Bear Creek-Phase I

About Phase I

In October 2006, project partners met at Bear Creek to break ground for Phase I of the project.

What is Passive Treatment?

Unlike active treatment for AMD, passive treatment does not require continuous manpower, resources or chemical inputs. Rather, passive treatment takes advantage of naturally occurring chemical or biological processes to cleanse contaminated mine waters. In most passive systems, aerating the water in large ponds or wetlands helps the dissolved metals in mine water undergo certain chemical changes, which allow the metals to settle out as sludge. Generally, periodic removal of the sludge is the only large-scale maintenance that needs to be done.

For Phase I of the Bear Creek project, three settling ponds were constructed to provide passive treatment of the AMD-contaminated water from the mine tunnel entrance. Click here for more information about Phase I of the project.

Abandoned Mine Drainage Treatment
at Bear Creek near Wiconisco, PA

Bear Creek project partners break ground for Phase I

L to R: Michael Hewitt (EPCAMR), Tim Wentzel (DCCD Board), Ron Kopp (DCCD Board), Scott Bills (PA Game Commission), Dauphin County Commissioner Jeff Haste, John W. Gleim, Jr. (John W. Gleim, Jr. Inc. - project contractor) and Dave Coble (DCCD Board)

Phase I

Pond A is the first pond in a series of 3treatment stages. Pond B (below) is less orange, indicating that less iron hydroxide is present in the water.

Pond C- final treatment stage.

Water flows down a rock-lined channel from Pond A to Pond B. The rock lining prevents erosion.

Untreated mine draingage prior to entering Pond A.