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NANTICOKE — Nonprofit group Earth Conservancy is receiving $600,000 in federal grants for environmental projects in Hanover Township and Nanticoke, officials announced Thursday.
The same group, based in Ashley, is also getting another grant — for $200,000 — for a workforce training program aimed at helping veterans.
The Environmental Protection Agency announced the grants during a ceremony at an abandoned mine site in Nanticoke.
The $600,000 is for brownfield site revitalization. Brownfields are former industrial or commercial sites — including old mine land — where future use is affected by environmental contamination.
“This is a great day for Earth Conservancy,” said Cecil A. Rodrigues, acting administrator for EPA’s Mid-Atlantic Region. Rodrigues said days like Thursday are vital because it illustrates how the EPA collaborates with non-governmental organizations “to make a better place to live.”
The Hanover Township project will cover two Bliss Bank parcels, 200 acres of former mining land. The reclamation will move northeast below the Wilkes-Barre Mountain. When completed, the area could be home to mixed-use development, including recreational sites.
The total grant award for the Hanover reclamation project is $400,000. The total projected cost is $1.4 million.
The Nanticoke work will focus on restoration of a segment of Espy Run, a stream which feeds into Nanticoke Creek. Espy Run has been tainted by acid mine drainage.
The total grant award was $200,000. The total cost for the project is expected to be $273,000.
Elizabeth Hughes, director of communications for Earth Conservancy, said the projects won’t begin until October.
‘Meaningful employment’
While the EPA is known for its environmental programs, it actually does much more.
For instance, officials also announced a $200,000 grant for a workforce training program tailored to veterans.
The grant comes via the EPA’s Environmental Workforce and Development Job Training Program. Since 1998, more than 16,000 people nationwide have gone through the program, with 12,000 landing full-time jobs.
Earth Conservancy, working with Penn State Wilkes-Barre, plans to send 40 students though the curriculum, which includes land surveying techniques. The program begins in the fall.
“For displaced workers, especially veterans, it offers a new pathway to help secure meaningful employment,” said Michael Dziak, president and CEO of Earth Conservancy.
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