Subseries IV: Final Report: Restoration of Environmentally Exploited Sites (REES) , ca. 1997-1999
Sub-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
- ca. 1997-1999
Extent
From the Collection: 16 boxes (16 document boxes [16.672 linear feet] )
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Subseries IV: Final Report: Restoration of Environmentally Exploited Sites (REES), ca. 1997
Subseries IV: Final Report: Restoration of Environmentally Exploited Sites (REES), ca. 1997 (7.7) contains one document of the same name. The report was submitted by Dr. Umid R. Nejib, Dr. Brian Redmond, and Dr. Bryce Payne. The report consists of four main topics (General Introduction, General Reclamation Subproject, Composting Subproject, and Soil Substitutes Research & Development Subproject), and eight appendices highlighting proposals, data collected, maps, photographs, and summaries highlighting the work completed on the original three parcels, Nanticoke 1, Newport 4, and Hanover 16, as well as other side projects that occurred on other parcels. The purpose of the project was to find by-products and waste stream materials as substitute topsoil to promote vegetative growth (pg. 7 of the report). The report explains the determination of parcels for this project (including why other parcels were rejected), the schedule of their project (which spans from August 1994 to June 1997), development of the yard & leaf waste composting site, procedures, outlines, soil substitute mixtures, parameters, experimentation, results, observations, conclusions, field trials, and considerations. The appendices include the 1993 proposal of the REES initiative; maps of Nanticoke 1, Hanover 16, Newport 4, Newport 28, and Conyngham; photographs of the Newport 28 Tubs Experiment; photographs of the Newport 6 Small Plots Field Trial; data on the Monoliths Experiment; design information and data summaries of the Columns Experiment; design information and data summaries of the Newport 28 Tubs Experiment; and design information and data summaries for the Newport 6 Small Plots Trial. The table of contents in the report further describes the information in the report.
REES Personnel highlighted in this initiative include Dr. Umid Nejib, Jim O’Karma, Dr. Brian Redmond, Dr. Bryce Payne, Dr. William (Bill)) Tarutis, Dr. Dale Bruns, Brian Oram, Rich Yencha, Dean Friedman, Sue Graves, Bill Toothill, Greg Parrs, George Parrs, Beth Scully, Gerry Fisher, Tom Posluzny, Dawn Griffith, Eleanor Winsor, Jim Soltis, amd Ellen Alaimo.
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