By Kalwinder KaurMay 31 2012
A grant of $7,983,107 has been awarded to remediation projects by the Department of Environmental Protection. The projects include the abandoned mine locations in Somerset, Schuylkill, Luzerne and Clearfield.
Eighty homes located in rural Clearfield County when connected to a municipal waterline expansion will get reliable and safe supply of water. Mine sites that were abandoned during mid-1970s contaminated the private water wells.
Possible risk of collapse can be minimized by stabilizing the abandoned mine tunnels, which are located below 111 homes in Houtzdale Borough, and the risk may cause the ground to possibly damage homes and create safety hazards.
Vegetation will be restored at the sites in Somerset, Schuylkill and Luzerne, after the remediation work. It will be carried out in 233 ac., after re-grading over 2.6 million cubic yards in order to remove sharp high walls that are dangerous and in fill surface mining pits.
Additionally, site work will include digging of over 31,000 cubic yards and installation of rock lining for over 23,000 square yards in order to control water runoff. Growing Greener II is offering funds to the water main expansion project in Clearfield County. The federal Office of Surface Mining provides grants to all other contracts.
The Covington-Karthaus-Girard Area Authority of Clearfield County, Enviro Drill of Allegheny County, Earthmovers Unlimited of Clearfield County, Berner Construction of Lancaster County, New Enterprise Stone and Lime Company of New Enterprise, Bedford County are the projects that have received grants.
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