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Bliss Bank Mine Reclamation

November 15, 2018

Bliss Bank (Before)
Bliss (After)
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Bliss Bank (Before)
Bliss (After)
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Decades ago, the Blue Coal Corporation used Bliss Bank to store mine waste. After the area was abandoned, it sat idle for years, a toxic eyesore of piled mine waste and pools of stagnant water. The neglected site was a hotbed for illegal activity, including trash dumping and ATV trespassing. Runoff from the site also polluted waterways in the Nanticoke Creek watershed.

With funding from the Environmental Stewardship Fund, the Earth Conservancy has restored the site, clearing away hundreds of thousands of cubic yards of mine waste and transforming nearly 50 acres of toxic, lifeless land into a safe, usable space. The restoration project has involved filling pits, planting grass and native vegetation, and implementing features to manage stormwater. Besides the environmental and aesthetic benefits, the project has curtailed the illegal activities once common at the site.

The project is ongoing—the Earth Conservancy is currently restoring another 54 acres of the 200-acre site. In the future, the site will likely host mixed-use development, which will boost the local economy while protecting open space that would otherwise be developed.

Project Type: Restore Damaged Land | Region: Northeast


Project Overview

Environmental Stewardship Fund Investment: $734,600
Project Leader: Earth Conservancy
County: Luzerne

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This website is maintained by WeConservePA with support from the Community Conservation Partnership Program, Environmental Stewardship Fund under the administration of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation.

Please note that WeConservePA does not manage Growing Greener or the Environmental Stewardship Fund. Nor does the Growing Greener Coalition. This is the responsibility of the state agencies authorized under law: DCNR, DEP, PDA, and PennVEST. For information on the Keystone Park and Recreation Fund, click here.

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