Location/Size: The 13.82-acre site is located in Hanover Township, Luzerne County, Pa.

Former use: The site’s previous owner, the Blue Coal Corp., had mined this site and left it in an environmentally degraded state as a culm bank when it declared bankruptcy in the mid-1970s.
Earth Conservancy (EC), which was formed in 1994 as a non-profit with the mission of reclaiming mine scarred lands in Luzerne County, reclaimed the Franklin Bank, a designated brownfield to eliminate an environmentally degraded that contributed Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) to the Solomon Creek watershed and to re-use the site for residential uses. This project removed thousands of tons of mine waste, eliminating a source of mine drainage runoff that made its way into the existing storm water system and local streams and creeks in the Solomon’s Creek watershed. The project team achieved its goal with the completion of the reclamation and subsequent sale of the property for residential development.

End use: The site was sold in May 2010 to be developed for residential purposes.

Project completion: August 2009.

Unique project qualities: The Franklin Bank reclamation project demonstrates its uniqueness by the fact that it was, first, formerly a mine land site, which is unique among brownfield projects overall, most being restoration of former industrial sites. The size of the project also makes the project unique, being only 13.82 acres, it made the re-use of the site limited. The site is located within a residential area and is zoned residential, so finding an end-user to develop the completed site could have proven difficult, especially in the current economy.
However, the project team was able to sell the site to a developer who plans to build multiple units in the site. Where they began with a site covered in huge banks of coal waste, contributing AMD to the watershed and detracting from the aesthetics of the neighborhood, there is currently no AMD seeping into the watershed and homes that will be build, providing the township with additional revenue from an increased tax base.

Funding: Total project cost was $337,000. The EPA Brownfields Cleanup Grant provided $200,000, and EC provided $137,000 in cash and in-kind contributions.

Contamination/remediation technologies used: AMD is the primary environmental concern at the site. West Nile Virus infestation is a minor but secondary health concern. Franklin Bank is not listed or proposed for listing on the National Priorities List. Franklin Bank is not subject to unilateral administrative orders, court orders, administrative orders on consent, or judicial consent decrees issued to or entered into by parties under CERCLA. In this project, the waste coal material was transported off the premises and re-used in a co-generation process to create electricity. Current technology now exists to burn coal that had been at one time determined to have too low a BTU level, so was considered waste. With the technological advancements in the industry, some of what had been considered waste can now be burned because generation facilities can accommodate the lower BTU levels. Total remediation costs were $337,000.

Innovative environmental solutions deployed: Mine land reclamation projects often have basic solutions, which consist of removal of excess material from the site or introduction of material to the site, then grading to specifications, placing healthy topsoil and seeding. The ultimate goal is to reduce AMD from the watershed and to eliminate any areas of sites that could pose a health hazard, such as high walls or deep holes. The team removed material from the site. The innovative component was the re-use of the removed materials for the generation of electricity. With the technological advancements in the industry, some of what had been considered waste can now be burned because generation facilities can accommodate the lower BTU levels.

Environmental metrics: It is well-documented that coal waste, called culm, is a major contributor of AMD to watersheds throughout Pennsylvania and other states that have an historic connection to mining. The results of the AMD, or iron, that is contributed to the watersheds can be seen in the yellow-orange scum that settles on the streambeds. If there is sufficient iron in the waterways, the streams can become devoid of aquatic life. Measuring the level of acidity seeping into the groundwater is a method of determining the benefit of reclamation of these types of sites. According to information provided by the DEP Pottsville office based on work done at a similar reclaimed site, acidity seepage can be determined by using the percent sulfur content of the bank material.
The average sulfur content at Franklin Bank is .35%. Making the assumption of 31.75 tons of acidity per 1,000 tons of material, and using 2,500 tons of material per acre multiplied by .35%, would result in 383 tons of acidity being removed from Franklin Bank by the reclamation process.
There was 178,000 ton of coal waste removed from the Franklin site. The stakeholders measured the success of the project by the complete elimination of the large culm banks and the restoration of the site to a grassy land area that will be used for housing.

Breadth and depth of remediation required: The project scope of work for site reclamation, with the consideration of potential future development, included the removal of the significant volume of culm present in the largest culm embankments on the site and leveling of the site for the best opportunity of attracting interest in its future productive use. The site was graded and stormwater management controls installed to allow for potential future development of the site, thereby minimizing the amount of disturbance that might be required at a later date if the site were developed.
Virtually the entire site was graded to support the establishment of turf and soil cover, minimize the amount of AMD by limiting exposure of, and direct water infiltration into, the culm material present on the site.
Franklin Bank is not listed or proposed for listing on the National Priorities List. Franklin Bank is not subject to unilateral administrative orders, court orders, administrative orders on consent, or judicial consent decrees issued to or entered into by parties under CERCLA.

Project challenges: The coordination of the removal of material and do so with minimal disturbance to the surrounding neighborhood presented a challenge. The decision was made to move the material during normal daytime working hours, but allow it to continue on weekends to expedite the process and bring the removal phase to an end as quickly as possible. All other work was performed during normal business hours on weekdays only. The surrounding neighborhood was supportive of the project because of the illegal dumping and off-road vehicle riding that took place at the site prior to cleanup. However, project members did not want to create a prolonged period where trucking in the neighborhood could become a burden for residents.

Collaboration that occurred among multiple parties: The township in which the project site is located was pleased to have the site reclaimed, especially with the potential for it to be used as a residential area. Though no financial support was provided by the township, it was supportive of EC’s efforts to remediate the site. The local community was pleased to see the site being cleaned up because of the illegal trash dumping and off-road vehicle riding that took place there. Additionally, the trucking company that removed the culm to the co-generation facility was willing to work with the stakeholders on the work schedule to expedite the process of removing material from the site.

Innovative designs and energy-efficient technologies implemented: The most innovative component was the re-use of the coal waste for generation of electricity. Current technology now exists to burn coal that had been at one time determined to have too low a BTU level, so was considered waste. With the technological advancements in the industry, some of what had been considered waste can now be burned because generation facilities can accommodate the lower BTU levels.

Recyclable materials used to classify as a 'green' development: The project did not use recycled materials in the typical sense, but the re-use of the coal waste material definitely falls within the context of “green” classification. What could be “greener” than re-utilizing coal waste that sat dormant for decades, contributingAMD to the watershed? For the project team, this project represented the quintessential green project.