Jun 17, 2013 3 min read

The acid mine water draining into Ten Mile Creek near Fredericktown has been stopped, according to the state representative who first alerted environmental regulators of the problem.

State Rep. Pam Snyder, D-Jefferson, said she learned Friday that the water discharge flowing from the abandoned Clyde Mine into the creek has been eliminated.

The announcement comes two months after she wrote to the state Department of Environmental Protection informing them of the issue after she noticed orange water spilling across Route 88 in East Bethlehem Township.

“This is great news and hopefully the end of a regretful chapter,” Snyder said.

Acid mine water began pouring into the creek recently after a borehole at a treatment facility became clogged last year and eventually collapsed. The facility had not been working properly since 2012, but there wasn’t a problem until heavy snow and rain earlier this year caused the treatment facility to overflow.

The DEP repaired the treatment facility, and it began operating normally again May 28, Snyder said. However, it took additional time for the plant to sufficiently filter out the acid mine drainage and reverse the damage done to the creek.

“They adopted the creek and were determined to stop its destruction as soon as possible,” Snyder said of the DEP and contractors who fixed the treatment facility. “They overcame difficult weather and various challenges to get the plant back on line before summer and enable the stream to begin to recover.”

The DEP has told her the acid mine drainage into the creek was “minimal,” although she heard reports of fish kills in the stream. Snyder said she is confident the damage done to the creek is not permanent and the stream will recover in time for residents to enjoy the popular fishing season.

“It’s tough to see a stream go from supporting trout to orange from mine drainage,” she said. “Area residents, I’m sure, will be celebrating the stream’s continuing revival.”

Abandoned coal mines often fill with water that becomes contaminated and turns orange from its interaction with high levels of iron. The water then seeps into local waterways, and the acidity can kill fish and other aquatic wildlife sensitive to pH levels.

According to DEP officials, the department took responsibility for the treatment and mitigation of the mine water after LTV Steel went into bankruptcy in 2000. A trust was established through the Clean Streams Foundation to fund operations at LTV sites and treat acid mine drainage coming from the Clyde Mine.