Mary D East Project Site 3695

Berner Construction, Inc. was contracted by the PA Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of  Abandoned Mine Reclamation to eliminate a public health and safety hazard by limiting access to a flooded mine  opening, improving the water quality of existing acid mine drainage and by excavating, backfilling and grading  abandoned strip pits in Schuylkill Township, Schuylkill County, PA.

The project includes mobilization; clearing and  grubbing; excavating, grading, and backfilling strip pits; installing chain link fence around the mine opening; constructing embankments around the wetlands area; constructing  settling ponds; installing weirs; and final restoration including wetland plantings and seeding.

Settling ponds were created by first excavating, backfilling, and compacting cut-off trenches constructed using imported impervious soil. The
cutoff trenches were then built up using native screened soil to create the embankments and pond walls. Rock-lined drainage ditches, piping,  valve configurations, weirs, and water level control structures were installed to manage and convey the acid mine drainage from the coal-stripped areas to the settling ponds and to the wetland area.

The wetland area was completed with wetland planting consisting of common cattails and soft rushes. The remainder of the site was restored
by fertilizing, seeding, and mulching the graded areas, embankments, and remaining disturbed areas. Finally, a chain-link fencing was installed surrounding an active deep mine opening to prevent unauthorized access.