Cooperative Agreement S22AC00019

PROGRAM: NOT-FOR-PROFIT ACID MINE DRAINAGE (AMD) RECLAMATIONAWARD PURPOSE: FUNDING ASSISTS LOCAL QUALIFIED NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS TO BEGIN ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS TO IMPROVE THE WATER QUALITY OF STREAMS IMPACTED BY AMD. LANDS AND WATER ELIGIBLE FOR RECLAMATION OR DRAINAGE ABATEMENT EXPENDITURES UNDER SECTION 404 OF PUBLIC LAW 95-87 (THE ACT), AS AMENDED, ARE THOSE WHICH WERE MINED FOR COAL OR WHICH WERE AFFECTED BY SUCH MINING, WASTE BANKS, COAL PROCESSING, OR OTHER COAL MINING PROCESSES, EXCEPT AS PROVIDED FOR UNDER SECTION 411 OF THE ACT PRIOR TO AUGUST 3, 1977, AND FOR WHICH THERE IS NO CONTINUING RECLAMATION RESPONSIBILITY UNDER STATE OR OTHER FEDERAL LAWS.ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA COALITION FOR ABANDONED MINE RECLAMATION IS SERVING AS THE APPLICANT FOR A PROJECT LOCATED WITHIN THE CITY OF ST. MARYS, ELK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA TITLED: WEST CREEK AMD TREATMENT SYSTEM INSTALLATION. THE TREATMENT SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO TREAT FOUR MINE DISCHARGE SITES. THE SYSTEM IS SPATIALLY DIVIDED INTO TWO DISTINCT TREATMENT AREAS BASED ON THE LOCATIONS OF THE ACID MINE DRAINAGE DISCHARGE SOURCES. TREATMENT AREA 1 IS THE LARGER OF THE TWO AREAS AND TREATS THREE DISCHARGES. TREATMENT AREA 1 IS DESIGNED TO USE A TERRACED IRON FORMATION (TIFF) AND A JENNINGS- STYLE VERTICAL FLOW POND (JVFP), WHICH HAS A 20 YEAR- DESIGN LIFE. THE TIFF PROVIDES A LOW- COST TREATMENT THAT WILL HELP TO PROLONG THE LIFE OF THE JVFP THROUGH THE PRECIPITATION OF A PORTION OF THE IRON BEFORE IT REACHES THE FIRST ALKALINITY GENERATING COMPONENT. THIS HELPS TO PRESERVE THE HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY AND LONG- TERM FUNCTIONALITY OF THE JVFP TREATMENT MEDIA. TREATMENT AREA 2 IS DESIGNED TO TREAT ONE DISCHARGE USING AN ANOXIC LIMESTONE DRAIN, WHICH HAS A LIFETIME OF 20 YEARS.EXPECTED DELIVERABLES OR OUTCOMES: TREATMENT AREA 1 (DISCHARGES WC2, WC3, WC4): INSTALLATION OF A TERRACED IRON FORMATION (TIFF) WHICH SERVES AS A COLLECTION CHANNEL TO CAPTURE THE DIFFUSE SEEP ZONE, AND PROVIDES A MEANS FOR LOW-PH IRON REMOVAL TO OCCUR PRIOR TO TREATMENT IN THE SUBSEQUENT PRIMARY ALKALINITY GENERATING TREATMENT COMPONENT, WHICH IS THE JENNINGS STYLE VERTICAL FLOW POND (JVFP). TREATMENT AREA 2 (DISCHARGE WC6): INSTALLATION OF AN ANOXIC LIMESTONE DRAIN (ALD) WHICH ALLOWS FOR OXIDATION, PRECIPITATION, SETTLING, AND STORAGE OF IRON SOLIDS PRIOR TO THE ATER DISCHARGING INTO WEST CREEK.INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: THIS PROJECT WILL BENEFIT ANY RESIDENCE WITHIN THE FOUR MUNICIPALITIES OF THE CITY OF ST. MARYS, EMPORIUM BOROUGH, JONES TOWNSHIP, AND SHIPPEN TOWNSHIP, BETWEEN ELK AND CAMERON COUNTY. BENEFITS WILL BE ABLE TO BE SEEN IN THE UPPER REACHES OF THE SINNEMAHONING RIVER IN THE SUSQUEHANNA WATERSHED.SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES (IF KNOWN OR SPECIFIED AT TIME OF AWARD): N/A