South Fayette Township, PA – September 3, 2020 – Today, Pennsylvania State Senator Pam Iovino announced that $3 million in grant funding has been approved to support the Gladden Acid Mine Drainage Treatment Plant located in South Fayette Township. The 1,500-gallon-per-minute treatment plant will prevent 690 pounds per day of iron pollution from entering Millers Run and Chartiers Creek and will provide clean water for an additional 7.5 miles of stream for stocking fish. Three areas of Fishing Run will also be sealed to prevent flow losses into the deep mine, decreasing operating cost of the plant.
“This project will significantly enhance the water quality and recreational fishing opportunities for Millers Run and Chartiers Creek in South Fayette Township and the surrounding area,” said Senator Iovino (D – Allegheny & Washington). “Grants like these help to confront the environmental challenges posed by our region’s abandoned mines. This investment helps to protect our environment and improve our communities for decades to come.”
The project is a partnership between the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the South Fayette Conservation Group, and Tetratech, Inc. The grant funding comes from DEP’s 2019 Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Pilot Program. Including this $3 million grant, this ongoing project has received $6,696,716 in AML Pilot Program funding. This funding is part of a recent statewide announcement by DEP totaling $25 million for 11 environmental cleanup projects focused on economic development or community revitalization at AML locations.
The AML Pilot Program was authorized by Congress under the 2019 Consolidated Appropriations Act and provides an additional $25 million of U.S. Treasury Funds to Pennsylvania’s AML Program. The funds are to be used “to accelerate the remediation of AML sites with economic and community development end uses.” This is the fourth year that Pennsylvania has received funding from the AML Pilot Program.
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