Ceasing Chronic, Significant Acid Mine Discharge Through Interventions

In a significant step forward for environmental protection and mining reclamation, an innovative cleanup project addressing acid mine drainage (AMD) from the St. Michael mine in Pennsylvania has proven to be a success. This project forms part of broader efforts involving mining reclamation, watershed cleanup grants, and passive treatment technologies, although specific detailed timelines and direct project descriptions for St. Michael mine are not explicitly outlined in the available search results.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the EPA Mid-Atlantic Region's Office of NPDES Permits and Enforcement collaborated on a 2012 permit, allowing Rosebud Mining Co. to pump and treat water from the mine pool as part of their proposal to access underlying coal reserves. This permit required Rosebud Mining Co. to document that their treatment activities are improving water quality.

The actions have resulted in the elimination of a decades-long, 3,000-gallon-a-minute acid mine discharge to the Little Conemaugh River. Untreated pollution that had been pouring from the abandoned St. Michael mine shaft since the early 1960s was halted. The DEP, under the Consent Order and Agreement with Rosebud, led to the construction of a $15 million wastewater treatment plant next to the St. Michael shaft in 2013.

The innovative cleanup project, which combines chemical neutralization, strategic waste placement, sediment control, and federal grant-supported watershed restoration, is designed to reduce acidic water discharges, prevent toxic runoff, and restore water quality and ecosystems downstream of mining operations. The project's success is evident in the anticipated "phenomenal" reductions in pollution, with iron loads dropping by 98 percent, aluminum by 100 percent, and manganese by more than half.

The DEP's District Mining Manager Joel Koricich stated that the project was exciting as it stopped a 3,000-gallon-a-minute discharge that had been polluting the streams for almost 50 years. The St. Michael discharge was responsible for approximately 3,700 tons of AMD annually, accounting for nearly a third of the AMD pollution impacting the Little Conemaugh River.

The Federal Office of Surface Mining accepts applications for cooperative agreements aimed at watershed mine drainage cleanup, indicative of ongoing and future support for innovative remediation projects like those potentially related to the St. Michael mine. Ongoing acceptance of funding applications and the use of advancing treatment and reclamation techniques—both active chemical and passive ecological methods—suggest continued innovation and investment in AMD cleanup projects across Pennsylvania, with potential expansion and enhancement of sites similar to St. Michael mine.

Examples such as the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden’s Lotus Pond demonstrate reclaimed mine drainage sites that use passive treatment to improve water quality while enhancing habitat for pollinators and wildlife, showcasing integrated ecological approaches to mine cleanup.

For additional information, Bette Conway of the NPDES Permits Branch at the U.S. EPA's Region 3 Water Protection Division can be contacted. These cleanup efforts are part of a broader commitment to environmental protection and sustainable mining practices in Pennsylvania.

The innovative cleanup project at the St. Michael mine in Pennsylvania, involving chemical neutralization, waste management, and sediment control, is anticipated to significantly reduce acidic water discharges and prevent toxic runoff.
The success of this project has led to drastic reductions in pollution, with iron loads dropping by 98 percent, aluminum by 100 percent, and manganese by more than half.
The PA DEP and the EPA's Office of NPDES Permits and Enforcement worked together on a 2012 permit to enable Rosebud Mining Co. to treat water from the mine pool as part of their mining proposal.
The collaboration between these agencies required Rosebud Mining Co. to document improvements in water quality as a result of their treatment activities.
Untreated pollution from the abandoned St. Michael mine shaft, which had been flowing into the Little Conemaugh River since the 1960s, was stopped due to the actions taken as part of this project.
A $15 million wastewater treatment plant was constructed next to the St. Michael shaft in 2013 as part of the project, under a Consent Order and Agreement between the DEP and Rosebud Mining Co.
The Pittsburgh Botanic Garden’s Lotus Pond serves as an example of a reclaimed mine drainage site that utilizes passive treatment to improve water quality while fostering habitat for pollinators and wildlife.
Innovation in treatment and reclamation techniques, both active chemical and passive ecological methods, suggests continued investment in AMD cleanup projects across Pennsylvania and potential expansion of similar sites.
future support for innovative remediation projects like those potentially related to the St. Michael mine can be found through applications for cooperative agreements with the Federal Office of Surface Mining.
The implementation of sustainable mining practices and commitment to environmental protection, as shown by these cleanup efforts, is a broader trend in Pennsylvania.
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