Barnes/Watkins Coal Refuse Pile
 
Then . . .

• Located in Barr Township, Cambria County
• Original pile contained 1,300,000 tons of refuse
• Covered 18 acre site
• Leached acidity and metals such as iron into river
• Degraded the West Branch from Headwaters
• Pile on fire and burned for decades polluting the air

Original Barnes Watkins Coal Refuse Pile. Situated directly on the West Branch Susquehanna River.
  
Plan for Remediation . . .

• Partner with Robindale Energy Services, Inc.
• Remove burnable fuel to Seward Power Plant
• Place unusable material at Robindale's adjacent permitted site and mix with returned ash
• Mix remaining site refuse with returned ash
• Received Growing Greener Grants totally $4.4 million from PA DEP for Phases 1 and 2
• Project began in January, 2004 . . . completed December, 2007
• Removed more than 1.1 million tons of burnable fuel
• Site reclaimed, leveled and seeded

Katie McGinty (second from left), Secretary, Pa. Department of Environmental Protection
presents ceremonial check for $4.4 million to CCCRA Board Chairman, Tom Strittmatter (left) and Dee Columbus, Executive Director, as Neil Hedrick and Jim Panaro, Robindale Energy Services, Inc. look on

Now . . .

JULY, 2008    Barnes/Watkins . . . a pile no more!!