펜실베이니아 주의 산성광산배수(AMD) 처리 시설 유지를 위해 환경보호부는 166만 달러를 Clean Streams Foundation(CSF) 지급했다고 밝혔다.

보조금은 CSF가 9개의 수처리 플랜트를 운영·유지하도록 돕고 플랜트 근처 수로의 AMD를 제거한다. 보조금에는 수질 모니터링, 화학물질 처리, 세척 시스템, 슬러지 제거, 응급수리 등의 비용이 포함되어 있다. 9개의 수처리 시설은 하루에 100만 갤런의 광산수를 처리한다. 보조금은 CSF에 5년동안 지급되고 이번은 DEP의 두 번째 보조금으로 처리 시설의 유지 및 운영을 위해 지급됐다.

In an effort to maintain acid mine drainage (AMD) treatment facilities in Butler, Cambria, Clarion, and Venango counties in the state of Pennsylvania, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced that it has awarded a $1.66-million grant to the Clean Streams Foundation, Inc. (CSF).

This grant will allow CSF to operate and maintain nine existing water treatment plants that remove AMD from nearby waterways. This includes costs incurred for water monitoring, treatment chemicals, system flushing, sludge removal, and emergency repairs, among other things. Collectively, these nine treatment facilities treat nearly one million gallons of mine-influenced water daily.

Further, the grant will be paid to CSF over a period of five years. This is the second grant DEP has awarded to CSF for the operation and maintenance of the treatment facilities.

In 2005, DEP entered into a Consent Order and Agreement (COA) with C & K Coal Company to address post-mining issues, such as AMD. In that COA, a trust fund was created by C & K to construct and operate AMD treatment plants in impacted areas. CSF was named as the trustee and is now responsible for the operation and maintenance (O&M) of the AMD treatment facilities.

Until the trust grows to cover all operation and maintenance costs for these treatment facilities, DEP has agreed to provide supplemental funding from the federal Surface Mining Conservation and Reclamation Fund. The fund is supported by a fee on the coal industry and is distributed to states as annual grants to reclaim abandoned mine sites

[출처 = Water World / 2014년 7월 14일]