The JB2 discharge before treatment.

This abandoned mine drainage seep, located on Cherry Valley Road near Burgettstown in Washington County, used to dump over 15 tons of iron and 2 tons of aluminum each year into the headwaters of Raccoon Creek. This pollution source, known as Joffre Branch 2, or JB2, was targeted for cleanup by the Raccoon Creek Watershed AMD Survey and Restoration Plan completed in 2000.

Many organizations and agencies teamed up with the Raccoon Creek Watershed Association to treat the JB2 Discharge.

The Independence Conservancy accepted the donation of property surrounding the JB2 discharge to build a Vertical Flow Wetland (VFW), a passive system which removes the iron compounds and acidity from the source pictured above.

The Washington County Conservation District secured construction grants from the US Department of the Interior's Office of Surface Mining, the PA Department of Environmental Protection's Southwest Regional Office and the DEP Growing Greener Grants Program. Construction began in the fall of 2003 and was completed in the fall of 2004 at a total cost of $422,535.

Time has shown a need to modify the system. In 2008, the vertical flow wetland is slated for conversion to a FeAlMn Bed, a different type of passive treatment system which will be more effective at treating the JB2 discharge. FeAlMn stands for Iron (Fe), Aluminum (Al) and Manganese (Mn), common pollutants in Acid Mine Drainage.

The JB2 AMD Treatment System is a major step toward our common goal of eliminating Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) pollution from Raccoon Creek, thereby restoring water quality, wildlife habitat and recreational values.

Click here to see the JB2 AMD Treatment System under construction.

Click here to see a road map to the JB2 Treatment System.