Jill Avery-Stoss, Director of Operations at The Institute for Public Policy and Economic Development.
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WILKES-BARRE — Jill Avery-Stoss, Director of Operations at The Institute for Public Policy and Economic Development,signs of environmental health can be found in data related to recycling, waste management, mining impacts, and air and water quality.
“There remain lingering effects of coal mining, but by some measures the environment in Northeastern Pennsylvania is doing quite well,” Avery-Stoss said. “For example, annual monitoring of the Susquehanna River by the Chesapeake Bay Project shows normal results in several metrics of stream water quality.”
Avery-Stoss also pointed out that the region’s air quality has been rated healthy for more than five consecutive years.
She said the Air Quality Index (AQI) is used to measure air quality, and evaluates levels of five pollutants. These pollutants include ground-level ozone (smog), particle pollution, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. Scores of 0 to 50 are considered good air quality.
The 2021 median AQI for Lackawanna County was 36, and it was 34 for Luzerne County. This represents a slight improvement in quality for Lackawanna County and a slight decline in quality for Luzerne County. Since 2000, however, Luzerne County’s score has improved more than 24% and Lackawanna County’s score has improved by about 18%.
“There is certainly room for improvement when it comes to waste,” added Avery-Stoss. “More waste is produced in the region than was generated 20 years ago, and most of it is municipal waste.”
Avery-Stoss said Luzerne County generated more than 306,000 tons of waste in 2020 — a decline of about 11% from the prior year — but that weight exceeded 321,000 tons in 2021. In particular, that year saw an increase in the tonnage of municipal waste, but a significant decrease in sewage sludge.
When it comes to the impacts of coal mining, Avery-Stoss said contaminated brownfield sites, coal refuse sites, mine subsidence, mine fires, and acid mine drainage remain priority issues.
In 2021, 33 sites in the region were designated under either the statewide Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act (HSCA) or federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) programs for remediation.
The region is also home to 7% of Pennsylvania’s abandoned mine land (AML) sites and 21% of its anthracite coal refuse-producing sites. The Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization (AMLER) program provides funds for the reclamation of AMLs in conjunction with economic and community development and reuse goals. Avery-Stoss said two Luzerne County sites were funded in 2020.
Coal refuse refers to any waste coal or other materials (such as shale, clay, or rock) that are brought above ground or removed from coal mines during mining activities. The term also refers to the leftover materials separated from coal during cleaning operations. Coal refuse sites are areas where such materials are disposed.
“There are nine reported refuse sites in Luzerne County,” concluded Avery-Stoss. “That’s the lowest number recorded since 2016. Cleanup of sensitive sites like these — which often involve bankrupt owners, abandoned facilities, or facilities where hazardous materials have been improperly disposed — is a key step in preventing further harm and facilitating return to productive use.”
Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.