HARRISBURG – State Rep. Camille “Bud” George, D-74 of Clearfield County, said more than $1 million in Growing Greener grants will help to mend three area streams polluted by abandoned-mine drainage.
“Clearfield County is reaping benefits from the $625 million Growing Greener bond issue voters approved five years ago,” George said. “The latest funding will help the county Conservation District and the Moshannon Creek Watershed Association remediate mine-damaged streams.”
Besides the state grants, George noted that more than $360,000 in grant applications for three additional local projects await approval from the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
The three local projects approved for Growing Greener grants are:
- $600,000 to the Clearfield County Conservation District to build a passive treatment system near the village of Newtown in the Morgan Run Watershed, a tributary to Clearfield Creek and the West Branch of the Susquehanna River heavily affected by abandoned-mine discharges;
- $48,000 to the Conservation District for design and permitting of a passive system to treat mine discharge below Albert’s Run in the Morgan Run Watershed;
- $390,000 to the Moshannon Creek Watershed Association for construction of two passive systems to treat discharges into tributaries of Trout Run and Moshannon Creek.
The state Department of Environmental Protection said the local grant awards are among 64 projects statewide to receive more than $12.6 million in Growing Greener funding. The DEP also submitted three local projects to the EPA for funding.
Local projects awaiting EPA approval are:
- $270,000 to the Emigh Run/Lakeside Watershed Association for an abandoned-mine discharge construction project along Hubler Run;
- $50,252 to Lawrence Twp. for design and permitting for a project to address a mine discharge into a tributary of Montgomery Run;
- $42,391 to Pike Twp. for design work for a mine discharge project at the Kiesinger Site.
A grant application for $169,800 also was submitted on behalf of the Clearfield Creek Watershed Association for a Phase II revegetation project at the Ferris Wheel strip mine near Buckhorn.