A Model for Mine-Scarred Land Reclamation and Reutilization

Organizational Summary through 2016

Vision Statement: EC will lead and partner with communities in the reclamation of mine-scarred lands and streams, returning strong

economic, environmental, and social value by creating a well-planned vibrant valley, protected by green ridge tops.

Mission Statement: Earth Conservancy is a nonprofit organization committed to the reclamation and return of 16,000 acres of former coal

company-owned land to the region. It collaborates with local communities, government agencies, educational institutions, and the private sector to spearhead the creation and implementation of plans that restore the land's economic, recreational, residential, and ecological value. To achieve this objective, Earth Conservancy:

1. Develops sustainable land-use plans

2. Commits to provide 10,000 acres for recreation and open space

3. Leads reclamation efforts of mine-scarred lands and water resources, and guides their reutilization

4. Funds its work through sale of EC’s land and other resources, and through public and private sector partners

5. Partners with local communities to achieve our mission

6. Educates the community-at-large on environmental issues, the benefits of reclamation, and effective land-use planning.

Vision and Mission Statement

In Total: 49 Projects / $47,353,000 invested

Board of Directors & Officers

Chairman John D. McCarthy, Jr.

President McCarthy Tire Service Co.

Vice-Chairman Rev. John J. Ryan, CSC, PhD

President, King’s College

Treasurer Thomas E. Lawson, PE, PLS

EVP Client Development & Quality Borton-Lawson Engineering

Secretary Daryl Pawlush

Projects Principal Penn Eastern Engineering

President/CEO Michael A. Dziak

Earth Conservancy

John E. Cavanaugh, Jr. President

Central Clay Product Co.

Kelly M. Ciravolo, Esq. Anzalone Law Offices

Joseph A. Frank, Jr. President

Centralia Coal Co.

Michael J. Johnson Realtor (retired)

Thomas P. Leary President, Luzerne County

Community College

Kathy L. Pape President, Pennsylvania

American Water Co.

Joseph C. Hillan Supervisor, Newport Twp.

Dept. of Public Works

Holly T. Frederick, PhD, PE Associate Professor, Environmental

Engineering, Wilkes University

Past Board Directors

Original Earth Conservancy Board of Directors

Christopher Breiseth*

A. Peter Kanjorski (deceased)

James Manley (deceased)

Herbert Nash (deceased)

Harold Rose (deceased)

Susan Shoval Harold Snowdon, Jr. (deceased)

Eleanor Winsor

Joseph Yudichak

Margaret Bakker

Stephen Barrouk

Thomas Blaskiewicz

Robert Ciaruffoli Mark Dingman*

Joseph Frank, Sr. (deceased)

Joseph Gilmour

Anne Glauber (deceased)

Joseph A. Hillan (deceased)

Diane Kopcha Katlic

Rev. James Lackenmier

Gary Lamont

John Larson

Robert Matley

Bernard McGurl Robert Mericle

John Moran (deceased)

Lawrence Newman

Rev. Thomas O’Hara

Edward Schechter (deceased)

Rhea Simms* Marleen A. Troy

Past Members of the Board of Directors

* Served as Board of Directors’ Chairperson

Land Activities to Date

Land Holdings (purchased 1994) 16,496 acres @ cost of $14.6 million*

Sold 7,899 acres valued @ $30.5 million (over 500 transactions)† Donated 289 acres valued @ $3 million

Total acres sold or donated 8,289 acres

Total acres remaining 8,207 acres

* Direct Return to Community = $8 million local taxes, $3.7 million State/Federal government, $2.4 million Black Lung Fund † Annually, over $630,000 of real estate taxes is generated from Earth Conservancy properties that have been reclaimed and sold for productive use.

Open Space/Recreation Open Space: objective 10,000 acres, to date 6,300 acres Recreation Fields: soccer/football/all-purpose fields, 35 acres Trails: three trail systems, 20 miles

Industrial/Commercial Lands (786 acres)

Hanover Crossings / Hanover Industrial Estates expansion Hanover 9 Bliss/Truesdale (1,000+ acres, future)

Residential (1,203 acres)

Hanover Fairway Hills; Nuangola Woodland Acres; hundreds of individual lots sold Large parcels available in Sugar Notch, Hanover Township, Plymouth Township, and Newport Township

Transportation Initiatives South Valley Parkway: 3.5 miles @ estimated cost of $84 million Route 115/Exit 168: connector road being re-evaluated

Land Use Planning

1996 Land Use Plan

1999 Wyoming Valley Open Space Master Plan

1999 Mixed Use Master Plan/South Valley Parkway Project

2003 Interstate 81 Exit 168/Route 115 Connector Road Master Plan

2005 All-Terrain Vehicle Feasibility Study

2006 Plymouth Township Land Use Feasibility Study

2008 Reuse Analysis and Sustainable Redevelopment Framework for Earth Conservancy South Valley Corridor Lands

2012 Hanover Crossings Phases 3 and 4 & Hanover 9 Land Use Plan

Complete copies of EC’s land use plans can be found on our website, www.earthconservancy.org

The Land Use Plan | 1996

Identified 3,000 mine-scarred acres that will cost an estimated $200 million to reclaim

Earmarked 2,200 acres for economic development; 2,800 acres for residential development; and 10,000 acres for open space

Proposed new transportation system that will create safer and easier access to community amenities, developable land and future reclamation sites

Note: All colored land parcels are owned by EC Green circle connotes initial reclamation focus Orange circle connotes secondary reclamation focus Red circle connotes future reclamation focus

Franklin Bank

1. The 15 acres of Franklin Bank, adjacent to a residential neighborhood, were covered in large piles of mine spoils. Here, construction vehicles work on earthmoving operations. 2. Aerial view of the reclaimed Franklin Bank site. 3. In 2010, Franklin Bank was purchased by a private developer, who is currently constructing approximately 45 two-story duplex homes on the site.

2009 | 15 acres | Hanover Township

Project Cost: $337,000

Funded by USEPA and Earth Conservancy

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Greater Hanover Area Recreation Park

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1. Aerial view of site prior to reclamation activities. 2. Reclamation activities during Phase I of the project. 3. Aerial view of the completed Greater Hanover Area Recreational Park and the Sugar Notch reclamation project, which includes the Sugar Notch Trail System.

2011 | 65 acres Hanover Township & Sugar Notch

Project Cost: $1.9 million

Funded by USDA, PADEP, PADOT, PADCED, Luzerne County,

Private & In-kind Contributions, and Earth Conservancy

Huber III & Huber IV

1. Aerial view of the Huber Bank prior to reclamation. 2. Aerial view of the reclaimed Huber site. 3. In 2014, Huber III and IV were sold to an international development company. In 2016, Northpoint Development purchased the site. Construction is now underway on one of the three buildings in the 2 million SF industrial park.

2013 | 185 acres | Hanover Township

Project Cost: $9.4 million

Funded by PADCED and Earth Conservancy

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Hanover 9

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1. Section of Hanover 9, pre-construction. The site was marred by deep mining pits, filled with stagnant water. 2. View of constructed wetlands on Phase I of Hanover 9. 3. View of reclaimed site. Older-growth trees were preserved during work.

2014 | 149 acres Hanover Township & the City of Nanticoke

Project Cost: $1.6 million

Funded by PADEP, USEPA, and Earth Conservancy

Bliss Bank, Phase I

1. View of the mine spoils on Bliss Bank, Phase I. 2. After grading, the site was covered with a layer of topsoil prior to seeding. 3. View from the completed Phase I reclamation project. A large detention basin can be seen at right.

2016 | 36 acres | Newport Township

Project Cost of $1.6 million

Funded by PADEP, USEPA, and Earth Conservancy

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South Valley Parkway Project

Now under construction, the South Valley Parkway was originally proposed in Earth Conservancy’s Land Use Plan in 1996.

The intent of the South Valley Parkway (SVP) was to create a safe route to and from Luzerne County Community College and into Newport Township, and to remove heavy traffic from Middle Road and nearby residential areas in Hanover Township. The roadway, which will begin at

Exit 2 of S.R. 29 and end near Kosciuszko Street, will consist of 3.5 miles of new road, upgrades to existing roads, and improvements to sections of Middle Road - including roundabouts at Kosciuszko, Espy, and Prospect Streets - to ease congestion at intersections. The SVP will also

give access to thousands of acres of Earth Conservancy’s reclaimed lands like Hanover 9 and Bliss Bank.

Roundabout at Espy Street Completed bridge section Continued work on bridge

Espy Run Wetlands & Enhancement

2008 | AMD Mitigation | Hanover Township

Project Cost of $240,000

Funded by USEPA and Earth Conservancy

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1. AMD pooled near Espy Run through a seep. 2. System’s inlet trough, where water enters into the settling ponds from the Espy discharge. 3. Cleaner water flows from the settling ponds via an outlet into a polishing cell. Iron sediments remain behind. 4. In the polishing cell, root systems of water-loving plants filter and/or capture remaining iron particulates. Clean water flows back into Espy Run.

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Askam Borehole AMD Treatment System

1. Nanticoke Creek prior to remediation. One of two boreholes is at the

right. The borehole discharges contaminated water from underground mines directly into the creek, evidenced by the orange hue.

2. Work involved rechanneling the stream into a constructed settling

basin. Three curtains within control flow and screen and settle iron.

3. Maelstrom Oxidizer: Before entering the settling pond, water passes

through an oxidizer that injects massive amounts of air into the water. Iron can drop out of the water more quickly and in smaller spaces than required by traditional passive wetlands.

4. Downstream view of completed Askam AMD treatment system, with

water leaving the settling pond and re-entering the Nanticoke Creek.

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2014 | AMD Mitigation Hanover Township

Project Cost: $950,000

Funded by OSMRE, PADEP, PACD, and Earth Conservancy

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Current Projects

Bliss Bank Reclamation

Phase II

22 acres

Funded by PADEP, USEPA, &

Earth Conservancy

In process

Espy Run Stream

Restoration Segment A

1,000 feet

Funded by USEPA & Earth Conservancy

In process

Bliss Bank Phase I

Green & Open Space

As part of our mission, Earth Conservancy has committed to dedicating 10,000 acres of our holdings to green space. This includes trail systems, recreational parks, and conserved lands. Hundreds of additional acres are available for public use through the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Forest Cooperative Forest-Game Program. To date, over 7,500 acres have been conserved.

1. Winter view on the Penobscot Ridge Mountain Bike Trail. 2. View of Mocanaqua from the Mocanaqua Trail System, now part of the Pennsylvania State Forest system. 3 & 4. Views from the lower Sugar Notch Trail.

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Community Education & Outreach

Earth Conservancy has a long record of working with and supporting local communities. To this end, EC

Established a yard leaf and waste composting facility for the benefit of Luzerne County municipalities, businesses, and residents

Sponsors/partners in illegal dumpsite cleanup programs to recover polluted areas

Runs a seasonal community garden in Plymouth Township for area residents on a gratis basis

Gives educational presentations on land and water reclamation for schools and organizations

Builds community partnerships to promote shared goals and objectives and participates in local environmental events

Collaborates with Wilkes University, King’s College, and the Pennsylvania Environmental Council to organize reforestation efforts on reclaimed lands

Facilitated the formation of the Greater Hanover Recreation Park Commission to assume ownership and operation of the Phase I section of the recreation park

Assists the Huber Breaker Preservation Society in its development of the Huber Breaker Memorial Park

Leaf & Yard Waste Composting Facility

Established in 1995, Earth Conservancy’s Leaf and Yard Waste Compost Facility is located in Newport Township. The large-scale composting operation

Serves 16 Luzerne County communities

Processes 8,300 tons of material annually

Has processed over 156,000 tons of material to date

Step 1: Area municipalities, residents, and landscaping firms drop off

material for composting.

Step 2: A front end loader deposits yard waste into one end of the

grinder, while coarse mulch is ejected from the other end.

Step 3: After decomposing in long piles called windrows for several months, material is

screened. The compost is used on reclamation projects, as well as by local municipalities in Luzerne County. The entire process can take up to eight months depending on the material type and weather conditions.

Awards & Recognition

Pennsylvania Governor’s Awards 2013 Huber IV Mine Land Reclamation Project

2012 Espy Run Wetlands Enhancement Project

2010 Huber III Mine Land Reclamation Project

2007 Hanover 7A Reclamation

2002 Greater Hanover Area Recreation Fields, Phase I

1998 The Earth Conservancy Land Use Plan

Northeastern PA Environmental Partners Awards 2013 PA American Water Co. & Earth Conservancy Residual Waste Project

2011 Huber III Mine Land Reclamation Project

2007 Earth Conservancy Yard Waste Composting Facility

2002 Earth Conservancy Land Use Plan

Other Awards PA DEP Waste Watcher Award for EC’s Yard Waste Composting Facility (2012, 2002, 2001, 1999, 1998)

2009 EPA Mid-Atlantic Environmental Achievement Award for “spearheading efforts to revitalize former coal company owned lands” in Luzerne County (2009)

2007 Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business & Industry, Pride of Place Environmental Enhancement Award for EC’s Greater Hanover Area Recreation Park and the Sugar Notch residential development projects

Earth Conservancy Dedicated to mine land reclamation, environmental conservation,

and economic revitalization in the Wyoming Valley of Luzerne County.

Reclaimed lands at the intersection of I-81 & SR 29