Ehrenfeld Reclamation Project Wins National Award

The $26.1 million dollar reclamation project at Ehrenfeld has been recognized by the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) as recipient of the National Award through the Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Reclamation Awards.

Entries are accepted each year for five AML awards presented in three categories: a National Award for the highest overall rated project, a Small Project Award and three regional awards.

The Ehrenfeld AML Pilot Reclamation/Recreation and Watershed Improvement Project is the National Award recipient for the highest overall rated project. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation accepted this award during a virtual ceremony. Click here to read more on the recognition, and to view the awards video.

A press release from OSMRE states “Approximately 70 acres of coal refuse piles, located along the Johnstown Path of the Flood Trail, posed multiple environmental threats to the area. Frequent erosion clogged an unnamed tributary to the Little Conemaugh River, as a result, highly acidic water leached into and subsequently impaired local streams, burning areas of refuse piles and degrading air quality for the residents. To address these hazards, Pennsylvania’s AML Program removed the refuse piles, eliminated the surface burning conditions and improved the Little Conemaugh watershed. The reclamation project has resulted in new opportunities for recreation and tourism with the addition of a community park and safer walking trails.”

You can access the entire submission for the Ehrenfeld project here.