Cleaning up Abandoned Mine Drainage (AMD)

AMD pollutes thousands of miles of streams in Pennsylvania. Once considered a hopeless situation, recent “passive” treatment technologies have given cause for optimism in cleaning up AMD polluted streams.

Historically, mine drainage has been treated using chemicals and mechanical equipment to neutralize acid and remove high levels of metals present in the water. Passive treatment involves the use of more natural materials to do the same job. Often limestone is employed to neutralize acid. Metals are removed by naturally aerating the water and then allowing the metals to settle out in ponds. Finally, the water is passed through wetlands where the roots of plants act as a filtering media as the water flows past them.

Although passive treatment usually does not remove all of the pollution from AMD, it often can make a substantial difference. Through passive treatment methods, many watershed associations throughout the region have brought life back to once-dead streams.

Pictured today is a “passive” AMD treatment system located at St. Vincent College in Westmoreland County.

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