HARRISBURG – Gov. Edward G. Rendell announced the investment of more than $21.5 million in 144 Growing Greener projects to reduce pollution from stormwater runoff and farms, treat acid mine drainage, reduce flooding and improve water quality across the commonwealth.
The funds are being distributed to non-profit organizations, watershed groups and county and municipal governments to address local and regional water quality issues.
In Clearfield County, these projects were awarded funding:
-Lawrence Township — $47,465 for design and permitting of a passive mine drainage treatment system to treat three mine discharges from abandoned underground mines that pollute Montgomery Creek which supplies drinking water to the city of Clearfield.
-Pike Township — $110,022 to design a mine drainage treatment system on the first and most damaging set of discharges on Little Anderson Creek. The six-phase project will take three years to complete.
-Clearfield County Conservation District — $300,699 for construction of a mine drainage treatment system on Morgan Run.
-Emigh Run/Lakeside Watershed Association — $374,945 to construct a passive mine drainage treatment system to treat two mine discharges on Emigh Run.
-Mosquito Creek Sportsmen’s Association — $70,000 to resurface roads and ditches with limestone to add alkalinity to runoff waters from roads that parallel Mosquito Creek, an acid precipitation impaired watershed.
-Clearfield County Conservation District — $47,465 for design, mapping and permitting for the Dimeling Discharge mine drainage treatment system.
-Clearfield County Conservation District — $2,000 for sample collection and analysis, design, permitting and bid document preparation for construction of a mine drainage treatment system on Morgan Run.
“The vast majority of the work to improve water quality and treat Pennsylvania’s mine drainage and pollution problems is done by community volunteers and local governments, and the role of the Growing Greener program is to provide support to these organizations so that this work can continue,” Rendell said. “Many of these projects are modest in size but they make significant contributions to the health of our waterways, which improves our quality of life and creates opportunities for economic development in communities affected by historic pollution or flooding problems.”
Funded projects include educational programs, scientific studies and youth volunteer opportunities such as an ongoing program that enlists local high school students to perform riparian buffer planting on local farms and streams in Crawford County. Dam removal projects that will improve streamflow and aquatic habitat will be funded in Chester, Lycoming and Montgomery counties, and funding is provided for repairs, upgrades and improvements to urban stormwater control infrastructure.
“The Growing Greener program has been a tremendous success for Pennsylvania, investing millions of dollars to help communities and local residents fix historic problems and take on new challenges in all 67 counties,” Rendell said.
Growing Greener grants are used to create or restore wetlands, restore stream buffer zones, eliminate causes of nonpoint source pollution, plug oil and gas wells, reclaim abandoned mine lands and restore aquatic life to streams that were lifeless due to acid mine drainage.
Voters overwhelmingly approved the $625 million Growing Greener II initiative in May 2005 to clean up rivers and streams; protect natural areas, open spaces and working farms; and shore up key programs to improve quality of life and revitalize communities across the commonwealth.
A detailed list of the projects is available online.