What can be
done about acid mine drainage?
Mine drainage can be successfully treated by active chemical addition, such
as in the Rausch
Creek Treatment Facility located near Valley View and operated by the
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). However, this method
has high building and maintenance costs.
In the past fifteen years, passive treatment methods
have begun to be used to treat mine drainage. One of the most successful methods
involves the use of limestone to reduce the acidity and ponds to collect the
yellow boy. This method, while not cheap, is much less expensive than active
treatment.