Salisbury: More than $2.7 million awarded to restore Chalfant Run watershed
Will fund project to address acid mine drainage
Rep. Abigail Salisbury May 13, 2024 | 4:05 PM
BRADDOCK, May 13 – More than $2.7 million in new grant money from the state Department of Environmental Protection will fund work to remedy environmental impacts to Chalfant Run caused by acid mine drainage, state Rep. Abigail Salisbury announced today.
Salisbury, D-Allegheny, said the grant to Allegheny Land Trust will allow the nonprofit conservation group to address a persistent threat to the watershed and beyond.
“Acid mine drainage is a special threat to our region because of the number of abandoned mines that leach heavy metals into the waterways, killing fish, destroying delicate ecosystems and threatening the quality of our drinking water,” Salisbury said. “It’s also a problem that hits close to home, with the impact to Chalfant Run.
“Fortunately, there are ways to remediate some of the problems. This new funding will allow Allegheny Land Trust to move forward on a project to construct and manage a passive treatment system that will reduce acidity in the water, remove harmful metals and begin to restore this vital watershed that is so important to our health and the environment.”
The funding – awarded under the Abandoned Mine Lands and Acid Mine Drainage Grant Program – is part of $244 million that DEP will receive for Pennsylvania reclamation projects as part of the federal Infrastructure, Investment, and Jobs Act.