December 1998

Next meeting: Thursday 12/10/98 SRU Vincent Science Hall (Rm. 105 or other room on first floor). Topics: 1999 Annual Symposium and related events. Prior meeting (11/12/98) attendees: T. Danehy, D. DeNicola, M. Riddell, M. Dunn, D. Lamperski, F. Brenner, J. Ankrom, R. Beran, T. Gillen, K. Duncan, M. Clark, K. Peart, C. Cooper, J. Belgredan, J. Clark, R. Fodor.

The above photo shows wetland cell # 1 at the recently completed SR101A passive treatment system being planted by Dr. Jerry Chmielewski's, SRU Dept. of Biology, Aquatic Plants class. This opportunity provided the students with an "up close and hands-on" look at several technologies being applied to treat acid mine drainage. A brief explanation of the how the system works and why it was installed was provided by Margaret Dunn, Stream Restoration Inc. and Tim Danehy, BioMost, Inc. These interested and excited students "dug in to help out":

B. Phillippi, A. Cantanese, H. Kempki, M. Klink, S. Stefko, R. Carroll, S. Kzeminski, A. Ciliberto, L. Ferguson, H. Kaminsky, R. Kohnke, H. Doyle, S. Santiapillai, R. Cline, A. Kinney, D. Young, T. Nolan.

Also, this same class has completed a study (10/26/98)on the demonstration wetland at the Jennings Env. Education Center which will help to determine the effectiveness of using biosolids in the construction of treatment wetlands. Thank you Dr. Chmielewski and Class!!

DR. FRED BRENNER ELECTED AS A FELLOW OF OHIO ACADEMY OF SCIENCE

CONGRATULATIONS to Dr. Brenner for his recent election as a Fellow of Ohio Academy of Science. Dr. Brenner is an extremely active participant in the Coalition and has an extensive list of honors and achievements which include (but certainly not limited to) the following: PA Acad. of Science Lifetime Achievement Award, President-Elect of the National Assoc. of Academies of Science, VP of the Beta Beta Beta Biological Honorary, and an editor for the American Society for Surface Mining and Reclamation. He has authored over 200 scientific papers and edited 8 books. Congrats Dr. Brenner

Scrubgrass Generating Co., L.P., is a winner of the 1998 Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence for Pollution Prevention. Scrubgrass uses the most advanced technology for burning waste coal and generates alkaline ash which is used to reclaim abandoned mines and prevent acid mine drainage. Through the efforts of Scrubgrass over 509 acres of abandoned mine lands have been reclaimed in Allegheny, Armstrong, Butler, and Clearfield Counties. About 70 of these acres are in the Slippery Rock Creek Headwaters area. Congratulations and THANKS to Scrubgrass for their efforts.

This past August Dr. Dean DeNicola, Slippery Rock University, Dept. of Biology, presented two papers which document the changes in the ecosystem of the Slippery Rock Creek headwaters due to the restoration efforts. The first paper was presented at The International Limnological Congress in Dublin, Ireland. The second at a conference on Highly Acidic Environments in Durham, UK. Thanks to Dr. Dean for spreading the word about our efforts!!

On 10/14/98, members of the US EPA and PA DEP joined Coalition participants on a tour of two passive treatment systems recently completed under the EPA Section 319 Funding Program. The tour was lead by Robert Hedin, Hedin Environmental and Margaret Dunn and Tim Danehy, Stream Restoration Inc.

The tour started at the Jennings Environmental Education Center which features a full-scale demonstration vertical flow system followed by wetlands and a settling pond. The Jennings facility also provides the opportunity for on-going development of passive treatment technology. The pilot-scale systems and student participation was explained by Dr. Fred Brenner from Grove City College. The design engineer Charles Cooper, PE, C D S Assoc., Inc., described the construction of the full-scale system.

The next stop on the tour was the SR101A site. This system uses a 900-ton Anoxic Limestone Drain to treat a 30 gallon per minute acid discharge containing approx. 70 ppm of iron. The ALD is followed by a settling pond and two constructed wetland cells which collect the iron prior to discharging into the headwaters of Slippery Rock Creek. A big THANKS is extended to all who were involved:

R. Wagener, J. Holden, R. Coleman, E. Ammentorp, J. Earle, G. Price, M. Sherman, S Blackman, J. Mirza, L. Odenthal, F. Brenner, T. Jageman, F. Koch, M. Dunn, T. Danehy, R. Hedin.

Thanks also to Jerry Jesteadt and Dave Macurak, Jesteadt Excavating, for providing the excavation services for both systems.

An article published in the Nov. 1998 edition of the DCNR's publication RESOURCE is attached. Special thanks goes out to Josh First for his contribution of this excellent and exciting article.

Extra-special thanks is extended to the Jennings Staff and particularly Cindy Shirley, Gary Jenkins and Ray Markle whose help at the Celebration made everything run smoothly. We could not have done it with out you. THANKS!!!!

Thanks to the Slippery Rock Watershed Association for their support.

For more information contact:

Slippery Rock Watershed Coalition, c/o Stream Restoration Incorporated (PA non-profit), 338 Glen Eden Road, Rochester PA 15074, (724)774-2813, fax (724)774-1219 December Distribution: approx. 300 copies