Finding of No Significant Impact Statement Issued

The National Park Service has approved a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for a right of way permit and special use permit to construct wells at Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site (NHS). The permits allow (PA DEP-BCR) to install two wells at the Park to pump Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) from an underground mine pool to a proposed offsite treatment plant. In their special use permit application PA DEP-BCR states that the objective of the Cresson AMD Treatment Plant project is two-fold: to eliminate three uncontrolled mine discharges off Park property impacting Clearfield Creek and Sugar Run and to provide treated mine water to supplement the Susquehanna River during low-flow conditions. PA DEP-BCR anticipates that by eliminating the three discharges it will restore aquatic life in 15 miles of Clearfield Creek and six miles of Sugar Run that are currently impaired by AMD discharges.

In 2015, the PA DEP-BCR applied to the National Park Service for a special use permit and right of way permit to construct and maintain an acid mine drainage pumping station at Allegheny Portage Railroad NHS. When the special use permit and right of way permit are issued for this project and construction of the pumping station is completed, untreated AMD will be pumped from a mine pool beneath the park though an extraction well, an injection well and the installation of submersible pumps and 70 feet of pipeline. The AMD will be piped to the proposed Cresson AMD treatment facility to be constructed off park property near Cresson.

The Environmental Assessment (EA) for this project was available for public comment from September 28 through October 21, 2015.

The FONSI signed on August 19, 2016 has determined that there will be no significant environmental impacts that would occur by issuing right of way and special use permits to PA DEP-BCR to allow the construction of an extraction and injection well on NPS property.

Document Content:

Public Notice for FONSI at ALPO _ Final (1).pdf   (59.3 KB, PDF file) ALPO AMD FONSI with RD signature 8.19.16 (1).pdf   (1.1 MB, PDF file) Disclaimer: Links within the above document(s) were valid as of the date published. Note: Some of the files may be in PDF format and can be viewed using the Adobe Acrobat Reader software. You may download a free copy of from Adobe Systems.