Free Well and Spring Water Screening Test
As part of our outreach and assistance to private well owners, we are offering a free water screening test. The water screening test will check the general quality of your well or spring water and the testing will include pH, conductivity, total dissolved solids, iron, nitrate, nitrite, alkalinity, and total hardness. To qualify for the testing, you will need to do the following:
1. Provide you full name, email address, and mailing address with a general description of your water source. This should include your zip code, county, and local municipality and the water sample should be collected prior to any water treatment.
2. Provide a description of any water quality concerns or questions.
3. Provide a copy of any certified baseline testing or most recent water test.
4. Using a clean plastic spring water bottle or plastic container – collected a 200 ml water sample or 6 ozs- Remove any aeration devices and allow the water to run for 10 to 15 minutes prior to sampling. Ship the sample to the address shown below.
5. State that you Liked our Websites on Facebook ( Keystone Clean Water Team) or Twitter @keystonewater or @KnowYourH2OPath
Mail your water sample to the following address. Turn-around time may be as much as 2 weeks.
Keystone Clean Water Team(CCGG Program)
15 Hillcrest Drive
Dallas, PA 18612
There will be no charge for the analysis, but we will plan to use your testing results as part of our educational outreach program. There will be NO sales calls for water treatment equipment and your contact information will NOT be sold to any third party.
If you are looking for more comprehensive information water testing, please visit our Private Well Owner Water Testing Portal. If you are looking for certified baseline testing, please go to this webportal.
This program is supported by donations by individuals, businesses, and corporations. Please consider supporting this effort – ever dollars helps!
Looking for a water treatment system – Try !
Program is open to all private well owners in the United States.
Volunteer
We seek new people at all skill levels for a variety of programs. One thing that everyone can do is attend meetings to share ideas on improving CCGG, enabling us to better understand and address the concerns of well owners.
Everything we do began with an idea.
We realize your time is precious and the world is hectic. KCWT’s volunteers do only what they’re comfortable with. It can be a little or a lot.
For more information, please go to KCWT’s About Page or contact us.
Keystone Clean Water Team is a 501(c)(3) IRS approved nonprofit, volunteer organization and your donation is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Unsolicited donations are appreciated.
Get Your Water Tested or Order the Private Well Owner Guide (proceeds benefit This Organization).
Pennsylvania Abandoned Mine Reclamation Conference August 2013
Are you interested in becoming a part of the longest running Pennsylvania Statewide Conference on Abandoned Mine Reclamation as we forge ahead into the future of reclamation in PA? Sponsorship at one of our convenient levels is a great way to get involved. And there are some great perks too!
The Conference will provide a forum for the dissemination of information and encourage discussions between industry, watershed groups, and decision makers that can help to further innovations in public policy, abandoned mine reclamation, remediation, and restoration of PA’s watersheds and communities impacted by AMD and abandoned mine lands. Celebrate 15 years with us in 2013! We’ve come a long way, but we still have a long way to go!
Gold Sponsor – Donate $5000 or more & you will receive:
Sponsor listing ( Placement on website, logo placement, full page logo in program booklet, placards, press releases, opening & closing remarks)
Jumbo Exhibit Area near the entrance to the most heavy traffic areas of the Conference*
3 complementary Conference registrations (please include name of registrant(s) with check)
1 Opportunity to make a presentation at the Conference
Silver Sponsor – Donate $3000 or more & you will receive:
Sponsor listing (Placement on website, logo placement, ½ page logo in program booklet, placards, press releases, opening & closing remarks)
Jumbo Exhibit Area near the hustle and bustle of the conference happenings*
2 complementary conference registrations (please include name of registrant with check)
1 Opportunity to make a presentation at the Conference
Bronze Sponsor – Donate $1000 or more & you will receive:
Sponsor listing (Placement on website, logo placement, ¼ page logo in program booklet, placards, press releases, opening & closing remarks)
Standard Exhibit Area near the hustle and bustle of the conference happenings*
1 complementary conference registration (please include name of registrant with check)
*Sponsors and Exhibitors must bring their own 10′ extension cords. Please stop by the registration table at the PA AMR Conference to find out where we have reserved space for your exhibit. You may setup from 7AM to 8:30AM on Friday and please plan to take down your exhibit by no later than 12:30PM on Saturday. Please contact Robert Hughes at 570-371-3523, rhughes@epcamr.org if you have any questions.
Please make checks payable to “EPCAMR” or use our EPCAMR Online Store for credit card payments. You may direct questions and send payments to:
Robert E. Hughes, Executive Director
EPCAMR
101 S. Main Street
Ashley, PA 18706
Phone: 570-371-3523
Volunteer
We seek new people at all skill levels for a variety of programs. One thing that everyone can do is attend meetings to share ideas on improving CCGG, enabling us to better understand and address the concerns of well owners.
Everything we do began with an idea.
We realize your time is precious and the world is hectic. CCGG’s volunteers do only what they’re comfortable with. It can be a little or a lot.
For more information, please go to CCGG’s About Page or contact us.
Carbon County Groundwater Guardians is a 501(c)(3) IRS approved nonprofit, volunteer organization and your donation is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Help the Organization and Get Your Water Tested or Order the Private Well Owner Guide (proceeds benefit This Organiazation).
Wellness and Water 2013 WV Wesleyan College Buckhannon West Virginia
Wellness and Water 2013
June 29 – 30, 3013 ~ WV Wesleyan College, Buckhannon, WV
Plenary Speakers, Panelists & Workshop Leaders:
Yuri Gorby, Associate Professor, Blitman Chair in Environmental Engineering
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
Yuri Gorby earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from Bethany College, and his doctoral degree in microbiology from the University of New Hampshire. He served as a National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow at the U.S. Geological Survey in Reston, VA, and the U.S. Department of Energy-funded Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, WA. Prior to joining Rensselaer, he served as an assistant professor at the J. Craig Venter Institute, a nonprofit genomics institute in San Diego and Department of Marine and Environmental Biology at the University of Southern California. His interdisciplinary research is at the nexus of environmental engineering and biology. He is an accomplished microbial physiologist and bioprocess engineer who, in his work, embraces the use of controlled cultivation to understand the fundamental properties of bacteria for a range of applications. These include remediating contaminated water, developing alternative energy resources, and mitigating the impact of microbes on corrosion. Contact: Yuri Gory, ygorby@gmail.com
Marc Glass, Principle, Downstream Strategies, Morgantown, WV
Mr. Glass has over twelve years of experience in environmental consulting and management. He is skilled in the evaluation and remediation of environmental contamination. His experience includes Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments, petroleum and chlorinated solvent site investigations, design and installation of monitoring well networks, aquifer testing, asbestos and biological remediation and project supervision, preparation of facility Spill Prevention Plans for above-ground and underground storage tank facilities, and mold investigation and remediation.
Contact: Marc Glass, mglass@downstreamstrategies.com, (304) 292-2450
Rob Goodwin, Coordinator, Citizens’ Enforcement Project
Coal River Mountain Watch, Whitesville, WV
Rob Goodwin grew up in the Adirondack Mountains of Northern New York State and received a B.S. in Surveying Engineering Technology from the University of Maine in 2009. He then moved to WV as a volunteer with Coal River Mountain Watch, a WV Non-profit that has a mission to stop the destruction of WV communities and environment by mountaintop removal mining, to improve the quality of life in WV and to help rebuild sustainable communities. Early in 2010, Rob started the citizens’ enforcement project with Coal River Mountain Watch with a goal of connecting with citizens adversely affected by the impacts of coal mining in Southern, WV. Since 2010, the work of the citizen enforcement project has consulted with dozens of citizens across the state to help them navigate the frustrating processes that citizens have at their disposal to address mining impacts. Frequent Black water spills, dust, blasting and a looming threat of flooding in the area are all issues that citizens are using the tools at their disposal in efforts to have their concerns addressed. Contact: Rob Goodwin, rob@crmw.net, (304)-854-2182
Brian Oram, BF Environmental Consultants, Dallas, PA and Carbon County Groundwater Guardians
Brian Oram is a licensed professional geologist and soil scientist with over 20 years experience in applied earth and environmental sciences. He has conducted research and consulting projects related to acid mine drainage ( AMD ), mine drainage, lake and stream monitoring programs, wetland creation and monitoring, filtration plant performance evaluations, testing new point of use water treatment devices and systems, hydrogeological evaluations, geological investigations, soils testing, soil morphological evaluations, water well drilling and construction, drinking water testing, mail order water testing kit program, private well water testing programs, and land reclamation. He has also been involved with Citizen Monitoring and other Environmental Training Programs for groups within the United States, Europe, and the former Soviet Union. Brian also works with a private well owner education outreach group and a regional RC&D Council. Contact: Brian Oram, bfenviro@ptd.net, (570)-335-1947
Leslie Fields, Program Director
Sierra Club Environmental Justice & Community Partnerships, Washington, DC
Leslie Fields has worked extensively on natural resource extraction issues on an international level, as well as on climate change and water privatization. In addition to her work with the Sierra Club she is also an adjunct professor at Howard University School of Law, co-teaching international environmental law. She formerly served as International Director of Friends of the Earth-U.S., and has worked with community groups, nonprofits, the private sector and all levels of government.
Contact: Office: Leslie Fields, leslie.fields@sierraclub.org, (202)-548-4586
Elisa Young, Founder, Meigs Citizens Action Now, Racine, OH
Elisa Young is an environmental activist from Racine, OH. She lives on farmland that has been her family for 7 generations. She originally dreamed of starting a sustainable living and teaching center and farming organically, but found herself embroiled in coalfield struggles. With four power plants visible from their farm, her community has the highest asthma and lung cancer death rate in the state, the shortest life expectancy, and are in the top 3rd percentile for the worst air quality in the nation. When five more plants were proposed, threatening to make her community the largest concentration of coal-fired power plants in the nation (nine within an 11.5-mile radius) she founded the grassroots community group, Meigs Citizens Action Now! More recently she has been concerned with the potential impacts associated with horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing in Ohio, particularly the issues and risks associated with waste injection wells. Contact: Elisa Young, elisayoung1@yahoo.com
Grant Smith, Energy Policy Analyst, Civil Society Institute, Newton, MA
Grant Smith has been an energy policy analyst with the Civil Society Institute since June 2011. Prior to joining CSI, he was employed by the Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana (CAC). At CAC, he served as ED from 2004 to 2011, as energy and utilities director from 1998 to 2004, and as environmental coordinator from 1986 to 1998. His responsibilities at CAC included organizing, research and writing, lobbying and media work. He began at CAC as a canvasser. From 2006 to 2011, he advised CSI on energy policy issues. Contact: Grant Smith, gssmith5123@gmail.com, (317)-442-8802
Dave Hanna, Onsite Training Director, New Visions Renewable Energy, Philippi, WV
Dave Hanna is Onsite Training Director for New Visions Renewable Energy. He is also a member of their technical team, which helps community members become knowledgeable with the concepts and principles of renewable energy systems and provided assistance on how to build and install electrical and/or hot water solar systems for their home or community facility. New Visions is a growing grassroots, community-based organization working to ReEnergize communities to implement renewable energy solutions. New Vision is an educational and innovation movement focusing on applicable technologies within the emerging “green” economy and serving as a hub of collaborative discussion, training and invention bringing together green innovators, community leaders, youth, companies, organizations as well as public and private partners.
Contact: New Visions Renewable Energy, info@NVRE.org, (304) 457 2971
Sam Malone, Manager of Science & Communications, FracTracker, Pittsburgh, PA
Sam Malone has worked with FracTracker since its inception in 2010 as a project of CHEC at the University of Pittsburgh. With FracTracker, she provides user and partner support, coordinates internal and external communications, and conducts and translates environmental health research for the website. She also manages FracTracker’s student internship program. Sam obtained a master of public health degree from Pitt’s Graduate School of Public Health and is currently working on a doctorate of public health from the school’s Environmental and Occupational Health department. In July 2011, she was awarded a U.S. State Department and Duquesne University travel grant, where she spent a month in Ghana participating in the Emerging Leaders’ Extraction and Environment Program. Recently, Sam was appointed to the City of Pittsburgh’s Propel Pittsburgh Commission and serves on its Environment committee. Contact: Sam Malone, malone@fractracker.org, (412)-802-0273
Aaron Sutch, Energy Program Manager
The Mountain Institute (Appalachian Program), Morgantown, WV
Aaron Sutch is based in Morgantown and specializes in energy and resource management. He started out as a classroom teacher and zoological education specialist. Prior to joining The Mountain Institute he worked for the Alliance to Save Energy in the Green Schools and Green Campus programs. He also served as an Energy Storage Fellow at Technology Transition Corporation and interned at Solar Costa Rica, S.A. in San José Costa Rica. He completed his undergraduate work in Languages and Linguistics at Florida Atlantic University and received dual M.A.’s in International Affairs and Natural Resources, and Sustainable Development-Energy Policy from the American University School of International Service and United Nations University for Peace. Contact: Aaron Sutch, asutch@mountain.org
Laura Rigell, Swarthmore Divestment Campaign, Swarthmore, PA
Laura Rigell just finished her first year at Swarthmore College, where she is a member of Swarthmore Mountain Justice. This student group is campaigning for divestment from fossil fuels. In 2011, Swarthmore students launched the first such campaign in the county. Before starting at Swarthmore, Laura took a gap year to co-found the Tennessee Youth Environmental Network, a coalition of high school environmental clubs, in her home state. This summer, she is working as an intern with Coal River Mountain Watch to make conservation easements more accessible in southern West Virginia. At Swarthmore, Laura is designing a major titled “Sustainable Land Use,” and hopes to work on land reform in the future. Contact: Laura Rigell, laura.rigell@gmail.com, (865) 254-3289
Saturday Evening Entertainment
East Run Bluegrass Band, Doddridge County, WV
East Run started in 1997 and is based in Doddridge County, West Virginia. They have been playing fairs, festivals, parties, bars and halls all over West Virginia and beyond for the past ten years. Over the years an eclectic mix of bluegrass based music has emerged. In the past, all the members have performed in bands spanning many genres of music, such as blues, rock, country, heavy metal, jam bands, punk and swing. Jeff Powell (Guitar) has played with many notable bands, and has written many of East Run’s original tunes. Wayne Woods (Banjo) is originally from Taylor County, WV and got started in music playing bluegrass with his father, Neil Woods. Wayne sings lead vocal on many tunes. Chris Rossi is a talented mandolin player from Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Chris is a disciplined player with a style drawing from New Grass, Swing and Southern Rock. With the addition of WV music veteran Rus Reppert on bass, the music is evolving into new sounds and dimensions.
Contact: Wayne Woods, wcwoods0000@aol.com, (304) 782-3054
Contact Information for Conference Sponsors
Doddridge County Watershed AssociationChristina Woods, mchrisw40@aol.com, (304) 782-3054
Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition (www.ohvec.org)
Robin Blakeman, robin@ohvec.org, (304)-840-4877
Sierra Club (westvirginia.sierraclub.org) Bill Price, bill.price@sierraclub.org, (304)-389-8822
West Virginia Highlands Conservancy (www.wvhighlands.org)
Cindy Rank, clrank2@gmail.com, (304)-924-5802
WV Surface Owners’ Right Organization (www.wvsoro.org)
Julie Archer, julie@wvsoro.org, (304)-346-5891
Additional Resources
frackcheckwv.net/ ~ FrackCheckWV.net was created as a platform for educating citizens about the environmental impacts of hydraulic fracturing and providing tools and guidance for effective citizen action and advocacy. The editors of this site are volunteers with watershed and conservation groups in both West Virginia and neighboring states.
One of our Presentations For West Virginia
Education Booklet for Private Well Owners (Proceeds Support Groundwater Education in Pennsylvania)
Wellness and Water 2013 WV Wesleyan College, Buckhannon,WV
Wellness and Water 2013
June 29 – 30, 3013 ~ WV Wesleyan College, Buckhannon,WV
Saturday Morning: Bringing concerned citizens and facts together
8:00 – 9:00 am ~ Registration ~ Continental Breakfast, Coffee & Tea available
9:00- 9:15 am ~ Welcome and Introductions
9:15 – 10:00 am ~ Plenary: Dr. Tom Darrah, Duke University
10:00 – 10:20 am ~ Q & A
For More Information
10:20 – 10:30 am ~ Break
10:30 – 11:30 am ~ Panelists:
- Marc Glass, Downstream Strategies
- Rob Goodwin, Coal River Mountain Watch
- Yuri Gorby, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (NY)
- Brian Oram, B.F. Environmental Consultants and the Carbon County
Groundwater Educators
Each panelist will have 10-15 minutes for an initial presentation of their work related to monitoring impacts of MTR and gas drilling. Q & A will follow entire panel presentations, until noon.
noon – 1pm ~ Lunch
****************************************************************************
Saturday Afternoon: To whom does all this matter?
1 – 1:15 pm ~ Gathering time
Please be in your seats by 1:15 pm. Announcements may be made between 1 and 1:15 pm.
1:15 – 2:00 pm ~ Plenary: Leslie Fields, Sierra Club
2:00 – 2:15 pm ~ Q & A
2:15 – 3:15 pm ~ Affected Resident Panelists:
Coal mining affected:
- Nada White, Boone and Kanawha counties, WV
- Danny Cook, Boone County, WV
- Lorelei Scarbro, Raleigh County, WV
Gas drilling affected:
- Leann Kiner, Harrison County, WV
- Donna Herd, Doddridge County, WV
- Jeanne Moten, Washington County, PA
3:15 – 3:30 pm ~ Q & A
3:30 – 3:45 pm ~ Break and workshop set-up
3:45 – 5:15 pm ~ Workshops:
- Rob Goodwin, Coal River Mountain Watch ~ Mapping of slurry impoundments and coal mine sites
- Elisa Young ~ Problems of waste disposal and water extraction affecting the Ohio River
- Brian Oram, B.F. Environmental Consultants ~ “Working as a Community – We ALL Live Downstream” on the need for proper baseline testing and the most likely types of influence or adverse impacts associated with natural gas development
- New Visions Solar ~ Solar powered water filtration system and “homemade” solar power
5:30 pm ~ Dinner
Saturday Evening: Music & Socializing – Main Meeting Room, Student Center
7 pm – ??? ~ Featuring music by East Run (Bluegrass band)
****************************************************************************
Sunday Morning: What can we do about the problems created by extreme fossil fuel extraction in our region?
8:00 – 9:00 am ~ Registration ~ Continental Breakfast, Coffee & Tea available
9:00 – 9:15 am ~ Welcome and Announcements
9:15 – 10:00 am ~ Plenary: Grant Smith, Civil Society Institute
10:00 – 10:15 am ~ Q & A
10:15 – 11:15 am ~ Solution Focused Panelists:
- Pam O’Brien, New Visions Solar, Solar power and solar powered water filtration devices
- Sam Malone, FracTracker: Exploring data, sharing perspectives, mapping impacts of the gas industry
- Aaron Sutch, Energy Program Manager for the Mountain Institute
- Laura Rigell, Swathmore College Divestment Campaign
Each panelist will have 10-15 minutes for an initial presentation of their work. Q & A will follow entire panel presentations, until 11:30 am.
11:30 – 11:40 am ~ Break
11:40 am – 12:30 pm ~ Roundtable Discussions (facilitated by Bill Price, Sierra Club)
12:30 – 12:45 pm ~ Wrap Up & Evaluations
12:45 – 1:45 pm ~ Lunch
For More Information
If you are in Pennsylvania, you can contribute to the Citizen Groundwater Database and help track change for FREE and if you would like to learn about our Natural Gas Related Information, please visit us at http://www.private-well-owner.org.
Volunteer
We seek new people at all skill levels for a variety of programs. One thing that everyone can do is attend meetings to share ideas on improving CCGG, enabling us to better understand and address the concerns of well owners.
Everything we do began with an idea.
We realize your time is precious and the world is hectic. CCGG’s volunteers do only what they’re comfortable with. It can be a little or a lot.
For more information, please go to CCGG’s About Page or contact us.
Carbon County Groundwater Guardians is a 501(c)(3) IRS approved nonprofit, volunteer organization and your donation is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
HB 343 ESTABLISH STATEWIDE PRIVATE WATER WELL CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS (former HB 1855)
The bill authorizes the Environmental Quality Board to establish water well construction standards through the adoption of rules and regulations of the DEP that are generally consistent with the National Groundwater Association construction standards.
Specifically, the legislation would establish construction standards, including the decommissioning of abandoned wells, to be followed by water well drillers and owners. Nothing in this legislation requires the metering of homeowner wells.
p. Ron Miller (R-York) serves as Majority Chair of the Committee and Rep. Greg Vitali (D-Delaware) serves as Minority Chair.
Website Provided for Educational Purpose.
Carbon County Groundwater Guardians is a 501(c)(3) IRS approved nonprofit, volunteer organization and your donation is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Join the PA Water Forum on Facebook
Private Well Owner Outreach Program
Pennsylvania May Use Coal Mine Water for Hydraulic Fracturing Senate Bill 411
INTRODUCED BY KASUNIC, YUDICHAK, SOLOBAY, WOZNIAK, BREWSTER, ARGALL, WHITE, BAKER, HUTCHINSON, ERICKSON, VULAKOVICH, VOGEL, FERLO, BOSCOLA, ALLOWAY AND DINNIMAN, FEBRUARY 4, 2013
SENATOR YAW, ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY, AS AMENDED, FEBRUARY 12, 2013
Mine water for beneficial uses.–Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, landowners, mine operators and water pollution abatement project operators that are involved in treating mine drainage or mine pool water from a permitted mining activity site or water pollution abatement project shall not be deemed to assume legal responsibility for or to incur liability with respect to a cost, injury or damage that arises out of or occurs in connection with the use of mine drainage, mine pool water or treated mine water in connection with the hydraulic fracturing process or other development of a gas well, industrial or other water supply or other beneficial use of the water
****
Comments by Brian Oram
1. This may have some conflicting language when compared to the Oil and Gas Law and the assume liability that is associated with natural gas development. I may have missed this section, but it would be nice if the law clearly stated this did not resend current provisions and assumed liability related to exiting Oil and Gas Law.
It does appears the assumed liability provision is limited to only the “Project Operators”- so that once the mine water leaves the site (i.e., the site where the mine water is collected or initially treated) – they, the Project Operators are no longer assumed liable for other uses beyond their control, i.e., liable for the use of the water by the Gas Company for Hydrofracturing. (Clarification is needed)
Therefore
A. Land-owner has mine drainage on the property- they or a third party – treat the mine water and then sell or give away to a water company.
B. The water is transported to a site.
C. Industry uses the water for hydraulic fracturing.
Think the the limit of liability is intended to only extend to A related to conyence by B and the use by C This type of liability provision is needed because many of the parties that fit the role of A are either 501 c3, watershed groups or public private partnerships that have nothing to do with the gas company.
2. This may require baseline testing be done in these regions to include additional parameters specific to the source and around treatment project sites.
3. It is possible this may result in decreased streamflows downgradient of withdrawal points – I am not sure how the river basin commissions will evaluate and if they may consider the need for a water withdrawal permit and consumption use fees, but I would assume a consumptive water use docket with provisions for treatment and by-pass flow maybe needed.
4. I like the provisions and hopefully this will more forward the use of degraded waters for hydraulic fracturing and help clean up impacted waterways in PA.
5. I do like the provisions, but for some streams baseflow associated with mine drainage may be a significant portion of the flow and it maybe necessary to maintain some by-pass flow with treatment.
6. Hope this encourages public private partnerships to address Acid mine drainage and mine drainage.
7. Would be nice if this program could be applied indirectly to the Northern Fields –No Gas Development, but it would be great to treat and clean the mine drainage and then issue some type of credit.
8. The law looks like it could be applied to discharges and releases of brine water associated with historic oil and gas development and not just mine drainage? (Clarification is needed)
9. I am not sure of the eligible land provision? Unless this relates to building some type of treatment structure, etc (Water pollution abatement project operator). (Clarification is needed)
10. The exemptions near the end of the document seem reasonable – I would assume this came from Senator Yaw – Very Nice.
11. I would recommend the Senators that support this document make the necessary clarifications of the intent, but this is something that is needed. I think this would have been a better approach then all the press releases on the topic. The goal should be to fix issues and get them resolved.
Additional Comments
Mine Drainage and/ or Acid Mine Drainage is the result of natural discharges and legacy issues related to the mining of the anthracite and bituminous fields in Pennsylvania.
Over 4,000 miles of streams in Pennsylvania are adversely impacted by mine and/or acid mine drainage. The most cost effective treatment approaches of these problems tend to be a mixture of land-reclamation and passive treatment systems. Many watershed groups and other organizations in Pennsylvania have been active in attempting to minimize the adverse impacts of mine drainage. One main limitation to the effective management and control of these discharges is the significant capital investment to implement the reclamation process and install the passive or semi-passive remediation system, but the largest hurdle is typically the long-term cost of maintaining these systems and liability that is associated with the operations and maintenance of these systems. The Senate Bill creates an opportunity for public and private partnerships to cover the initial cost for the installation of a more rapid and active treatment system and there is then the opportunity to put in place long-term funding for a passive treatment approach.
The Senate Bill has some key liability provisions. These provisions appear to be:
1. Provisions granted to the landowners and operators of the treatment system so they are no liable for the conveyance and ultimate use of the water. This is critical, because a watershed group or small business that is treating the water only and not hauling should not be liable for the conveyance and final use. This liability should rest with the individuals and companies that are transporting and using this water.
2. The proposed bill provides limits of liability associated with downgradient stream conditions. This provision is needed because it is possible that augmenting the flow of the stream by removing mine drainage will likely decrease water levels and flow volumes, but should eliminate the long-term pollution source. Even though it is not stated in this Senate Bill, it is likely that the river basin commission would play a significant role in reviewing consumptive use permits and may require a baseflow of treated water to maintain stream temperature and flow.
Some missing parts
The bill does require more context and specific language; because it appears the bill will extend to historic oil and natural gas development areas. Therefore, it is possible that some of the sites are releasing water that contains a mixture of brine, heavy oil residues, and other fugitive emission.
The bill may not address the status of the “sludge” generated by the remediation efforts. Does this sludge have a beneficial use or is it classified as a solid waste?
The bill does not address the issue of the need for a water withdrawal permit if the water is used for a consumptive water use
There needs to be a balance on the amount of withdrawal because in special cases excess water withdrawal may induce significant surface and subsurface impacts, such as subsidence and mine fire propagation.
This activity should not be conducted in combination with efforts to produce coal-bed methane gas.
Missing provisions for bonding.
http://www.bfenvironmental.com
http://www.water-research.net/Watershed/
Support Groundwater Education in Pennsylvania and Consider Scheduling an Education Workshop for Your Community – just email bfenviro@ptd.net
Carbon County Groundwater Guardians is a 501(c)(3) IRS approved nonprofit, volunteer organization and your donation is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.