Regional Coordinator’s Report

Bruce
Golden

May 17, 2006

2006 AMR
Conference Planning

Planning activities are in
high gear for this year’s AMR
Conference.  We have settled on the
dates for the 2 day conference:
Friday, August 25 and Saturday, August 26 with a mixer on the evening
Thursday, August 24.  It will be
held at the Atherton Hotel in State College.  It will consist primarily of workshops
aimed at watershed groups with the theme “Back to Basics”,
providing introductory and refresher materials on a variety of topics watershed
groups are likely to deal with.

We are working to keep costs
for the participants as low as possible.
The program is still in the planning stage.  All relevant program and registration
information will be placed on the website www.TreatMineWater.com .

Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund Update

The US Senate has passed an
amendment that would renew the collection of per ton fees on coal production
until June 30, 2007.  House action
has not yet happened but it is likely to pass, giving us yet another year to
get a new bill passed.

Meanwhile PA Senators
Santorum and Specter have introduced Senate Bill S.2616, which is largely based
on the Cubin-Rahall-Peterson (CRP) proposal of last year.  As it stands, the major difference from
CRP is that during the first 5 years of enactment, funding to states would be
ramped up, with full funding thereafter. The money withheld in the ramp-up
period would be dispersed in year 6.
This is a kind of gimmick to have the bill score better by the
Appropriations committee.

Although the legislation has
been introduced as a bill, if all goes as planned (so we are told) it will be
offered as an amendment to a pension bill.
Action in the Senate could take place by month’s end.

The AML Campaign will likely
not stand in the way of the bill as written, but holds that the fee be
increased or at least held steady, as opposed to the 20% decrease as prescribed
in the legislation.  The AML
Campaign has actively solicited county commissions to pass resolutions
supporting a fair bill that, among other things, endorses a fee increase or
holding the fee steady.  So far
nearly 20 PA counties have passed such resolutions, which are being presented
to Senators Santorum and Specter.

The Rendell administration
appears to support the bill.

The estimates for annual
funding to PA will eventually be on the order of $90 million, with a total
payout of about $900 million over the 15 year life of the bill. After that the
money remaining in the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund (now roughly $1.6
billion) could be used by states not yet finished with their high priority
reclamation.  The bill’s
authors estimate only PA and WV will remain to draw on these funds.   However, these estimates are based
on a number of factors that cannot be predicted with a great deal of accuracy.

New OSM-VISTA intern for the Monitoring Support
Growing Greener grant

Please welcome the newest
member of the WPCAMR family, Jeffery Gerard, who is our new OSM-VISTA intern
for the Monitoring Support program.
Jeff is a new graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln,
with a BS in Computer Science and several minors.  Just as importantly for us, Jeff is a
dedicated conservationist and volunteer with a broad and impressive skill set,
and the will to make a difference.
We have every confidence that Jeff is exactly the right person for the
multi-discipline requirements for our Monitoring
Support for Passive Treatment Systems program.

Quick Response Program soon to be up and running.

We are waiting for the final
contract to be executed for the Quick Response program.  WPCAMR received a $350,000 Growing
Greener II grant that is meant to fund emergency repairs of Growing Greener
eligible BMP’s, which would include passive treatment systems.  WPCAMR is the fiscal pass through to
facilitate funding quickly.
Otherwise DEP handles all other aspects of the program.  Should your project be in need of
emergency repairs, contact you local DEP Watershed Manager who will be your
point of contact.  Once the program
becomes operational, we will place the procedure and needed form on our website
www.AMRClearinghous.org .

DEP Grants for innovative technologies

WPCAMR is the sponsoring (fiscal) organization for innovate
grants dealing with mine water treatment and resource recovery:

In-situ treatment of mine pool water  (Bioremedial)  ($299,000)

Innovative treatment technology utilizing
activated iron solids for the removal of iron in a variety of chemical
environments.  (Deitz et. Al.
Consulting)  ($279,221)

Investigation and optimization of vertical flow
pond flushing systems for vertical flow ponds (Hedin Environmental) ($189,813)

Contracts have been returned
to DEP for final approval.  WPCAMR
will need to execute agreements with the firms doing this work.  Since Bob
Eppley has had considerable experience with such arrangements
through Blacklick Creek Watershed Association, he has offered WPCAMR
boiler-plate language as a basis for these agreements.

WPCAMR may charge up to 2%
administration for these grants.

Newly Awarded Growing Greener Grants

Monitoring Support for Passive Treatment Systems
II ($166,000) – continuation of existing grant.

South Sandy Watershed Association Startup Grant  ($5,000)  – WPCAMR
is fiscal sponsor as a service since group has not yet finalized their
501(c)3 status.

Contracts have been returned
to DEP for final approval.  As
above, WPCAMR will need to execute an agreement with SSWA.

Existing Growing Greener Grants

WPCAMR is currently administering 3 Growing Greener grants
which should be completed by end of first quarter 2006.

Revisiting 18 WPCAMR Passive Treatment Projects:
(most field work complete, final report needed -  good training for Jeff Gerard).

TAG II: Scarlift Digitization and Website.   (final report almost ready to
be submitted)

Decision Maker Grant.  (final report submitted)

We have one Growing Greener
grants which is ongoing:

Monitoring Support for Passive Treatment Systems:
this grant is has gotten under way as and the data management system work
is in full swing.

Bruce’s Computer Dies

With just a week to go before
Growing Greener applications were due, my computer (which also acts as our file
server) refused to turn on.  Taking
it to 4 different repair facilities, I got 4 different tentative diagnoses, and
estimates all in the several hundred dollar range and at least a week to
fix.  Given the almost 5 year old
computer was probably not worth the repair cost, I opted to buy a new computer
for less than $500 instead.  During
the down-time, I was able to limp along by working from home.  Fortunately my defunct computer was well
backed up, and I didn’t suffer any permanent data loss.  Unfortunately, the transition to a new
computer when the old one is inoperative is laborious to say the least and cost
much valuable time.  However, I was
able to finish my most important Growing Greener applications, provide the
mandatory letters of acknowledgment to other GG applicants having AMD related
problems, and configure the new computer, which is now up and running just
fine.

Post script: After the above
debacle, I was semi-convinced that I could figure out a cost effective way to
repair the old computer.  In the
process of taking things apart to determine part model numbers, I discovered a
loose module. After firmly reseating said module and putting it back together,
the old computer started up without fault.
I’m not sure what it is, but there’s a lesson in here
somewhere.

Search for new Watershed Coordinator

With the resignation of Deb
Simko as Watershed Coordinator, we are in the midst of a search for a
replacement. Newspaper ads have been placed in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
and Johnstown Tribune Democrat, as well as email news letters DEP Update,
Environmental Digest, and Watershed Weekly.  Response has been quite good, with 33
candidates.  There appears to
several with excellent credentials.
Bob Eppley and Greg Phillips
have provided the leadership during this transition.