Series IV: Earth Conservancy in Higher Education, 1988 - 1997
Series
Scope and Content:
From the Collection:
The Earth Conservancy Project files, 1960-2003, bulk 1988-2001, contain materials documenting various aspects of the organization’s activity. The core mission of the Earth Conservancy is to address the impact of historical coal mining practices in Northeastern Pennsylvania and to restore the land’s economic, recreational, residential, and ecological value. Materials within the collection include papers outlining the origins of the organization, Board meeting minutes and executive committee meeting minutes, organizational policies, procedures, and bylaws, financial documentation via quarterly reports for various plans (SESLU, ARC, ROW, REES, ARPA), grant funding, budgeting, operating expenses, letters, environmental engineering projects from Wilkes professors and faculty, outreach projects, Earth Conservancy applications and accomplishments, newspaper clippings, handwritten notes, reclamation plans for acid mine damage and other proposed plants that were not completed, environmental assessments and soil assessments, maps, land evaluation due to mining, and mine beds in various folios throughout Luzerne County. This collection spans a wide range of years but the bulk of the material focuses on the organization in its early stages from 1988-2001.
The Earth Conservancy Project collection is arranged into ten series with some series arranged further into smaller subseries to reflect different components of the organization.
The first series, The Earth Conservancy Organization files, 1992-1997, is arranged into two subseries and highlights the Earth Conservancy Board of trustees meeting minutes, executive committee meeting minutes, organizational policies and procedures, bylaws, and other institutional records.
The second series, Committee Meetings, 1993-1997, contains member meetings minutes and bylaw committee meetings minutes.
The third series, Financial, 1983-2001, is arranged into four subseries and contains quarterly reports, finances for various projects, other budgeting and expenses, grants and grant proposals, the lawsuit between the Earth Conservancy and American Asphalt in 1997, and prospective Blue Coal land sales.
The fourth subseries, Earth Conservancy in Higher Education, 1988-1997, contains documents highlighting various environmental and recycling projects with some of Wilkes University’s faculty, and information on the Ben Franklin Partnership Program.
The fifth series, Correspondence, 1991-1997, contains letters, memorandums, program applications, Earth Conservancy accomplishments, newspaper clippings, the League of Women’s Voters article on the Earth Conservancy, and other brochures.
The sixth series, REES Plans, 1987-ca .1997, is arranged into four subseries and provides research and development on two parcels of land, Nanticoke 1 and Newport 4, as established by the Restoration of Environmentally Exploited Sites (REES), as well as a compendium of unapproved projects on other various land parcels in Luzerne County; this series also contains a joint proposal with the National Institute for Environmental Renewal for using a mixture of composted sewage slush and fly ash as a soil substitute in the Cleveland parcel and one of the Lauren Run Parcels.
There are also quarterly reports on REES activity and plans, as well as the final report of the entire initiative. The seventh series, Luzerne County Land Evaluation, 1963-1992, is arranged into four subseries and contains descriptions of mines and extraction in various panels and folios, rock formation, and soil assessments; this series also highlights flood assessments and subsidence potential. The eighth series, Earth Conservancy Memos, 1994-1996, contains various memorandums dealing with REES activities and projects, as well as several studies found through emails, letters, and surveys.
The ninth series, Kenneth Klemow’s Assessments, 2002-2003, provide insight on water quality investigation for wetlands and watersheds and their relationship to acid mine drainage.
The tenth series, Thomas Walski Reports, 1960-1997, is arranged into six subseries and contains research, planning, and associated press and finances in regards to the AMD wetland creation.
The Earth Conservancy Project collection is arranged into ten series with some series arranged further into smaller subseries to reflect different components of the organization.
The first series, The Earth Conservancy Organization files, 1992-1997, is arranged into two subseries and highlights the Earth Conservancy Board of trustees meeting minutes, executive committee meeting minutes, organizational policies and procedures, bylaws, and other institutional records.
The second series, Committee Meetings, 1993-1997, contains member meetings minutes and bylaw committee meetings minutes.
The third series, Financial, 1983-2001, is arranged into four subseries and contains quarterly reports, finances for various projects, other budgeting and expenses, grants and grant proposals, the lawsuit between the Earth Conservancy and American Asphalt in 1997, and prospective Blue Coal land sales.
The fourth subseries, Earth Conservancy in Higher Education, 1988-1997, contains documents highlighting various environmental and recycling projects with some of Wilkes University’s faculty, and information on the Ben Franklin Partnership Program.
The fifth series, Correspondence, 1991-1997, contains letters, memorandums, program applications, Earth Conservancy accomplishments, newspaper clippings, the League of Women’s Voters article on the Earth Conservancy, and other brochures.
The sixth series, REES Plans, 1987-ca .1997, is arranged into four subseries and provides research and development on two parcels of land, Nanticoke 1 and Newport 4, as established by the Restoration of Environmentally Exploited Sites (REES), as well as a compendium of unapproved projects on other various land parcels in Luzerne County; this series also contains a joint proposal with the National Institute for Environmental Renewal for using a mixture of composted sewage slush and fly ash as a soil substitute in the Cleveland parcel and one of the Lauren Run Parcels.
There are also quarterly reports on REES activity and plans, as well as the final report of the entire initiative. The seventh series, Luzerne County Land Evaluation, 1963-1992, is arranged into four subseries and contains descriptions of mines and extraction in various panels and folios, rock formation, and soil assessments; this series also highlights flood assessments and subsidence potential. The eighth series, Earth Conservancy Memos, 1994-1996, contains various memorandums dealing with REES activities and projects, as well as several studies found through emails, letters, and surveys.
The ninth series, Kenneth Klemow’s Assessments, 2002-2003, provide insight on water quality investigation for wetlands and watersheds and their relationship to acid mine drainage.
The tenth series, Thomas Walski Reports, 1960-1997, is arranged into six subseries and contains research, planning, and associated press and finances in regards to the AMD wetland creation.
Dates
- 1988 - 1997
Extent
From the Collection: 16 boxes (16 document boxes [16.672 linear feet] )
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Series IV: Earth Conservancy in Higher Education, 1988-1997
Series IV: Earth Conservancy in Higher Education, 1988-1997 (4.26-4.27, 5.1-5.14) is arranged chronologically by folder year and contains environmental engineering projects from Wilkes professors such as Dr. Umid Nejib, Dr. Perwez Kalim, Dr. Matthew Stein, Dr. Daniel Pindzola, Dr. Dale Bruns, Dr. Thomas Walski, Dr. Kenneth Klemow, and Rev. Wasowski, C.S.C. This series also contains numerous grants, partnership programs, recycling projects, and new projects within Earth Conservancy. Some highlights include the Tire Recycling Operation with Waterjet as part of the Research, Development, and Demonstration (RD&D), initiated by Dr. Umid Nejib, Dr. Perwez Kalim, Dr. Matthew Stein, and Dr. Daniel Pindzola, and Demonstration Wetland to Treat Acid Mine Drainage in the Wyoming Valley, specifically at the Espy Run site, to be funded by the EPA, initiated by Dr. Thomas Walski and Dr. Kenneth Klemow. Other programs include the Ben Franklin Partnership Consortium and Technology Center for the North East Tier Region of Pennsylvania, which is a nonprofit organization that wants to create jobs by promoting technology and business development. An advisory board consisted of seven geographical regions, one of them being the Wyoming Valley. Such members on the board from the Wyoming Valley Region include Christopher Breiseth, Howard Grossman, Robert Jones, Father James Lackenmier, Robert Lynch, Anthony Misiura, Thomas Moran, Herbert Nash Jr., Rev. J. Panuska, Angelo Rosati, Richard Ross Jr., Michael Scott, and the Honorable Thomas Tigue. There was a draft proposal for the establishment of the William Penn Institute for RD&D, submitted to Congressman Kanjorski by Dr. Umid Nejib and Dr. G. Mittra, which was to expand the services provided in the Ben Franklin Partnership Program. This subseries also includes new projects, such as Phase II of REES, SESLU, and ROW, as well as hydrogen farming. The Earth Conservancy applied for other grants, such as the Environmental Education Grant from the EPA and the Development of Environmental Projects of the Applied Research Center from the ARPA; there is also an application to the Ben Franklin Center for the yard and leaf composting operation, as planned for the REES. Other documents featured in this series include an Environmental White Paper, which is a guide for policy development for the next governor as prepared by the Commission of Independent Colleges and University, the American Heritage Rivers Program, created by President Bill Clinton to help restore local rivers from federal assistance, in which the Susquehanna River was a candidate, and the 1993 Research Training Program offered by the National Museum of Natural History.
Repository Details
Part of the Wilkes University Archives Repository
Contact:
84 W South St.
Wilkes-Barre PA 18701 US
570-408-2000
570-408-7823 (Fax)
ask.archives@wilkes.edu
84 W South St.
Wilkes-Barre PA 18701 US
570-408-2000
570-408-7823 (Fax)
ask.archives@wilkes.edu