Latest news with #Lichvar
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Kantner man takes helm of new Bottomlands Conservancy; insuring rehab of Stonycreek continues
As chairman of the newly-formed Bottomlands Conservancy, Logan Lichvar of Kantner will now be at the tip of the spear in keeping polluted mine water from entering the Stonycreek River. The Friedens-based non-profit has taken over the abandoned mine discharge treatment facilities from the Somerset County Conservancy, and the North Star graduate hopes to continue the on-going battle to rehabilitate local waterways. 'It definitely means a lot,' said Lichvar.'I feel a large responsibility, but I know we have guys in place on the board and future members that are going to help out a lot.' Lichvar said that the conservancy was looking for someone to take over the sites, and was either going to give them away or sell them. "So, to keep those properties open to the public and make sure the AMD sites are taken care of in the future we decided to go ahead and start Bottomlands so that we could transfer those properties to us.' Lichvar and his father Len (who will serve as Bottomlands' vice-chairman) already have a great deal of experience with the treatment facilities as each worked with the conservancy in the past .The elder Lichvar recently retired from the Somerset Conservation District. As an employee of InnoH2O Solutions in Friedens, which conducts AMD engineering and treatment for coal companies and the Dept. of Environmental Protection, Logan will use experience gained from the private sector. The company's president, Mike McClusky, will serve at Bottomlands secretary. 'Nobody in Bottomlands is going to be paid,' said Lichvar. 'It's a true small non-profit. Everything is volunteer.' Currently there are just four members, with InnoH2O's Nate Moot serving as treasurer. Established with a letter of determination from the state on Nov.6, Bottomlands will be writing grants and seeking donations and membership fees to maintain and operate the passive treatment sites. 'Right now, we basically just threw a couple of bucks in to get it started and get it going,' said Lichvar. Aside from treating polluted water, one of Bottomlands' goals is to keep open to the public approximately 200 acres of ground that comes with the transfer. Lichvar explained that the Somerset Co. Conservation District has always funded, operated and maintained the treatment ponds, and the conservancy was the land trust that owned the ground. 'It just made sense to do something to keep local control and make sure they're open to the public so people can keep hunting there and walking,' he said. The properties are used for hiking, hunting, trapping, bird-watching, and fishing. Deer, turkeys, woodcock, squirrel, and even an occasional bear or bald eagle use the properties, Lichvar said. Jenner Rod and Gun Club stocks pheasants on one parcel. Lichvar said Bottomlands' immediate goals are to rehabilitate a treatment facility on Coal Run in Meyersdale, and to address two seepage areas at their Hawk View site north of Kantner. Water from those sites flow into the Casselman and Stonycreek rivers, respectively. 'We would be looking at adding systems wherever we can,' said Lichvar. 'We're definitely a Somerset County group but we're not limiting ourselves to Somerset County.' He added, 'Even if it's consulting with other non-profit organizations or conservation districts. It feels good to know you're doing something that's making a difference.'
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Abrupt mine discharge pollutes trout stream near Thomas Mills
JEROME, Pa. – Efforts are underway to address a Conemaugh Township mine discharge that temporarily closed Jerome Hill Road Thursday. The sudden, storm-driven blowout occurred near Thomas Mills, sending a wave of iron-laden mine water into a section of Bens Creek's south branch that is designated as a Class A Wild Trout stream, Somerset Conservation District Manager Len Lichvar said. 'We don't want to see something like this anywhere – but certainly not on a section of the creek known for naturally reproducing brown trout,' said Lichvar, who has spent his career working to restore local waterways. A few hundred thousand gallons per minute of the polluted water were flowing into the creek during peak flows, he estimated. A heavy storm and a long-abandoned mine are to blame. It's common for mine water to rise inside the onetime Jerome Hill No. 1 mine when it rains. But on Thursday, the pressure got so great that the flow carved a new path, erupting from the side of the hillside, Lichvar said. The flow ran over Jerome Hill Road and poured into Bens Creek. 'Basically,' Lichvar said, 'there was nowhere else for that water to go.' He credited fellow founding Stonycreek River Improvement Project member Joe Gorden for spotting the mess and contacting the Somerset Conservation District Lichvar said he, in turn, dialed the Department of Environmental Protection's emergency line, and notified Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and Somerset County 911 officials. By the time the discharge slowed, it damaged a nearby property owner's driveway and left a foot-high blanket of 'iron sludge' on Jerome Hill Road, Lichvar said. Somerset County Emergency Management Director Joel Landis said the road was temporarily closed to traffic. But the debris was cleared by state workers by Thursday evening, enabling the road to reopen. Test results confirmed that the mine flow was 'extremely acidic,' with a pH level of 2.9, Lichvar said. Sudden discharges aren't rare in a region with a rich mining past and many of Pennsylvania's abandoned mines. Lichvar said it's fortunate there were no early signs of fish killed and local officials will continue to monitor the situation. The DEP is looking at options to add piping to mitigate the discharge alongside the hill, Lichvar said. But he plans to pitch a proposal to redirect the discharge to a treatment system that just happens to be a few hundred feet upstream. The Rock Tunnel system was designed to treat acidic mine water and the conservation district was already looking at ways to reduce smaller discharge flows from Jerome Hill. Lichvar said he was hopeful a new stream of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds designed for mine reclamation work could be secured to start the project – 'but Mother Nature beat us to the punch.' 'We were worried something like this could happen,' he said. 'But maybe if we can work out a way to treat this water, we may be able to turn this negative situation into a positive one.' With drier weather conditions Saturday morning, the discharge had slowed considerably. Lichvar said local anglers can continue fishing the waterway, he added.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Abrupt mine discharge pollutes trout stream
JEROME, Pa. – Efforts are underway to address a Conemaugh Township mine discharge that temporarily closed Jerome Hill Road on Thursday. The sudden, storm-driven blowout occurred near Thomas Mills, sending a wave of iron-laden mine water into a section of Bens Creek's south branch that is designated as a Class A Wild Trout stream, Somerset Conservation District Manager Len Lichvar said. "We don't want to see something like this anywhere – but certainly not on a section of the creek known for naturally reproducing brown trout," said Lichvar, who has spent his career working to restore local waterways. A few hundred thousand gallons per minute of the polluted water were flowing into the creek during peak flows, he estimated. A heavy storm and a long-abandoned mine are to blame. It's common for mine water to rise inside the onetime Jerome Hill No. 1 mine when it rains. But on Thursday, the pressure got so great that the flow carved a new path, erupting from the side of the hillside, Lichvar said. The flow ran over Jerome Hill Road and poured into Bens Creek. "Basically," Lichvar said, "there was nowhere else for that water to go." He credited fellow founding Stonycreek River Improvement Project member Joe Gorden for spotting the mess and contacting the Somerset Conservation District Lichvar said he, in turn, dialed the Department of Environmental Protection's emergency line, and notified Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and Somerset County 911 officials. By the time the discharge slowed, it damaged a nearby property owner's driveway and left a foot-high blanket of "iron sludge" on Jerome Hill Road, Lichvar said. Somerset County Emergency Management Director Joel Landis said the road was temporarily closed to traffic. But the debris was cleared by state workers by Thursday evening, enabling the road to reopen. Test results confirmed that the mine flow was "extremely acidic", with a pH level of 2.9, Lichvar said. Sudden discharges aren't rare in a region with a rich mining past and many of Pennsylvania's abandoned mines. Lichvar said it's fortunate there were no early signs of fish killed and local officials will continue to monitor the situation. The DEP is looking at options to add piping to mitigate the discharge alongside the hill. Lichvar said. But he plans to pitch a proposal to redirect the discharge to a treatment system that just happens to be a few hundred feet upstream. The Rock Tunnel system was designed to treat acidic mine water and the conservation district was already looking at ways to reduce smaller discharge flows from Jerome Hill. Lichvar said he was hopeful a new stream of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds designed for mine reclamation work could be secured to start the project – "but Mother Nature beat us to the punch." "We were worried something like this could happen," he said. "But maybe if we can work out a way to treat this water, we may be able to turn this negative situation into a positive one." With drier weather conditions Saturday morning, the discharge had slowed considerably. Lichvar said local anglers can continue fishing the waterway, he added.
