Artistic computer drawing of 31st Bridge in Pittsburgh, with steel mills in the background.

POST-CONFERENCE TOURS

Pre-Registration is REQUIRED for all Tours.
All Field Tours depart from the Radisson, see final program for final departure times.
Field Tours are subject to cancellation if the minimum number of students is not met by May 10, 2010. All Field Tour attendees will be notified in the event of a cancellation. Substitutions and/or refund options will be available.

2. Oxford Mining Company, LLC’s Jockey Hollow Mine Site (ARRI Tour)
(Forestry Reclamation Approach Demonstration Site), Cadiz, OH

Coordinators: Mike Hiscar and
Jeff Emmons

Thursday, June 10: Depart 8 am - Return 5 pm.
Lunch and snacks provided by Oxford Mining, LLC.

Minimum 14, Maximum 200

The Oxford Mining Company, LLC, the winner of ARRI’s 2008 Regional Excellence in Reforestation award, has reclaimed the Jockey Hollow permit using the Forestry Reclamation Approach (FRA). The FRA reclamation method complies with state and federal regulations, and is intended to ensure that trees planted will not only survive but will thrive. The state of Ohio owns the surface of the mine site, which is managed by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Wildlife as part of the Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area. The area was surface mined in the 1950’s and 1960’s leaving over 10,000 feet of exposed highwall, ungraded spoil piles, barren areas, and numerous water-filled pits. The vegetation found onsite was a combination of early successional and second growth hardwoods and grasses such as fescue. The original topsoil and subsoil were absent from this site as a result of the pre-law mining. Oxford was able to create an excellent growth medium for planting trees by identifying an alternative re-soiling material consisting of a mixture of sandstones and shales, and end dumping the material to create loose and uncompacted soil materials. The reclaimed site features a variety of planted and volunteer hardwood trees (including American chestnut) with a ground cover that is comprised of planted and volunteer species; early survival and growth of the planted hardwoods is excellent, as expected. The Tour will visit the award-winning reclaimed site, which was planted in 2008 and 2009, and an active Oxford mining site, where reclamation operations are also reestablishing native hardwood forest as the post-mining land use using the FRA reclamation technique.

Attendance limited to the 1st 200 people signing up for the trip.

Field Tour Cost: No charge Attendees need to bring: steel toed boots.

3. Mine Drainage Remediation in the Chartiers Creek Watershed

Coordinators: Bob Hedin and Rich Beam

Thursday, June 10: All day.
Box lunch included.

Minimum 8, Maximum 26

This Field Tour will expose participants to mine drainage remediation projects in the Chartiers Creek watershed. The Conference is taking place in the Chartiers Creek watershed and the Tour stops are all within 20 minutes of the hotel. The trip stops will include a passive system that treats a 1500 gpm discharge, a 200 gpm discharge where a system will be constructed in 2010; a discharge that is the largest source of mine drainage pollution in the watershed; and a reclamation project that eliminated a major inflow to a deep mine. Each site visit will be led by one of the project organizers. The participants will receive handouts and have a chance to review construction plans.

Field Tour Cost: $60 per person A computer is not needed, attendees will receive a CD
 

4. CONSOL Research and Development

Coordinator: CONSOL Energy

Thursday, June 10: Depart 8 am - Return 2 pm.
Lunch provided.

Minimum 29, Maximum 50

Presentation on research projects and a Tour of CONSOL’s R&D campus. Visitors will learn about CONSOL’s various research projects, the majority of which are focused on pollution reduction, greenhouse gas reduction and carbon capture and sequestration, and our state-of-the-art analytical lab. Visitors will tour CONSOL’s analytical lab, metallurgical coke lab, and pilot plants. Our most recent pilot plant project is a pressurized fluidized bed combustion unit designed to burn waste coal and includes CO2 capture technology.

Field Tour Cost: $50 per person CONSOL Energy will be providing hard hats and safety glasses;
closed toed shoes only - no heels.

5. Active Marcellus Drill Site and CONSOL Energy/PA Game Commission Conservation Area

Coordinators: Consol Energy and the PA Game Commission

Thursday, June 10: Depart 8 am - Return 5 pm.
Lunch provided.

Minimum 10, Maximum 20

During the morning, visit an active CONSOL Energy Marcellus Shale Drill Site in near-by Green County and observe the technologies behind the removal of natural gas from shale. Experts will be available to explain all aspects of the gas removal process including drilling techniques, hydraulic fracturing, and disposal of used fracture water.

The afternoon will consist of a visit to PA State Game Lands 245 where CONSOL Energy, in conjunction with the PA Game Commission, has constructed a stream remediation and created wetlands project after longwall mining. When subsidence of the surface occurs after longwall mining under streams in Pennsylvania, permit provisions require a plan to address the impacts to the original stream channel gradient. CONSOL Energy requested and received approval for an alternative to traditional re-grading of the stream channel to take advantage of the new wetland habitats that are sometimes created in stream valleys after longwall mining. This Field Tour will view a project where prior to mining earthwork was completed to create stabilized wetlands adjacent to the stream channel after mining and subsidence occurred on State Game Lands 245 in Washington County Pennsylvania.

Field Tour Cost: $50 per person Attendees bring: field clothes and boots. CONSOL Energy will provide hard hats when needed.

6. West Virginia Mountaintop Surface Mining, FRA Reforestation and Stream and Wetland Mitigation

Coordinator: Jeff Skousen

Friday, June 11: Depart 6 am - Return 6 pm.
Breakfast and lunch provided. Dinner on your own.

Minimum 25, Maximum 47

ICG Eastern – Birch River operates a large mountaintop mining complex near Cowen, WV. The operation takes four seams of coal using a dragline and a suite of excavators and trucks. Topsoil handling, overburden blasting and special handling, reclamation, and water management will be observed and discussed. Coal removal and equipment used on the mine will be seen.
We will also observe reforestation plots established 5 years ago. We will also observe a new planting using the FRA approach: substrate selection, minimal compaction, low amounts of ground cover, and hardwood tree plantings. Our last stop will observe stream and wetland mitigation, and discuss revised wildlife plans for post-mining land use.

Field Tour Cost: $87 per person A computer is not needed. Attendees will receive course literature.
Attendees bring: a hard hat and boots.