Concrete City Silt Pond
Looking onto the reclaimed Concrete City/silt pond site in early September, 2009.
The Concrete City Silt Pond reclamation project was a 36-acre, mine-scarred tract on the border of the City of Nanticoke and Hanover Township, near a suburban neighborhood. Luzerne County Community College sits within a mile. Historically, the site was used to hold coal mining waste (i.e., culm). Little concern, however, had been given to the environmental damage of the practice, nor its impact on the economy, health, or aesthetics of the region. The acid mine drainage leaching from the site was particularly concerning.
First, there were the remnants of a large silt pond. The basin had been used to hold a water-based suspension of fine-particulate coal material. Over time, the silt would settle out. Then the water would be drained, leaving the coal fines behind. Second, in addition to the pond, were culm and silt deposits, which also contributed to acid mine drainage. Iron-laden runoff from those would make its way into into the Nanticoke Creek and its watershed, and ultimately the Susquehanna River.
In 2003, Earth Conservancy received a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Brownfields Cleanup Grant to support the site’s reclamation. Reclamation involved grading and recontouring, as well as placing soil and compost to facilitate the growth of vegetative cover. Currently, the pond on the site is recovering naturally, creating habitat for native wildlife. The area will remain as open space.
