t«d .ilty 2 - &
cl.y loa»
h^der.t.ly -ell "" l"= ^e> to el.y LO« till j . 6
(Lpliadi) t«*»
So.ivt.t poor TfTTTo- 5iUy cl-y Sh4l,'.lTEy TTTs
i-.ll dr.la*4 *•«** Cl.y lo«a Ch»nnery e.ndy 0 - 12
tt>I»»d.) l°»=> over ..od-
or .andltond
bedrock
(Cplandi) loea (gtcny) Io*a (very roelt
«<'.(%Yf
S**if (ch.nnery) .lit loin
Oil^J _ . .Ucl.l till
(uple^ flel. lou over .and.tone
«.VI <:-=rr.i!=r«l bedrock
lTerr.c*.) lo.a. *llt *Ht *od cUy
(l>Und») (ch.Do«ry) (chinnery) (very clunnery)
Soccvtut poor lilt loin Sllty cl*y Silt lotm 1-12
(Upland.) low.
DEPTH TO Htca UATPR PCHlt*Bll.lT» 2/ CLAS51/ICA-I08
HOCK T/BLE (inch., per
l.i - 4,0 1.0 - 2.5 0.2 - 0.6 KL, CL Severe
(perched. In the fragl- p>w
Dec. -Apr.) pen l.yer
1.5 - 3.0 None 2.0 - 6.0 HL, CL Severe
*° ' '
** O.i - 1.5 0.06 • 0.2 tin, KL, or CL tafvatt
(perched, In Lhe °'u
(perched. in the P."
, -_. ncfi^ABtJ-.iMSJflM UYSE . :
(perched. in the >ub- p.w..
(perched. In the p.u.*
Kov.-Kar.} fr.glp.n l.yer
to levere
(perched, 1" lh« p
MJiT.-M.nvt fr.^lp.n
10+ 1.5 - 3.0 0.6 • 0.6 HL. 31 Severe
(perched, p ,w
1.} - 3.0 Ncin, 0.6 - 2.0 ML, CL, or C S.vere
i, 00 - 2.0 o.o. |ftp ^^ ^^
p
DFCBEES ATO «AJ<» KITOS OT LiyiTATIPNS . . ,
SAKItAItY WITH 1WUITR1AL AK) (Cultiv.te4
L*ro FILL BASEKE-TTS USE PAJUUt LOTS crt-rO I.EWFJJ
t|l , e Moder.te ecvcre cropland, p.icure .ul Idle Itc-i-
» r.l.d Sbiiy >ad itrcp »oi:» eitoly ID
w w w v.u.f w (l.cUl lii.«».
v w.u w,u u,f to .evere Cle.rtd *te>. oilnlj utti Iff
« w w u.f u (r.glp^a - * d*n>e, very f'.ra.
brittle (vhea Jry) l.irr (Kit
decMge) coder* t« etoder.te
rt.,
e^der.te r,e r.* to >evcre r.d.e frigwntt. The voluae of (riewnt*
t r,* tocr«.B> vlth depth.
».>
w.» u.e co xvere ( -odtnu 20 to 30 ioche.. Soil. h.«
— __ «•• ••« fon^d in eolluviia «:rri-l
""" '
to .ever. v.. to .ev.re to ..v.re to «v.r. lneh... o.^;^ c., tu, Fuv-..°
hill'.
LiDU.tlon. tor etc prixrlly
Severe KLight to ilighl to Wv.re rtoder.le &ll'Vi«iWt«"" fin trTille"
severe ievere Severe Hoderet. severe (^,4 wlld uf( JIM. Artlfict.l
,. . t.» liquation, f.-r cnsfr.etnr.E u-e.
noder.te Severe Hoder.te Moderele Severe Occur, oo very irr«(ulat tl.ci.trt
r>( '•• r.. rel.tcd to *hall?v »f-il *ad (tee?
Modereea Hoder.te Slight to tfeder.te Slight to Soil h.* • fr.j!p*o at depth cf rtbfl.nt
v w eoderate w tttder.te (roei IS to 30 lacn«*.
Hoder.te Severe Hoderece Hoder*le WSevere 5*11 b" ("Sl'">- Soiu to™ IB
w w w | w.f „ , jl.cl.l till etron^ly Influenced
Continued on next page.
-39-
-------
TABLE 2.1.3.-1 (continued)
«rtl SCTItS
SA.-2
KAYUiNA
^UL,
rt«A*r
""""""
•S.ltlB.
WKIHAWT
AS3 PHYSll^PAPh'IC TExrvfE ATO/GF «ATC?j: OF SOIL PROFILE RANGE 3/
KirTitM WrfUis 'Lesoii. SUBSTPATUK (F»rc*ni)
&Ocw^-.*L ;FOor SllC itt+a Clay l^ua\ Loan till > - >O
(Upland*)
lo« (ch.nntry) low.
(Up :a™;*)
poor alluvium
(CPU-.) -my day cl-,
l«d.) .Iltyel., l« 1...I11
till
l*3or Slit low • Silty cl*y U - l
' b.drutk
l/ii-l-n IU
IZASCKAL
ROCK TABLE
{perched.
i - 10 1.0 - i.S
(perched.
J* .-A r.)
IP reh d,
D* .-A r.)
(perched,
(perched.
(Nov.- June)
(Mar. -Hay)
D^ciraEaiw; &/
(lncht« per (Surfaci Uy.r SEPTIC TASK
hnur) tv.lv> ri!TF« FTF.ID5
6.0 • 20.0 HL. KL-CL Severe
0.6 - 1.0 KL, CL Moderate
'
0.06 KL, KL-CL Sever*
In the P.v
0.2 - 0.8 KL Stv.r*
In cha lub- u>?
::"-•"'- ' '
0,06 HL, CL-HL *«*tr«
-mi -r- ~ ;
In the U.P
0.06 ' 0.1 KL. CL Severe
In the iut>- u,P,x
2.0 - 6.0 CM, hL Severe
r
0.6 - 1.0 KL, CL Hod.r-.ta
i/
OFf.vt.ts Asrt KAjern KITOS or LWITATIOSS
SANITARY U1TH ItlDUSTRUL AND (Cultivated
I*wn FTM. B»«PvrSTS rSI PABKIKC LOT5 cr.-r^l B^^t?
^
HUW w.f v jlaclal till CD Ui|« flat* and
w to to aavera Co lavere v v««h*d froa tn*l«. >and»C9nf«c
^/ paicaoE daluot *lop« la ch* albpe ring, wtchln which M [
SOIL CHARACTERISTICS AjTECtlKC LIMITATIgS
poor workability; itony or clayay aurf*c<
arovghty
high (ton h*ave potaotlal
• lev pcrMbllU;
ihaHow to bedrock
• lop*
low itringth er un*cable aolla
>r* difficult Co overcoo*
-W-
-------
Table 2.I.3.- 2
INDUSTRIAL WASTE DISPOSAL
SITES IN THE
PENNSYLVANIA ORBES REGION
ALLEGHENY COUNTY
Indiana Township Land Reclamation
Area - Cheswick Power
Indiana Township
(Permit issued 3/2/73)
W. A. Conwell, Vice Pres.
Duquesne Light Co.
435 Fifth Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Springdale Power Station
Ash & Disposal Area
Frazer & Spririgdale Twps.
(Permit issued 4/18/79)
West Penn Power Co.
800 Cabin Hill Drive
Greensburg, PA 15601
Phillips Ash Disposal Area
Crescent Township
(Permit issued 7/8/75) .
Duquesne Light Co.
435 Sixth Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
ARMSTRONG COUNTY
Rochester & Pittsburgh Coal Co. Incin.
Plum Creek Township
(Permit issued 1/7/75)
Armstrong Fly Ash Site
Washington Twp.
(Permit issued 3/22/76)
Quaker State Fly Ash Disposal Site
Honey Township
(Permit issued 7/14/76)
PA. Electric Co. - Keystone Plant
Plum Creek Township
(Permit issued 12/5/77)
Rochester & Pittsburgh Coal Co.
Cherry Run Plant
Elderton, PA 15736
West Penn Power Co.
800 Cabin Hill Drive
Greensburg, PA 15601
Quaker State Oil Refining Corp.
Emlenton Plant
Emlenton, PA 16373
Pennsylvania Electric Co.
1001 Broad Street
Johnstown, PA 15907
BEAVER COUNTY
St. Joe Minerals Corp. Fly Ash Ldf.
Potter Township
(Permit issued 7/1/76)
Stabilized Sludge Disposal Site
Greene Township
(Permit issued 7/26/74)
St. Joe Minerals Corporation
Zinc Smelting Division
Monaca, PA 15061
Carl Labovitz
Dravo Corp.
Neville Island
4800 Grand Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15225
-------
Little Blue Run Div. Area
Greene Twp.
(Permit issued 11/25/75)
Pennsylvania Power Co.
1 East Washington St.
New Castle, PA 16103
Cendrich Landfill
Industry Boro
(Permit issued 8/29/77)
George Cendrich Gen. Contracting, Inc
West Midland Ave.
Midland, PA 15059
Peggs Run Development Area
Greene Twp.
(Permit issued 10/27/77)
Pennsylvania Power Co.
1 East Washington Street
New Castle, PA 16103
c/o Ray E. Semmler, Pres.
BUTLER COUNTY
Winters Sludge Site
Penn Township
(Permit issued 9/10/75 Exp. 11/30/75)
E.H. Bilawich Construction, Inc.
19 Collins Ave.
Lyndvia, PA 16045
National Underground Storage, Incin.
Cherry Township
(Permit issued 11/4/76)
National Underground Storage, Inc
Boyers, PA 16020
CLARION COUNTY
Glass Containers Corporation
Kriox Plant Incinerator
Knox Boro
(Permit issued 7/19/72)
J. B. Myers
Project Engineer
Glass Container Corp.
Knox, PA 16232
CLEARFIELD COUNTY
Rockwell Plant #1 Incin.
City of DuBois
(Permit issued 1/18/74)
Roy Kiehl, Systems Engineer
Rockwell International Corp,
Liberty Boulevard
DuBois, PA 15801
ELK COUNTY
Airco Speer
Benzinger Township
(Permit issued 3/24/78)
Thomas Gery
Airco Speer
800 Theresia St.
St. Marys, PA
-1,2-
-------
Cycle Mix Building Landfill
Benzinger Township
Stackpole Carbon Company
St. Mary, PA 15857
Att: W. L. Donahev
Benzinger Twp. Area B Incinerator
Benzinger Twp.
(Permit issued 3/3/76)
Stackpole Carbon Co.
Eschbach Road
St. Marys, PA 15857
Industrial Waste Landfill
Benzinger Twp.
Stackpole Carbon Co.
St. Marys, PA 15857
GREENE COUNTY
Delworth Mine Incin.
Cumberland Twp.
(Permit issued 6/13/77)
U. S. Steel Corp.
P. 0. Box 26
Pittsburgh, PA 15230
MERCER COUNTY
Greenville Steel Car Company Incin.
Greenville •
(Permit issued 7/27/76)
Greenville Steel Car Company
Foot of Union Street
Greenville, PA 16125
VENAHSO COUNTY
Continental Can Co., Inc., Incin.
Oil City '
(Permit issued 6/5/73)
Continental Can Co., Inc.
15 Mineral Street
Oil City, PA 16301
Chicago Pneumatic Tool Co., Incin.
Franklin
(Permit issued 3/24/77)
Chicago Pneumatic Tool Co., Equip.Div
Howard Street
Franklin, PA 16323
WASHINGTON COUNTY
/
Mitchell Power Station Ash Disposal
Nottingham Township
(Permit issued 12/9/74)
Mr. Benjamin Bennett
West Penn Power Company
800 Cabin Hill Drive
Greensburg, PA 15601
Elrama Fly Ash Disposal Area
Union Township
(Permit issued 1/16/75)
Duquesne Light Co.
435 Sixth Ave,
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Pitt Processing & Mfg. Co. Sludge Site
Robinson Twp. ,
(Permit issued 10/27/76)
Pitt Processing & Mfg. Co,
4314 Main Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15224
-------
Paris Fly Ash Sice A
Hanover Twp.
(Permit issued 7/23/77)
Alex E. Paris Contracting Co., Inc.
Route 18
Atlasburg, PA 15004
WESTMORELAND COUNTY
Gibson Electric Inc., Incin,
Salem Township
(Permit issued 6/12/74)
L. J. Maules, Vice-Pres.
Gibson Electric, Inc.
A Subsidiary of GTE Sylvania.
Old William Penn Highway
Delmont, PA 15626
Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Slag Dump
Rostraver Township
(Permit issued 3/7/75)
(Reissued 4/26/76)
W, P. Shane
Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corp,
Duvall Center
Wheeling, West Virginia 26003
Allegheny Ludlum Industrial Landfill
Allegheny Township
(Permit issued 7/27/78)
Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp.
River Road
Brackenridge, PA 15014
-------
TABLE 2.1.3.-3
SUMMARIZED CRITERIA AND STANDARDS '
FOR LAND DISPOSAL OF WASTES
(Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources
Published.and Unpublished Sources)
Septic
Spray Irrigation
Sludge
System Type
Standard
Alternate
1-1/2 inch/week
•
Depth
to Bedrock
6' minimum
-
3-5' minimum
2* minimum
Depth to
Water Table
«•
6' minimum
20 inches (2)
3-5 ' minimum
10* minimum
Slope
0-15%
0-25%
0^15%
0-10%
Soil Permeability
(Drainage)
6-60 minutes/inch (1)
- (3)
Well to moderately
well drained
Well to moderately
well drained (4)
(1) Average percolation rate
(2) Depth to soil mottling
(3) Not utilized on floodplaln soils, or somewhat poorly, poorly, and very poorly drained soils
(4) Moderately well drained with at least 24 inches to mottling; well drained with at least 36 inches
to mottling; flooding frequency less than once in 25 years
From Pennsylvania DER, COWAMP report, Study Area 8, 1975
-------
TABLE 2.1.3.-4
Area Covered by Soils Suitable
for Land Disposal of Wastes
From Pennsylvania DER, COWAMP reports, Study Areas 8 and 9, 1975
County
Allegheny
Armstrong
Beaver
Butler
Clarion
Elk **
Fayette
Forest **
Greene
Indiana
Jefferson
Lawrence **
Mercer '
Venango
Washington
Westmoreland
TOTALS
Type of Disposal
Land available for
spray irrigation and sludge
disposal
7.
1.3
2.7
5.2
6,5
5.4
9.6
5.2
7.4
1.0
6.2
5.9
2.5
0.4
2.7
0.1
0.9
63.0
sq. mi.
8.6
19.6
23.0
51.6
32.6
54.4
29.7
31.4
8.6
51.4
38.3
9-1
2-5
18.5
0.7
9.1
389.1
Land available for
septic tank disposal
(alt. and std. systems)
7.
31.7
51.6
55.2
50.8
43.7
46.7
23.2
35.7
21.1
50.2
45.9
39.6
28.6
40.0
25.5
52.5
642.0
sq . mi .
206.1
376.4
243. 2.
'. 404.1
263.5 '
264.5
133.3
151.7
175.0
417.0
297.7
144.8
195.6
274.0
218.7
545.7
4,311.3
* Based on County Soil Conservation Service soil interpretation and Table 11 ,
"Summarized Criteria for Land Disposal of Wastes"
** Soil series maps for county not completed. Percentages estimated from
available maps obtained from SCS Offices.
-------
MAP 13
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES
TOPOGRAPHIC AND GEOLOGIC SURVEY
Arthur A. Socolow, Slate Geologist
FIGURE 2.1.1. - 1
PHYSIOGRAPHIC PROVINCES OF PENNSYLVANIA
ORBES counties in bold outline
APPALACHIAN PLATEAUS PtfOVIN
POTTER i -^ S~ ) 'BRADFORD
TIOGA C -* *
TMCKEAN
Allegheny
High |
_ Platkatiis
Section
( Glaciated
Low/ IP ateaus
^ Plnteau (\
\Sec'tion
ENGLAND
"x&7^ PROVINCE
~.'JCKS j
'T>
/^e"'°"V y
APPALACHIAN PLATEAUS PROVINCE VALLEY AND RIDGE BLUE RinrP PIEDMONT PROVINCE
PROVINCE PROVINCE
'5>V\*C
co^
-------
FIGURE 2.1.1.-2
ORBES region
drainage
lemt* *
-------
FIGURE 2.1.1.-4
Axial trace of anticlinal
structures in ORBES region
-50-
-------
GEOLOGIC MAP OF PENNSYLVANIA
i*
^ r
&
25
Scale
50
75
1OO miles
ORBES Counties in bold outline
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES
TOPOGRAPHIC & GEOLOGIC SURVEY
Arthur A. Socolow, State Geologist
FIGURE 2.1.1. - 3
GEOLOGIC MAP OF PENNSYLVANIA
NEW YORK
I ' ,;^^ [
QUATERNARY TRIASSIC PERMIAN PEN
{•>-: .T.iU-or. yrs/ (;=0-230 mi!, yrs.) (230-2SO mil. yrs.) (2SO
Sfir. J sr.d grave!. Shales ar.d sand- Cyclic sequences of Cyc
.'.:-.,: c*:j s revel. store? ii:imded by sandstone, red snnc
diabase, (red) beds, shale, lime- ston
iron . building stone, and coal. and
stone. coo.
L_
NSYLVANIAN MISSISSIPPIAN DEVONIAN SILURIAN Ol
3JO mi!, yrs.) (310-350 mil. yrs.) (350-400 mil. yrs.) (400-425 mil. yrs.) (425
ic sequences of Red beds, shale. Red beds, shale. Sandstone, red Sha
stone, lime- and sandstone. sandstone, lime- beds, shale, and dole
e, shale, clay. stone and chert. limestone. sto
coal. silica sand. gannister, lime, slat
, r.lay, lime. zinc
1 '. !
*DOVICIAN ORDOVICIAN and/ CAMBRIAN PRECAMBRIAN
-500 mil. yrs.) or CAMBRIAN (500-600 mil. yrs.) (Older than
e. limestone, (425-600 mil. yrs.) Limestone and dol- «0mil. yrf.)
mite, sand- Metamorphic rocks- omite; some sand- Gneiss. irr*tn3*.one.
ic. schist, serpentine, stone and shale. serpentine and
y, limestone, gneiss and quartz- lime and gannisier. anorthosiie.
ite. - zinc, bunding
Building stone. stone, yrcphiu.
serecite.
-------
rr s «
o » m
at o
3> rr t-'
H- 3 O
I— O 00
ffl M K-
TO re o
3* »—
(B O tn
3 3 rr
»< CU n
» C
1] O
n SJ rr
O 3 C
3 O. 1
rr »
CO
o o
3 fi>
® o
1 rr
a H-
(D O
n s
o a-
c M
3 O
rr e
M
O
c;
» 3* vji
OJ
M
Ml O
O <
3 (t>
H- >
O >-
< 3"
(B (D
1 3
|. tH n
Ohio River
Beaver Co.
Allegheny Co.
a
-------
FIGURE 2.1.1.-6
Generalized Stratigraphie Section
-------
H3T5T RTBTTt I oTTT) F
DISTRIBUTION OF PE^MSYLVANBA COALS
~~ COWnvTONWTTCTTH
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES
TOPOGRAPHIC & GEOLOGIC SURVEY
Arthur A. Socolow, Slate Geologist
FIGURE 2.1.1. - 7
PlKE
NORTHAMPTON/
UJ
UJ
—»
3:
CUMBERLANDV
LANCASTER^
i-
V.
8.90
WASHINGTON^
*" ^—-1
GREENE
SOMERSET,
2.0
-'CHESTERV, MONTGOMERY
YORK
FULTOT5
430
i:
W. VA.
• Main Bituminous Field
ADAMSN
George/ Creek F/eld
MARYLAND
BITUMINOUS FIELDS
High Volatile Bituminous Coal
Medium Volatile Bituminous Coal
Low Volatile Bituminous Coal
ANTHRACITE FIELDS
Anthracite
Semi Anthracite
Recoverable Coal Reserves
(1970) shown in ORBES
Counties in billions of tons
(from Edmunds, T972)
-------
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES
TOPOGRAPHIC & GEOLOGIC SURVEY
Arthur A. Socolow, Slate Geologist
FIGURE 2.1.1. - 8
100 miles DISTRIBUTION OF PENNSYLVANIA
COALS
^t— Georges/Creek FiiJId
W. VA.
' Main Bituminous Field'
BITUMINOUS FIELDS
High Volatile Bituminous Coal
Medium Volatile Bituminous Coal
Low Volatile Bituminous Coal
ANTHRACITE FIELDS
Anthracite
Semi Anthracite
Strippable Coal reserves (1968)
shown in ORBES Counties
except Elk, Forest, Venango,
in million of tons
(from Edmunds, 1972)
-------
OEOLOQIc]
UHIT
DUNKARO GROUP
£S§
Igo
o5
COAL SEAMS Of THE MAIN
BITUMINOUS AND GEORGES CHECK
FIELDS
( Principe! «ln«d ««omt in capital telttri
••^••••••M
JtHjt***
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to«r»««*«f f "B
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L*v«r ••**r«t««* • 4f
;
•»«» e<«
-------
1.700
1.BOO
1,800
1,400
1,300
1,100
OJ
e
u.
O 800
VI
o
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soo
400
SOO
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1*48 47 40 4» SO II 8t 83 B4 it 88 87 98 SB 80 81 81 83 84 BS 88 87 88 88 70 71 71 73 74 73 78
From Lytle, 1977
FIGURE 2;l.li-12 Production, consumption, and reserves
of natural gas in.Pennsylvania
-------
FIGURE 2.1.1. - 10
OIL AND GAS FIELDS MAP OF PENNSYLVANIA
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES
TOPOGRAPHIC & GEOLOGIC SURVEY
Arthur A. Socolow, Slate Geologist
75°
, '-^.''INDIANA
! V- •
V HUNTINGDON
' r"
\ ; O Shallow sand
' Bas field
JSOMERSET,' /BEDFQR
LANCASTER , ,,, ..
O D«P sand
' gas Held
FULTC?fkiX/FRANKL!N\
.- V. ASHING TON-; "
'
25
78° MARYLAND
Scale
50
75
1OO miles
-------
MAP 15
LIMESTONE AND DOLOMITE
DISTRIBUTION
IN PENNSYLVANIA
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES
TOPOGRAPHIC AND GEOLOGIC SURVEY
ARTHUR A. SOCOLOW. State Ceohfisi
SURFACE-AND SUBSURFACE (Vanport Ls.)
SURFACEONLY FIGURE 2.1.1. - 13
Approximate Limit (depositional and/or erosional)
Loyalhanna limestone areas are in Fayette, Somerset, and Westmoreland Counties
N.Y.
BRADFORD • SUSOUEHANNA;
< I
WYOMING? I .-
-/LACKAWANNA! /•
-v_ I r-J
•I I X P
\ .U-,
r MON
EAVER I
I -K
J / X
SCHUYLKILL -'t*^
" ^ / '"'-I
FAYETTE /
GREENE( i.
N. J.
W. VA.
DEL.
-------
MAP 15
LIMESTONE AND DOLOMITE DISTRIBUTION IN PENNSYLVANIA
Carbonate rocks, consisting of limestones and dolomites, are unique
among the great variety of rock types in Pennsylvania. These rocks
affect man's activities in three major ways: as hazards, as mineral re-
sources, and as ground-water reservoirs. It is intended that this map will
assist in planning and development of those areas in Pennsylvania under-
lain by limestones and dolomites.
HAZARDS-Carbonate rocks present hazards and construction problems
due to the presence of solution cavities both in the surface and sub-
surface. These cavities are the result of gradual dissolving of the rock by
water seeping through it. The solution cavities may become large
enough to form tunnels, caves, and caverns, as well as surface sinkholes
formed by the collapse of these cavities. The underground openings and
their potential danger of collapse call for detailed planning studies prior
to construction or development in limestone-dolomite areas. Studies
should include local geologic mapping, borings, and other tests to
establish foundation conditions for such structures as highways, dams,
bridges, and large buildings.
RESOURCES-Limestone and dolomite rocks in Pennsylvania are
extensively used as mineral resources for the production of (1) crushed
stone for roads and railroads, (2) fluxstone for blast furnaces, (3)
crushed rock for concrete, and (4) raw material for making cement and
agricultural lime. Thus, the occurrence of limestone or dolomite in
various parts of Pennsylvania should be recognized as a valuable mineral
resource, and land-use decisions should take this into account.
WATER-Because of the development of solution cavities in carbonate
rocks, these rock formations may contain and yield large quantities of
underground water. Areas underlain by limestones and dolomites may
supply the water needs of a community through the proper develop-
ment of the subsurface water resources. The planning and development
of any water supplies should recognize the existence of this valuable
underground water source.
The very same porous nature of the carbonate rocks which makes
available large ground-water resources may also permit the influx of
sewage and surface wastes. Therefore, it is important to be particularly
careful in planning sewage and waste disposal in limestone-dolomite
areas so that contamination of the valuable ground-water resources will
not occur.
STATEWIDE REFERENCES
Map 1 Geologic Map of Pennsylvania, 1960. Scale 1:250,000
0" = 4 miles). $3.75
M 20 Limestones of Pennsylvania, by B. L Miller, 1934. 2.00
M 50 Atlas of Pennsylvania's mineral resources.
Part 1: Limestones and dolomites of Pennsylvania,
by B.J. O'Neill, Jr., 1964. 2.75
Part 1. Supplement, Limestones and dolomites of
Pennsylvania, by G. Deasy and others, 1967. 1.00
OTHER PUBLICATIONS
This map is designed to acquaint the reader with the distribution of
carbonate rocks in Pennsylvania. For other publications dealing in
greater detail with limestones and dolomites in local areas of
Pennsylvania, please refer to the Pennsylvania Geological Publications
List, available upon request from the Pennsylvania Geological Survey,
Department of Environmental Resources, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania,
17120.
-------
WATER YIELDING CAPABILITY
OF ROCKS OF
PENNSYLVANIA
25
Scale
5O
75
100 miles
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES
TOPOGRAPHIC AND GEOLOGIC SURVEY
ARTHUR A. SOCOLOW. State Geologist
FIGURE 2.1.1. - 14 WATER YIELDING CAPABILITY OF ROCKS OF PENNSYLVANIA
Median yield is the yield in the middle of the range of
yields of a rock formation. Each of the five colors on
the map includes several formations, each with its own
median yield figure. The range given for each color is
from the formation with the highest median yield.
ESTIMATED MEDIAN YIELD (gpm) OF BEDROCK UNITS
10 to 25
26 to 50 51 to 100 101 to 200 201 to 850
• • • • • Southern limit of glacial deposits
Yields of wells in glacial and stream
deposits of sand and gravel range
from 20 to 2000 gpm.
-------
- EXPLANATION
Geologic boundary
From Hadley and Devine, 1974
• Tectonic province boundary
bashed vfaare cooculcd by younger depoelta
Major antlcllaa or
ancicllnorium
Kajor lyacllna or
•yoelinorium
-e—
Arch
approximate locatlo
of axle
fault
.how ralatlY. ««««
»h«r« approxl«.taly locatad or eov.red by younjar dcpo.ita
fault
Savta.ch oo opp«r pUl«. Zlaab«d vb.r.
by youn,«r dapo.lt.
Axla of cabayaeat trou'tb
FIGURE 2.1.1.-15
Tectonic Map
Laemily obaarvcd folda or fmlt» la Coaatal Ma
la roclta
-60-
-------
EXPLANATIO
Iba center of each triangular ayaho! Indicate* th« evlcentral location of on*
or nor* aeiaalc r*«nu. plotted to the aeareat 0.1 dctree of latitude and
longitude. The istenairy abown la nar-lram Modified Merealll (MM) intensity
In the eplcontral area of the largest event at the plotted location. Moat
location* ara baaed on obaerratlona of intensity rather thaa on inatruoon-
tal recorda
Modified Mercalll Intenalty
III to VI
A
VII
£«lenlc tiaquaacr coatoor rcpreeentt the aroal dlatributloa of earthquake
epicenters with oplconcral Incenolty of MM 111 *od freater. aa indicated
»y the tocal Buefeer par lO^k*2 durlnf the period 1800-1972. Contour Inter-
vale ara 0-4, core then 4 but leae than S, aore than 8 but leaa then 16.
•ore than 16 but loaa than 32. acre than' 32 buc laaa-than 64, and «or« than
64. Tho coacoura «rc cooalderabljr t«tiaraj.lred *nd arc *hotrn only aa a juid«
for eatlnatlas tetlooaj. aelamlclty. They have no value for preclaa location
of aelaaic bouodarlaa
n « n M n io« in <«» in i
t« It*. J*V
VIII
A
IX-X
A
XII
From Radley and Devine
1974
FIGURE 2.1.1.-16
Earthquake epicenters, 1800-1972
-61-
-------
From King and Zietz, 1978
1?TC-URE 2.1 "I.-17
New York — Alabama lineament'plotted on seismotectonic
map of eastern United States (Hadley and Devine, 1974)
shoving earthquake epicenters of modified Mercalli III
or greater, recorded from 1800 to 197-2. Contours show
number of epicenters per 10,000 km.2. Location of lin-
eament is based on magnetic and gravity data.
-62-
-------
North Latitude, degrees
FIGTOE 2.1.1.-18
Seismic stations operating during the period
July - September 1977
-63-
-------
Mean Annual Precipitation, Inches
n I
PENNSYLVANIA
-«•
Based on the period 1931-60
ORBES region In bold outline
I
-3-
Figure 2,1.2.-I
-------
H
4.9
3.0
2.0 •
1 i
•f-.o
3.0
3.0
Figure -2.JU2.-2 Mean monthly precipitation
at Pittsburgh
.*•
fa
1.
.c
t I I I I
•SO
tltfn annual frtcifitorian
J3.it in.
I 1 I t T I I
I I I 1 1 I I 1 i i i t 1 t I I i i f i i i i t I t I
30
Figure 2.1.2.-3 Mean, annual precipitation
at Pittsburgh
-65-
-------
ON
I
From
Pennsylvania DER, COWAMP report, Study Area 9, preliminary draft, 1975
, . ' • 'i-
ORBES counties In bold outline
Figure 2.1,2.-A Rainfall In inches for 1-hour duration
and 2.33-year return period
-------
From Pennsylvania DER, COWAMP report, study Area 9, preliminary draft, 1975
ORBES counties In bold outline
Figure 2,1.2.-5. Rainfall In inches for 24-hour duration
and 2.33-year return period
-------
Mean Minimum Temperature (°F ), July
CO
I
—i[—
ENNSYLVAN1A
|tir«tt MI*
Based on the period 1931-60
ORBES counties in bold outline
Figure 2.1.2.-6
-------
Mean Maximum Temperature (°F), July
U3
I
PENNSYLVANIA
S^~->~ y
ITUL MOUUTAKS /
-..-y
1-JLTJC.
i '"'"""_!.'_ rnr ,j> ^—*•-
-. — —»—-.- — *%i.,^.± f m fc. KM
Based on the period 1931-60
ORBES counties In bold outline
Figure. 2.1,2.-7
-------
Mean Minimum Temperature (°F ), January
o
I
I'__....>. T y ,/.,,_. .-..o •v25»i~^"*""i
NORTH VEST | .X-y/fl ,.'-*P
I —»" "•-"^r..../^ /> \ ~ LJ_yJ-CC
T^X '^..L. < r'
^^...^.j^^/1.^
Based on the period 1931-60
ORBES counties in bold outline
Figure '2v1.2.-8
-------
Mean Maximum Temperature (°F), January
PENNSYLVANIA
• I4IHII Mil
JPPER SUSQUQ-lANNlT / "~"~i "•'l~— / \]
C 1 V / —|V'".../ > 3^
^v ^...-i 't'pocoNo_i %_t....iyc.^
Based on the period 1931-60
ORBES counties In bold outline
Figure 2.1,2,-9
-------
From U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 1976
Figure 2« 1.2-^-10 Average annual snowfall
1962-72 (in inches)
After Jennings, _in Netting 1956
Figure 2,1.2.-11 Average length of
growing season (in days)
-72-
-------
20
- 20
Data from City station through 1951-52; from Greater Pgh.
Airport from 1952-53 on
'Figure 2.1.2.-12 Annual snowfall at Pittsburgh
F fl
12.0 -
6.0 -
4.0 -
0.0
J
_J
I
L_
s
I
H D
IZ.o
6.0
0-0
Data from Greater Pgh. Airport station
Figure Z.1..2.-13 Mean monthly snowfall at Pittsburgh
1953-1976
-73-
-------
/ r H
Figure 2.1,2.-14 Average monthly wind speed at Pittsburgh
1968-1977
Figure 2.1.2.-15 Maximum monthly wind speed at
Pittsburgh, 1968-1977
/>*.
Mar.
Figure 2.1.2.-16 Monthly wind at Pittsburgh, 1968-1977
Resultant wind*, average speed**, and maximum
speed***
* Resultant wind shown by arrows; is vector sum of wind directions
divided by number of observations
** Average speed (mph) in upper left corner of box
*** Maximum speed (mph) in lower right corner of box; is fastest mile
in 1-minute interval
-------
tf
'7» '71 'TJ '13 '74 'IS
7t
so -
Figure 2. 1.2. -17 Number of clear days at Pittsburgh
'(9 "70 '7i '73 '73 '74- '75 '76 1977
10 -
10
Figure 2.1..2.-18 Number of days of thunderstorms and
heavy fog at Pittsburgh
Figure 2.1.2.-19 Monthly temperature at Pittsburgh
-75-
-------
Number of Times Destruction was Caused
by Tropical Slorma. 1901-1955
From USCOMM-ESSA
Figure 2.1.2.-20
From Holtzworth, 1972
Figure 2,1.2,^21 Total number of forecast-days of meteorological potential
for air pollution expected in a 5-year period. Based on
period Aug. 1, 1960-Apr. 13, 1970
-76-
-------
From U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Environmental Inventory of the Pittsburgh District, 1976
Figure 2.1.3.-1 General soil map
(see legend, following page)
-77-
-------
General Soil Map Legend
Map Unit Soil Associations
1 Calvin-Lock Mill-Meckesville
2 Berks-Weikert-Bedington
3 Cookport-Clymer-Hazleton
4 Cookport-Cavode-Wharton
5 Culleoka-Weikert
6 Gilpin-Clyrner-Cookport
7 Gilpin-Hazleton-Calvin.
8 Gilpin-Ernest-Wharton
9 Gilpin-Upshur-Weikert
10 Hazleton-Cookport
11 Hazleton-Gilpin-Ernest
12 Rayne-Wharton-Ernest
13 Cavode-Wharton-Gilpin
14 . Upshur-Gilpin-Clarksburg
15 Guernsey-Culleoka
16 Oquaga-Lordstown
17 Oquaga-Wellsboro-Morris
18 Canfield-Ravenna
19 Erie-Langford
20 Hanover-Alvira
21 Ravenna-Frenchtown
22 Sheffield-Platea
23 Venango-Cambridge
24 Volusia-Mardin-Lordstown
25 Chenango-*Howard-Pope
26 Monongahela-Philo-Melvin
27 Wayland-Chenango-Braceville
28 Canadice-Caneada
-78-
-------
PRODUCTION
DISPOSAL
Evapotronspiration
PRETREATMENT f
Soil Absorption
Soil Layers
J Purification \
y~ -^ V
Water Table
From Pennsylvania DER, COWAMP report, Study Area 8, 1975
Figure 2.1.3.-2 Standard septic tank-seepage bed system
-79-
-------
REFERENCES
Bern, J. (1976) Residues from power generation: processing, recycling,
and disposal. In: Land Application of Waste Materials. Soil
Conservation Society of America, Ankeny, Iowa.
Briggs, R. P., and Kohl, W. R. (1976) Map showing major fold axes, satellite
imagery lineaments, elongate aeroradioctivity anomalies, and lines of
structural discontinuity, southwestern Pennsylvania and vicinity,
U. S. Geol. Survey, Miscellaneous Field Studies, Map MF-815.
Carswell, L. D. and Bennett, G. D. (1963) Geology and hydrology of the
Neshannock quadrangle, Mercer and Lawrence Counties, Pa. Geol.
Survey, Water Resources Report, W15.
Gate, A. S. (1962) Subsurface structure of the plateau region of north-central
and western Pennsylvania on top of the Oriskany Formation, Pa. Geol.
Survey, Map 9.
Chiburis, E. F., Ahner, R. 0., and Graham, T. (from 1975 on) Seismicity of
the northeastern United States, Bulletins, Northeastern Seismic Network,
Weston Observatory of Boston College and University of Connecticut.
Dailey, P. W., Jr. (1971) Climate of Pennsylvania, U. S. Department of
Commerce/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Environmental
Data Service, Climatography of the United States No. 60-36.
Edmunds, W. E. (1972) Coal reserves of Pennsylvania: total, recoverable,
and strippable (January 1, 1970), Pa. Geol. Survey, Information
Gallaher, J. T. (1973) Summary ground-water resources of Allegheny County,
Pa.'Geol. Survey, Water Resources Report, W35.
Gelburd, G. S. (1977) A study of the pH spectrum of individual raindrops.
MSc(Hyg.) Thesis, Dept. Indus. Environ. Health Sciences, University
of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Hadley, J. B. and Devine, J. F. (1974) Seismotectonic map of the eastern
United States, U. S. Geol. Survey, Miscellaneous Field studies,
Map MF-620.
Holtzworth, G. C. (1972) Mixing heights, wind speeds, and urban air pollution
potential, Environmental Protection Agency.
Kane, R. (1974) A study of the acidic nature of precipitation. MSc (Hyg.)
Thesis, Dept. Indus. Environ. Health Sciences, University of Pittsburgh,
Pittsburgh, Pa.
King, E. R. and Zietz, I. (1978) The -New York - Alabama lineament: geophysical
evidence for a major crustal break in the basement beneath the
Appalachian basin, Geology, vol. 6, p. 312-318, May.
-80-
-------
Leggette, R. M. (1936) Ground water in northwestern Pennsylvania, Pa. Geol.
Survey, Water Resources Report, W3.
Lohman, S. W. (1939) Ground water in north-central Pennsylvania, Pa. Geol.
Survey, Water Resources Report, W6.
(1938) Ground water in south-central Pennsylvania, Pa. Geol.
Survey, Water Resources Report, W5.
Lytle, W. S. et al. (1977) Oil and gas developments in Pennsylvania in 1976,
Pa. Geol. Survey, Progress Report 190.
Lytle, W. S., and Balogh, L. J. (1977) Oil and gas fields of Pennsylvania,
Pa. Geol. Survey, Map No. 3.
(1975) Greater Pittsburgh Region oil and gas
fields map, Pa. Geol. Survey, Map 44.
Netting, M. G. (1956) Geography of the Upper Ohio Valley in "Man and the Water
of the Upper Ohio Basin," edited by C. A. Tryon and M. A. Shapiro,
Special Publication No. 1, Pymatuning Laboratory of Field Biology,
University of Pittsburgh.
Newport, T. G. (1973) Summary ground water resources of Clarion County,
Pa. Geol. Survey, Water Resources Report, W32.
(1973) Summary ground water resources of Westmoreland County,
Pa. Geol. Survey, Water Resources Report, W37.
(1973) Summary ground water resources of Washington County,
Pa. Geol. Survey, Water Resources Report W38.
Nieman, B.' L. and Mahan, A. L. (1978) Impact of long-range transport of
pollutants on air quality in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Study by
Teknekron, Inc. for U. S. EPA Office of Energy, Minerals, and Industry,
Washington, D. C.
O'Neill, B. J., Jr. (1977) Directory of the mineral industry in Pennsylvania,
Pa. Geol.. Survey, Information Circular 54 (3rd Edition) .
(1964) Limestones and dolomites of Pennsylvania, Part 1 of
Pa. Geol. Survey Atlas of Pennsylvania's Mineral Resources, M50.
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources (1975) Comprehensive water
quality management plan, Study Area 5, (COWAMP) preliminary draft.
(1975) Comprehensive water
quality management plan, central Susquehanna River basin, Study Area 6,
(COWAMP) preliminary draft.
(1975} Comprehensive water
quality management plan,upper Allegheny River basin. Study Area 8.
(1976) Comprehensive water
quality management plan, upper Monongahela River basin. Study Area 9,
(COWAMP) preliminary draft.
-81-
-------
Piper, A. M. (1933) Ground water in southwestern Pennsylvania, Pa. Geol. Survey,
Water Resources Report, W 1.
Poth, C. W. (1974) Geology and hydrology of the Mercer quadrangle, Mercer,
Lawrence, and Butler Counties, Pa. Geol. Survey, Water Resources
Report, W 16.
(1973) Summary ground water resources o£ Armstrong County, Pa. Geol.
Survey, Water Resources Report, W 34.
*
(1973) Summary ground water resources of Butler County, Pa. Geol.
Survey, Water Resources Report, W 36.
Poth, C. W. (1973) Summary ground water resources of Beaver. County, Pa. Geol.
Survey, Water Resources Report, W 39.
Schiner, G. R. and Kinmel, G. E. (1976) Geology and ground water resources of
northern Mercer County, Pa. Geol. Survey, Water Resources Report W 33.
Shepps, V. C. (1959) Glacial geology of northwestern Pennsylvania, Pa- GeqJ.
Survey, General Geology Report, G 32. • \V~"
Sholes, M. A., and Skema, V. W. (1974) Bituminous coal resources-in western
Pennsylvania, Pa. Geol. Survey, Mineral Resources Report, M 68.
U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh District (1976) Environmental
resources inventory of the Pittsburgh District, prepared by Engineer
Agency for Resources Inventories (Terrain Analysis Center), U. S. Army
Engineer Topographic Laboratories, Ft. Belvoir, Va., draft copy.
U. S. Weather Bureau (1956) Maximum station precipitation for 1, 2, 3, 6, 12,
and 24 hours, Part XIV: Pennsylvania Technical Paper No. 15, U. S.
Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C.
Wagner, W. R. et al. (1975) Greater Pittsburgh Region stru-'.ture contour map of
Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Washington, and- Westmoreland
Counties, Pa. Geol. Survey, Map No. 43. V
-82-
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