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13th Annual PA Abandoned Mine Reclamation Conference Attended By Well-Known Faces

The PA Abandoned Mine Reclamation Conference has become known as a place for many things; where experts discuss the latest abandoned mine drainage treatment technologies, historians shed light on how the region's coal mining legacy shaped today's culture, and the PA AMR community joins for brainstorming ideas to keep the movement going into the future.
            The 2011 conference, celebrating 13 years, was no exception.  What made this year's Conference really stand out was the abundance of PA AMR community dignitaries. 
            Michael Krancer, Department of Environmental Protection Secretary, was the keynote speaker to kick off the Conference.  Click here to read one reporter's take on Secretary Krancer's speech. 
            Joe Pizarchik, the 10th director of the U.S. Department of the Interior's Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement and the former DEP Director of Bureau of Mining and Reclamation, spoke during the Conference lunch.
            Pizarchik gracefully answered a round of questions about growing concern over the Title IV Set Aside funds and showed great empathy for struggling watershed associations in finding funds for continuing the work they do. 
            David Hess, former DEP Secretary and long-time supporter of the watershed movement and AMR community, was the recipient of the 2011 Mayfly Award.  Hess has been a life-long advocate in the environmental arena.  He spent his career in different capacities within DEP, previously known as the Department of Environmental Resources, and as the Executive Director of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee.  Even in his post PA DEP career, Hess continues to be a supporter of Pennsylvania's watershed movement.  He currently works for Crisci Associates and publishes the weekly e-newsletter, PA Environment Digest.
            Lastly, Andrew Heath, Executive Director of the Renew Growing Greener Coalition, spoke to the PA AMR community masses on the final day of the conference.  Heath championed the efforts of our community over the years and gave an update of where his coalition stands.
            The Conference presentations were no less inspirational and were filled with hard-hitting names.  Click here to read some pre-conference publicity about the wide range of presenters and topics.
            Most notably, presentations and attendees included leading experts and AMR partners such as Chuck Cravotta of United States Geological Survey, Tom Clark of Susquehanna River Basic Commission, Mike Korb of DEP, Bob Hedin of Hedin Environmental, Jeff McNelly of ARIPPA, and many representatives of consulting firms.
            A pre-conference tour of the Eastern coal fields was highlighted by the Jeddo Tunnel discharge, which can exceed hundreds of thousands of gallons per minute of acidic, aluminum- and iron- laden water draining from 25 square miles of networked coal mines.  It was truly an eye-opening site.  Click here to get more tour highlights.
            We would like to thank EPCAMR for taking the lead on this year's conference, the conference planning committee for all the work they put into it, and the wonderful Genetti and the town of Hazleton for welcoming us.  Additionally, we would like to thank our sponsors for making the Conference possible.  
            This year's sponsors included: DEP, Susquehanna River Basin Commission, Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds, Breaker Brewing Company, Gannett Fleming, Ernst Conservation Seeds, Skelly & Loy, and Tetra Tech.
            We hope to see everyone again next year for yet another successful PA AMR Conference.

(Written by Anne Daymut, Watershed Coordinator, Western Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation.  Reprinted from Abandoned Mine Posts.)


8/22/2011

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