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Friday 01/26/2001 5:07:33pm |
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Name: |
Anthony T. Palischak |
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E-Mail: |
apalis@ptd.net |
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Homepage Title: |
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Homepage URL: |
http:// |
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Referred By: |
Other |
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Where you're from: |
Larksville, Pa. |
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Where you live now: |
Plymouth Twp. Pa. |
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Comments: |
Most of the remanents of the coal region are slowly disappearing. The slate banks that were left, are now being ground into a very fine size, and sent to the fossil fuel plants around the state. There, it is used to turn water to steam, turning the turbines to generate electricity. The breaker in Ashley, Pa. will be on the historical list, and is scheduled to be restored by a group of enthusiastic historical buffs. It looks very good, that the work they are doing on it, will come to a fruition.
All the mines in the Wyoming Valley are filled with water, this disaster occured in the early 60's during the Knox Mine Disaster, where the Susquehanna River broke through, and inundated all the mines in the Valley. I was a member of the Larksville Volunteer Fire Department, and was there at the time they were diverting the railroad tracks into the whirlpool of the river, dumping box cars upon box cars filled with bails of hay to try to plug up the hole that developed when the miners mined too close to the surface, causing the roof to cave in. Numerous miners lost their lives, some escaped through various safety shafts that were constructed for that purpose.
That acidic mine water has been polluting the Susquehanna River ever since. Just today, the Citizens' Voice newspaper stated that Congressman Paul Kanjorski obtained funds to clean up the acid mine water, especially the Butler Mine Tunnel. The construction of an inflateable dam near Wilkes-Barre is now on the agenda, funds for it have already been available, so the future seems to be looking a little brighter.
Areas in Hanover, and Hanover Twp that have been mined and stripped of coal, have been bulldozed and factories are coming in to the Hanover Industrial Park. The huge Sears wharehouse, between Ashley and Sugar Notch, about a quarter of a mile long, is an excellent example of the development, Sally Mae, Burtels, The Red Cross building with their helapad, and quite a few others are now locating there, with the new construction already in progress.
Earth Conservancy has purchased all the lands formerly owned by the Blue Coal Corporation, the land is being improved by the Conservancy and sold in parcels to people who are building homes and private businesses. |
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