CENTER STREET RECLAMATION

Historically, the Center Street property was part of a larger tract that was deep and strip-mined by the Glen-Nan Coal Company, which later became part of the Blue Coal Corporation. Following Blue Coal’s bankruptcy in the 1970s, the site was abandoned, leaving behind a severely degraded landscape. The topography is highly irregular, characterized by large pits and tall piles of black, rubbly mining waste. Illegal dumping in several areas has further compounded environmental damage. Hydrologic conditions have also been significantly impaired: waste rock generates acid mine drainage, two excavated pits retain stagnant water, and a small unnamed tributary to Newport Creek exhibits only intermittent flow.

Reclamation will involve substantial earthmoving and regrading, followed by revegetation. The stream channel will also be repaired. Building on the Newport Township Master Plan (2019) and Housing Needs Assessment (2023), EC aims to return the site to beneficial use – providing space for much-needed residential development, with part of the property being preserved for green space.

May 2025 | US EPA announces EC has been awarded a $1.6 million grant through its Brownfields Cleanup Program. The grant will fund engineering planning, permitting, reclamation, and revegetation for ±24 acres of land, off of Center Street in Newport Township.