Brownfields
Success Story
Reclaiming Abandoned Mine
Lands One Parcel at a Time
Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
Though a boon to the economy for nearly 200 years, coal mining was
not kind to Pennsylvania's natural environment. In Luzerne County, in the
northeastern part of the state, the legacy of anthracite extraction includes
thousands of acres of abandoned mine lands. Many local streams and
wetlands are contaminated with acid mine drainage, as well.
Leading the charge to clean up and restore these damaged lands and
waterways is the nonprofit Earth Conservancy. Founded in 1992 and based in
Ashley, Earth Conservancy partners with government agencies, educational
institutions, other conservation groups, businesses and residents to reclaim
and prepare former coal mining lands in Luzerne County for productive reuse.
In 1994, Earth Conservancy purchased nearly 16,500 acres from the
bankrupt estate of the former Blue Coal Corporation and then meticulously
mapped out a land use plan for the property. The plan involved cleaning up
and reclaiming the land piece by piece, with parcels being set aside for open
space, community use, and new residential, commercial and
industrial development.
Recognizing the merits of Earth Conservancy's divide-and-conquer
approach, starting in 2003, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
began supporting the nonprofit's efforts with a series of cleanup grants. As
of 2015, Earth Conservancy has applied for and obtained 12 EPA Brownfields
grants totaling $2.4 million. With that seed funding, the organization has
already reclaimed nearly 2,000 acres of mine-scarred lands.
The Opportunity
Throughout much of Pennsylvania's history, coal was a key driver of
economic growth. In the 1700s, coal powered the colonial iron industry.
From the 1800s through the early 1900s, it was the primary fuel used in
steel manufacturing. By 1918, the state's coal production peaked at 276
million tons. After World War II, as the steel industry declined, coal became a
feedstock for electricity generation.
&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Earth Conservancy oversaw construction of
this stormwater basin to manage acid mine
drainage at the Hanover 9 site.
EPA Grant Recipient:
Earth Conservancy
Grant Type:
EPA Brownfield Cleanup Grants
Former Use:
Coal mining and prospecting
Current Uses:
Open space, recreational trails, a
community college dormitory, a new
roadway and residential, commercial
and industrial development
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Starting with one
large piece of mine-
scarred land, Earth
Conservancy's
unique approach
to brownfield
redevelopment has
been to parcel off
and address the
contamination on
the property piece
by piece, with a
variety of reuses and
outcomes to benefit
the community. ••
Mickey Young
Project Officer
EPA Region 3
Until the mid-1900s, coal was mined without formal regulation and with
little thought paid to the environmental consequences. When all available
coal was extracted from a mining site, operators simply moved to another
area, abandoning the previous mines. Across Pennsylvania, more than
250,000 acres of mine lands were abandoned, scarring the landscape with
environmental and safety hazards. As a result, more than 5,000 miles of the
state's waterways are polluted from mine drainage, and many people were
injured, killed, or suffered property damage from unsafe and unstable mines.
In Luzerne County, Earth Conservancy grasped the opportunity to purchase
an expansive land holding following the bankruptcy of the Blue Coal
Company. The property, which was used both for mining and storing culm
(refuse coal screenings), was dormant for decades.
"We developed a comprehensive land use plan that served us well, and
we continue to follow it today," says Michael Dziak, president and CEO of
Earth Conservancy. The plan identified more than 3,000 acres needing
reclamation due to mine scarring and pollution. Further, it earmarked
reserving 10,000 acres for green space, 2,800 acres for residential
development, 2,200 acres for economic development and the remainder for
farmland or other purposes.
Funding from EPA's Brownfields Program, the Pennsylvania Department of
Environmental Protection's Growing Greener Program, the U.S. Department
of the Interior's Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement and
the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development
helped Earth Conservancy get the ball rolling on nearly 50 projects.
"Support from the EPA Brownfields Program is of particular importance," Dziak says,
"enabling us to leverage other funds necessary to complete this work."
To date, Earth Conservancy pulled in a total investment of $42.8 million to
tackle pollution on numerous tracts of land, cleaning them up and making
them available for mixed-use development, as well as recreational use and
green space.
Selected Projects
Concrete City Silt Pond Reclamation. On the border of the city of
Nanticoke and Hanover Township, the Concrete City project reclaimed a
36-acre site located near a suburban neighborhood. Historically, the site was
used as a repository for coal mine waste. Over time, the acid mine drainage
polluted the Nanticoke Creek watershed. Reclamation involved grading
and recontouring a portion of the site, as well as installing soil and compost
to encourage the growth of native plants. Currently, the pond on the site
is recovering naturally, creating habitat for wetland-loving birds such as
herons. The area will remain as open space. Total project cost: $333,000.
Developers plan to build townhomes on a
portion of the reclaimed Franklin Bank parcel.
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Franklin Bank Reclamation Project. In Hanover Township, near the border
of the city of Wilkes-Barre, the Franklin Bank project involved a 14.75-acre site
previously used to hold large amounts of residual culm. The surrounding area
is residential, predominantly single-family homes. The sparse scrub vegetation
that grew on the property offered the watershed little protection from the acid
mine drainage. The reclamation project removed a significant volume of waste
material from the site, and crews then regraded and contoured the land. Once
the project was completed, Earth Conservancy sold the site, which is under
development to feature townhouses. Total project cost: $337,000.
Espy Run Wetlands Enhancement Project. Espy Run is a tributary to
the Nanticoke Creek watershed and Susquehanna River. In 1994, Earth
Conservancy piloted a project to construct wetlands with a passive system
to treat approximately 500 gallons of water per minute from the Espy seep.
The project demonstrated that constructed wetlands can be an efficient
system for treating acid mine drainage. In 2011, a follow-up project installed
an enhanced system with two new settling ponds—large, shallow pools that
allow iron to settle out of the water as its flows through. Water then exits
into a pond filled with water-loving plants such as cattails, whose roots
act as sponges catching and holding the remaining iron and sediment. The
enhanced system more than doubled the aeration capability and treatment
capacity of the initial wetland and is now able to treat the entire Espy Run
discharge. Water now entering Espy Run is virtually free of iron. Total project
cost: $240,000.
Hanover 9 Reclamation Project, Phase I, Parcel A. The 390-acre Hanover 9
property is predominantly in Hanover Township, but the 70-acre Parcel A lies
in the city of Nanticoke. Phase I was the first of several projects undertaken
to reclaim the entire Hanover 9 strip mine site. The project reclaimed a 37-
acre section of land adjacent to Luzerne County Community College. Crews
graded and recontoured the site, which now offers options for mixed-use
development and conservation. Discussions are underway to sell a portion
of the site to a developer who plans to build student housing for the
community college. Total project cost: $688,000.
The Hanover 9 project also includes construction of a 3.5-mile segment of
roadway on reclaimed property that Earth Conservancy donated to the
state. The new South Valley Parkway will reduce traffic on nearby Middle
Road, increasing safety in the surrounding residential area and improving
access to the community college from Interstate 81. At an estimated cost of
$50 million, the project will open up opportunities for additional mixed-use
development on the underutilized land in the area.
Hanover 9 Reclamation Project, Phase II, Parcels B, C and D. Eollow-
up actions on additional Hanover 9 parcels involve filling pits, grading
and recontouring. The entire Hanover 9 site is intended for mixed-use
development, including recreational and green spaces. Total project cost:
$1 million.
Our goal is to
revitalize land that
was degraded and
abandoned, and
return that land
to productive use.
We're trying to do it
the right way and in
the right places, with
community support,
to drive economic
development in
the county. ••
Michael Dziak
President and CEO
Earth Conservancy
The entrance to Luzerne County Community
College is just visible across this reclaimed
section of Hanover 9, Parcel A.
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Bliss Bank Reclamation Projects, Phase I, Parcels A and B. Bliss Bank was
used as a mining overburden holding area. Overburden consists of rock and
coal fragments with a burn capacity that was too low for use in electricity
generation or remining. Projects planned for Parcels A and B will reclaim
approximately 40 acres of mining-scarred land. Currently in the construction
phase, these projects are intended to prepare the sites for mixed-use
development because of their proximity to Luzerne County Community College.
Total project cost (projected): $1.5 million.
Bliss Bank Reclamation Projects, Phase II, Parcels C and D. Follow-up projects
at Bliss Bank will clean up another 83 acres degraded with massive stockpiles
of culm. In addition to grading and contouring the site, crews will perform
significant stormwater management work on Parcel D, including construction
of 7,100 square yards of conveyance channels and a 14-acre detention basin, as
well as establishment of a riparian buffer. Currently in the design phase, these
projects will prepare the site for future mixed-use development. Total project cost
(projected): $15 million.
Warrior Run Reclamation Project. This project aims to clean up approximately
14 acres of mining debris located just outside a residential neighborhood in the
Warrior Run Borough. Grading and recontouring will prepare this parcel for
potential residential development due its proximity to existing transportation and
utility infrastructure. Total project cost (projected): $273,000.
The Benefits
Earth Conservancy projects in Luzerne County are helping turn back the
clock on nearly 200 years of neglect to the local environment. Where a
decade ago, pits of brown, polluted water sat idle, today native plants
grow and waterfowl swim and graze. Scarred mountainsides are
recontoured and regraded. And, abandoned mounds of mining debris
were removed to facilitate nature's recovery and a return of underutilized
land to the community as open space, recreational land and a clean slate
for new development.
"We've built about 20-plus miles of trails that are open for public use,"
Dziak says, "and we just completed a transaction with the Pennsylvania
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources where we're donating
half the value of more than 3,000 acres with views overlooking the
Susquehanna River that will stay green forever."
Reclaiming these properties also supports the county's rebirth and re-
visioning for growth in a post-coal-mining economy. "We're generating
interest," Dziak says. "With the community college here, developers come
in knowing there are opportunities. Adjacent properties are looked at more
favorably, which helps overall growth. This will be huge for the county
for decades."
This reclaimed section of Hanover 9,
Parcels B, C and D, is ready for reuse.
Construction is underway to clean up
culm banks and other mining damage at
the Bliss Bank site.
For more information:
Visit the EPA Brownfields website
at www.epa.gov/brownfields
or contact Mickey Young
vounq.mickev(S)epa.aov
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