SOUTHWESTERN ENERGY COMPANY 570-638-3356 charlie@tcccc-inc.org
COALITION ANNOUNCES PLANS TO RESTORE FALL BROOK TIOGA COUNTY - February 11, 2015… A coalition of state agencies and non-profit organizations have enlisted the help of Southwestern Energy Company (NYSE: SWN), the fourth largest producer of natural gas in the continental U.S., to treat acid mine drainage in the Fall Brook tributary of the Tioga River. The coalition includes the Tioga County Concerned Citizens Committee, Hillside Rod and Gun Club, Tioga County Conservation District, Bureau of Forestry-Tioga State Forest, PA Department of Environmental Protection, Susquehanna River Basin Commission, Trout Unlimited, Ward Township and Blossburg Municipal Authority.
SWN has agreed to fully-fund and oversee the construction of two separate passive treatment systems in the vicinity of River and Welch Mountain Roads in Ward Township on behalf of the coalition. Funds will also be contributed to establish a trust dedicated to funding ongoing maintenance and operations.
"Water is a vital resource for our local communities, the environment and the economy. That's why we are proud to join in the effort to restore the Fall Brook tributary as part of our company's ECH2O initiative," Roy Hartstein, Vice President Strategic Solutions a division of SWN. ECH2O (Energy Conserving Water) is SWN's industry-leading program focused on water conservation, reduction, protection and innovation to replenish or offset every gallon of fresh water the company uses. SWN has set a goal to become fresh water neutral in their operations by 2016.
From Fall Brook to the Tioga/Hammond Dam Complex, the waterway is acidic with excessive concentrations of iron, manganese and aluminum with little to no aquatic life. The Fall Brook tributary is listed by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection as a Regional Watershed Priority because of the severe impacts from acid mine drainage, and its location in the Susquehanna River Basin, which serves as a major water source for the Chesapeake Bay.
TCCCC President Charlie Andrews stated, "Fall Brook is the first of four major tributaries contributing to AMD pollution in the Tioga River that has left approximately 13 miles of the River void of aquatic life. When this project is complete, approximately 3 miles of Fall Brook and 4 miles of the Tioga River will be restored to a condition that will support stocked trout
populations. It will also reduce AMD pollution loads in the mainstem of the River all the way to the Tioga/Hammond Dam complex and will lay the ground work for future reclamation projects."
Hedin Environmental of Pittsburgh has been contracted for the engineering and design of the facility. Once construction is complete, Blossburg Municipal Authority will oversee maintenance of the site. Construction is scheduled to begin in early summer 2015 and completed by year's end.
For more information about the Fall Brook Acid Mine Drainage treatment and restoration project, contact Charlie Andrews - President - TCCCC, Inc. at charlie@tcccc-inc.org
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Southwestern Energy Company is an independent company whose wholly-owned subsidiaries are engaged in oil and gas exploration and production, natural gas gathering and marketing. Additional information on the company can be found on the Internet at http://www.swn.com.
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