ANTHRACITE HIGHLIGHTS

For the fourth consecutive year, anthracite production decreased. Total anthracite production in 2000 was 3,905,096 tons, down 31 percent from 1999. Underground anthracite production fell to 220,462 tons, a decrease of 29 percent. However, for the second consecutive year, two new underground permits were issued, as compared to none in 1998. Operating deep mines increased by one from 1999 for a total of 23. Total employees decreased by 42 to 139.

Refuse bank production experienced the sharpest decline, dropping 2,007,356 tons or 60 percent from 1999. DEP issued two new coal refuse reprocessing permits in 2000, but the total number of operating refuse reprocessing sites decreased by eight, a 22 percent decrease from 1999, for a total of 28 sites. Employees at refuse reprocessing decreased by 277 for a total of 139.

There was an increase in surface anthracite production in 2000. Surface production was 2,332,828 tons, an increase of 19 percent from the previous year. Only one new surface mining permit was issued in 2000, as compared to seven in 1999 and 43 in 1998. Operating anthracite surface mines totaled 46, down one from 1999, and total employees decreased by 203 to 429.

The overall number of permitted anthracite mining facilities requiring inspections, including refuse disposal and preparation plants, increased by four for a total of 370 sites. Total inspections of the sites decreased by 569 for a total of 3,867 inspections. Violations cited during these inspections also decreased, down 18 percent from 1999, to 217.

There were no fatalities at anthracite surface mines in 2000, and for the second consecutive year, there were no fatalities in underground anthracite mines.

BITUMINOUS HIGHLIGHTS

After declining last year, for the first time in six years, total bituminous coal production stayed about the same in 2000. Total production was 75,122,643 tons, only 28,047 tons less than in 1999. Underground mining operations experienced a 1% decrease, producing 58,600,253 tons in 2000, down 365,888 from the previous year. DEP issued three new underground permits in 2000, after issuing five in 1999 and none in 1998. For the second consecutive year, the number of operating mines decreased by three, for a total of 48. Underground mines employed 4,988 workers in 2000, which is 213 more than in 1999.

Surface bituminous production was down four percent from 1999. Surface mines produced 14,030,580 tons of bituminous coal in 2000. There were 85 new surface mining permits issued, as compared 92 in 1999. Operating surface mines decreased by 18 for a total of 345, and total employees decreased by 33 to 2,125.

Refuse reprocessing increased by 40 percent in 2000, to 1,585,466 tons. Cogen production nearly doubled from the previous year, from 462,153 tons in 1999 to 906,344 tons in 2000. Despite no new permits in 2000, the number of producing refuse reprocessing operations increased by two, to 18, and the total number of employees increased by 17 to 82.

The overall number of permitted bituminous mining facilities requiring inspections decreased by 180 for a total of 1,808 sites. Total inspections also decreased, to 20,560 in 2000, a decrease of four percent from 1999. Violations cited during these inspections increased by 40 to 794.

Unfortunately, one miner lost his life at an underground bituminous mine in Greene County in October. Another worker was killed in December at a Somerset County prep plant.

INDUSTRIAL MINERALS HIGHLIGHTS

Overall, industrial minerals production was down slightly from 1999. In 2000, total production decreased by 1,088,737 tons, for total of 137,853,679 tons. Of this total, surface mines produced 131,849,128 tons, and underground mines produced 6,004,551 tons. Surface production decreased by two percent, while underground production increased by 20 percent.

The number of operating underground mines increased from five in 1999 to nine in 2000, and for the second consecutive year DEP issued one new underground mining permit. However, the number of employees decreased by 276 to 183. For the second year in a row, DEP issued 165 new surface mining permits. The number of operating surface mines increased by 41 for a total of 1,102 mines, while total employees decreased by three to 6,270.

The overall number of permitted industrial minerals mining operations requiring inspections increased by 944 for a total of 2,958 sites. Total inspections performed at these sites increased by 275 for a total of 4,999. Violations cited during these inspections increased by 35 percent to 230.

Unfortunately, one worker was killed in April due to an accident at a Bucks County quarry. For the fifth consecutive year, there were no fatalities in any underground industrial mineral mines.

MINING REGULATIONS AND INITIATIVES

The year 2000 was marked by DEP’s continued efforts to implement Pennsylvania’s Full Cost Bonding Program for Land Reclamation – a major change in the way that mining operations are bonded. The goal of full-cost, or conventional, bonding is to ensure that current mining operations will not contribute to Pennsylvania’s abandoned mine legacy. Under the full-cost bonding system, bonds are set on a site-specific basis, rather than using a flat per acre fee for every mining site. The bond requirements will fully reflect the true cost to complete reclamation for individual sites.

The program is designed to ensure complete land reclamation in the event of bond forfeitures and to eliminate flaws and deficits in the current Alternative Bonding System. A DEP study completed in February found the current Alternative Bonding System had a $5.5 million deficit. By adjusting the bond rate guidelines, Full-Cost Bonding sets site-specific bonds, resulting in equity among surface coal mines and greater environmental protection. The Mining and Reclamation Advisory Board unanimously endorsed the program in June, and it is on track to be adopted in 2001.

Throughout the year, DEP also proposed changes to the mining regulatory program. Proposed amendments to the coal refuse disposal regulations were published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin on June 17, 2000. The proposed rulemaking was necessary to bring Chapter 88, Anthracite Coal, and Chapter 90, Coal Refuse Disposal, into compliance with the 1994 amendments to the Coal Refuse Disposal Act. The proposed regulations add a mandatory, pre-application site selection process; criteria for design and performance of groundwater and surface water protection measures; and criteria relating to stream buffer zone variances. This rulemaking also contains provisions that are intended to promote the use of sites with pre-existing pollution discharges.

Proposed amendments to Chapter 210, Blaster Licenses, and Chapter 211, Use, Storage and Handling of Explosives, were published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin on June 3, 2000. These amendments involve a major reorganization of Chapter 211 to make it easier to understand. The amendments also include lower ground vibration limits for all blasting, including blasting at mine sites. The amendments replace the old standards for magazine construction and site location with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. The amendments to 210 allow DEP to issue blaster licenses for three years, and also recognize categories of blasting that were previously not recognized, such as demolition, and licenses from other states. These regulations do not apply to underground coal mining or the use, handling or storage of explosives in noncoal underground mines. Both the coal refuse and blasting amendments are on course to be implemented in 2001.

For the first time, DEP began requiring photo licenses for all blasters in Pennsylvania in 2000. Licensed blasters were required to have photo identification by August 31, 2000 to legally continue to blast. DEP established seven photo license centers in Ebensburg, Greensburg, Harrisburg, Hawk Run, Knox, Pottsville and Wilkes-Barre.

To study and document the effects of subsidence from full extraction, or "longwall", mining, DEP initiated three scientific studies that will be completed by independent consultants. These studies are an outgrowth of the first report on the effects of subsidence from underground mining and Act 54 that DEP completed in 1999. In March 2000, DEP contracted with a consulting firm to study forested tracts above longwall mines, and, in August, DEP began soliciting proposals for a project to study the effects of longwall mining on streams, wetlands and riparian areas. These studies are scheduled to be completed in 2001. DEP also began developing the criteria for another independent study to investigate the effects of subsidence on real estate values. This project will get underway in 2001.

Throughout the year, DEP reached several milestones in the continued implementation of the Reclaim PA program to make it easier for volunteers and the mining industry to help reclaim abandoned mines. One of the initiatives of Reclaim PA is the Environmental Good Samaritan Act, which limits civil and environmental liability for volunteers and landowners involved with projects to reclaim abandoned mines and clean up mine drainage. In 2000, the first three projects were awarded Good Samaritan protections.

Remining operations, where operators reuse and reclaim old sites, is the most cost efficient way to reclaim abandoned mine lands and is a major component of the Reclaim PA program. In 2000, operators remined and reclaimed 1,700 acres of abandoned mine lands and improved 13 miles of stream at no cost to taxpayers. This reclamation was valued at more than $11 million. Of this total, 138 acres were reclaimed through the new "No Cost" Government Financed Construction Contracts – another of the initiatives of Reclaim PA – that allows mine operators to remove coal in exchange for reclaiming the land. 2000 was the first full year of this initiative, which eliminated the requirement for government funds to support these types of projects.

To encourage more remining, DEP began implementing Best Management Practice permits developed through Reclaim PA. These permits emphasize using Best Management Practices, such as the addition of imported alkaline material, to improve the health of the entire watershed instead of just one point in a stream or waterway. In September, DEP received the endorsement of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the Best Management Practice program and began a pilot project to test this new approach.

DEP continues to encourage remining by other means. The Remining Operator’s Assistance Program (ROAP) provides financial assistance to surface coal mine operators who are willing to reclaim abandoned mine lands. Through the end of the year, ROAP had provided assistance on 42 projects at an incentive value of approximately $769,676.

DEP also offers other remining incentives, such as financial guarantees to qualified mine operators to cover the bonding on their remining sites. In 2000, DEP issued 59 individual financial guarantees worth $2,006,700 to provide incentives for operators to remine and reclaim 799 acres. Another program provides mine operators with bond credits in exchange for the reclamation of abandoned mine lands. Since the bond credit program was authorized in 1996, four mine operators have completed five Bond Credit projects worth $133,574, by reclaiming 24 acres of abandoned mine lands.

Volunteer groups, local governments and educational institutions played an increased role in reclamation efforts in 2000 through the Ridge/Schweiker Growing Greener program. Growing Greener invests $650 million over five years to reclaim old mines, restore watersheds, plug abandoned oil and gas wells, preserve open space and farmland, and improve state parks. In 2000, DEP awarded more than $17 million in grants for projects specifically targeting abandoned mine lands problems, which will reclaim 1,522 acres and improve 257 stream miles.

DEEP MINE SAFETY PROGRAMS

DEP’s Bureau of Deep Mine Safety oversees the occupational safety hazards of underground mining and trains miners to work safely. The bureau certifies miners who qualify to perform certain underground jobs, inspects underground mines, investigates accidents and approves mining equipment. The bureau performed 1,377 mine inspections in 2000 and trained 7,573 miners at 856 mining operations, which included both underground and certain surface operations.

Training was conducted by bureau instructors and through contractual agreements by instructors at the Pennsylvania State University, California University of Pennsylvania, Indiana University of Pennsylvania and the Schuylkill County Vocational/Technical School. Training addressed mine rescue, emergency response, first aid/CPR, gas detection, ventilation, blasting awareness, battery safety, electrical safety, emergency preparedness, "lockout/tagout" and oxygen acetylene use. Annual safety refresher training under Federal Parts 48, 75 and 77 also was provided. Throughout the year, the bureau granted 282 certifications and issued 176 equipment approvals and 273 plan approvals.

Deep Mine Safety programs have helped underground miners work safer than ever before. The last three year period (1998-2000) established a record for the fewest number of underground fatalities in the history of mining in Pennsylvania. Once again, there were no fatal accidents in anthracite or industrial minerals deep mines in the year 2000. There has not been a fatal accident in underground anthracite mines in more than two years, and no fatal accidents in underground industrial minerals mines in more than five years.

Unfortunately, the year was marked by one fatality related to mining activities at an underground bituminous coal mine. Following a record 890 days without a fatality, which ended in 1999, for the second consecutive year, there was a death at an underground bituminous mine. On Oct. 30, 2000, a 50 year old miner was killed at an underground mine in Greene County when he was struck by a piece of machinery.

The bureau investigated 125 mining accidents throughout the year, compared to 144 in 1999. The bureau investigated each accident to determine the factors that contributed to the accidents and future measures needed to prevent similar accidents. For the third consecutive year, there was a reduction in the accident frequency rates for all segments of the underground mining industry. The accident frequency rate is a measure of the number of "lost time" accidents related to the number of person hours worked.

In 2000, the bureau hosted informational seminars throughout the state to help operators comply with new federal safety training requirements under Part 46. To help emergency response personnel deal with real life situations, the bureau demonstrated a computer-based mine rescue simulation. The bureau also continued to provide administrative support to the Pennsylvania Bituminous Mine Safety Advisory Committee and the Technical Advisory Committee on Diesel-Powered Equipment.