911review
911review Wiki
911review Flight
93
May 23, 1997 Vol 3. No. 19
DEP PROPOSES COMPLIANCE REPORTING SYSTEM
GOV. RIDGE NAMED AMONG MOST INFLUENTIAL GLOBAL VISIONARIES
Gov. Tom Ridge has been named to the list of World Trade magazine’s 25 most influential global
visionaries, according to the June issue of the publication. The publication calls the individuals on the
list "true leaders" who have "demonstrated a passion for the essence of world trade that’s made
manifest in their willingness to take on the day-to-day challenges of doing business in an increasingly
competitive global marketplace."
"When he took office in January 1995, Ridge immediately set out to develop a strategy to grow
the commonwealth’s export potential," the magazine notes. "A proponent of government as a facilitator
of trade, he created a private-sector advisory panel of small- and medium-sized business people
to help draft a plan to meld local and regional trade initiatives with state programs to provide neophyte
world traders with export financing, marketing assistance, and trade data."
The magazine also quotes Ridge as saying, "I’ve always believed that the long-term future health
of Pennsylvania’s economy is directly linked to international trade. There’s been a history of people
being successful not because of what government can do to help, but in spite of what government
does to hold them back. We’re very serious about changing that."
Texas Gov. George W. Bush is the only other governor
on the list.
DEP RECLAIMING ABANDONED MINE LANDS
DEP Secretary James M. Seif this week announced $8.2 million in construction contracts to
reclaim abandoned mines in 11 counties. The projects will restore 14 abandoned mine sites in Allegheny,
Butler, Cambria, Clarion, Columbia, Elk, Fayette, Jefferson, Montgomery, Somerset and
Westmoreland counties.
"These projects are just one part of a comprehensive mine reclamation strategy to reclaim abandoned
mines by encouraging remining, use of innovative reclamation technology and cooperation with
county conservation districts and others," Seif said.
The projects are funded either by Pennsylvania’s appropriation from the federal Abandoned Mine
Land Trust Fund or the state Bond Forfeiture Program, both of which DEP administers. The federal
funds come from a levy on current coal operators. The federal Trust Fund, which has a current
unappropriated balance in excess of $1.2 billion, typically appropriates $141 million annually to the
states, about $100 million less than its annual income.
The state program is funded through bonds forfeited to the state by mine operators who failed to
reclaim the lands they have mined. Mine operators are required to purchase bonds before they receive
their mining permits.
Following are descriptions of the 14 projects, listed by the counties in which they will occur:
Allegheny County — G&K Construction of Prospect, $51,107 for stream rehabilitation work at an
unnamed tributary to Streets Run Stream near Baldwin, including replacement of a 135-foot wall.
Butler County — IT Corporation of Monroeville, $3.143 million for soil remediation in Bruin, including
removal of asbestos waste, building debris and coal refuse; fencing; soil cover and revegetation.
Cambria County — Greenley Energy Holdings of Pa. of Greensburg, $744,221 to remove a coal
refuse pile near Little Paint Creek in Richland Township. Clarion County — E&M Brown Inc. of
Clearfield, $363,767 to reclaim 27 acres of mine land abandoned by R.E.M. Coal Co. in Limestone
Township, including grading, adding soil and reseeding; Utilities Forestry Services Inc. of Clearfield,
$224,437 to reclaim 28 acres of abandoned mine land in PerryTownship, involving grading, wetland
mitigation and seeding. Columbia County — Earthmovers Unlimited Inc. of Kylertown, $2,239238
to backfill strip pits, grade and seed 127 acres of McCauley Mountain in Beaver Township. Elk
County — Michael H. Holt T/A Hugh Water Services of Brockway, $13,011 for mechanical maintenance
and $6,918 for electrical maintenance at the Toby Creek acid mine drainage treatment plant in
Fox Township. Fayette County — Earthmovers Unlimited Inc. of Kylertown, $97,479 to reclaim 15
acres of mine land abandoned by the Ren-Lau Coal Co. in North Union Township. Jefferson County
— W. Ruskin Dressler T/A Dressler Coal of Rockton, $71,265 to reclaim 9.6 acres of mine land
abandoned by Roseville North East in Union Township. Montgomery County — SJB Services Inc.
of Buffalo, N.Y., $4,470 for subsurface exploration in preparation for channel improvements to Plymouth
Creek in the Borough of Conshohocken. Somerset County — Casselman Enterprises Inc. of
Somerset, $738,020 to seal deep mine openings on the east side of Oven Run, grade excavate line and
seed 56 acres of abandoned mine land in Shade Township. Westmoreland County — Casselman
Enterprises Inc. of Somerset, $461,066 for acid mine drainage abatement along Monastery Run in
Unity Township, and $71,048 to reclaim mine land abandoned by the Rondell Co. in Mount Pleasant
Township.
<> For more information about DEP mine reclamation projects in a specific county, visit DEP’s
website (choose County Notebooks/specific county/Mine Reclamation). Information on DEP’s Office
of Mineral Resources Management and the programs it administers also is available on the
department’s website (choose Information by
Subject/Mining and Mineral Resources).