Hanover 9 Reclamation

Hanover 9 is one of Earth Conservancy’s larger sites requiring reclamation. At 390 acres, it spans two municipalities: Nanticoke City and Hanover Township. The site is bordered by S.R. 29, Kosciuszko Street, Middle Road, and the Susquehanna River. Previously, the Blue Coal Corporation had mined the tract, as well as used it to hold residual mine wastes. Upon Blue Coal’s bankruptcy in the 1970s, the site was left in an environmentally degraded condition. EC began to address the property in 2011.

Because of its expanse, Hanover 9 was divided into smaller pieces, as seen on the map to the left. Each would be reclaimed as funding allowed. Work on Parcels A, B, C, and D has been completed, with areas for additional reclamation projects to occur. Funding for the Hanover 9 reclamation has been provided through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Brownfields and Land Revitalization Program, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Growing Greener Program, and Earth Conservancy.

Parcel A: Reclamation of Parcel A began in April 2011. This section of the Hanover 9 site is located within the City of Nanticoke, directly across Kosciuszko Street from the entrance to Luzerne County Community College. Much of the work focused on filling in deep holes and contouring the site to accommodate mixed-use development. The reclamation was funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Earth Conservancy. Work was completed in 2012.

Parcels B, C, & D: Parcels B, C, and D were both mined and used as waste holding areas. The sites were covered by scrub vegetation, mounds of mine spoils, as well as deep pits. Illegal dumping was also prevalent. Engineering activities began in the fall of 2012, and work began early in 2014. Work was completed in September 2014.