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Luzerne County manager releases proposed capital plan

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<p>NANTICOKE &#8212; Nonprofit group Earth Conservancy is receiving $600,000 in federal grants for environmental projects in Hanover Township and Nanticoke, officials announced Thursday.</p><p>The same group, based in Ashley, is also getting another grant &#8212; for $200,000 &#8212; for a workforce training program aimed at helping veterans.</p><p>The Environmental Protection Agency announced the grants during a ceremony at an abandoned mine site in Nanticoke.</p><p>The $600,000 is for brownfield site revitalization. Brownfields are former industrial or commercial sites &#8212; including old mine land &#8212; where future use is affected by environmental contamination.</p><p>&#8220;This is a great day for Earth Conservancy,&#8221; said Cecil A. Rodrigues, acting administrator for EPA&#8217;s Mid-Atlantic Region. Rodrigues said days like Thursday are vital because it illustrates how the EPA collaborates with non-governmental organizations &#8220;to make a better place to live.&#8221;</p><p>The Hanover Township project will cover two Bliss Bank parcels, 200 acres of former mining land. The reclamation will move northeast below the Wilkes-Barre Mountain. When completed, the area could be home to mixed-use development, including recreational sites.</p><p>The total grant award for the Hanover reclamation project is $400,000. The total projected cost is $1.4 million.</p><p>The Nanticoke work will focus on restoration of a segment of Espy Run, a stream which feeds into Nanticoke Creek. Espy Run has been tainted by acid mine drainage.</p><p>The total grant award was $200,000. The total cost for the project is expected to be $273,000.</p><p>Elizabeth Hughes, director of communications for Earth Conservancy, said the projects won&#8217;t begin until October.</p><p><strong>&#8216;Meaningful employment&#8217;</strong></p><p>While the EPA is known for its environmental programs, it actually does much more.</p><p>For instance, officials also announced a $200,000 grant for a workforce training program tailored to veterans.</p><p>The grant comes via the EPA&#8217;s Environmental Workforce and Development Job Training Program. Since 1998, more than 16,000 people nationwide have gone through the program, with 12,000 landing full-time jobs.</p><p>Earth Conservancy, working with Penn State Wilkes-Barre, plans to send 40 students though the curriculum, which includes land surveying techniques. The program begins in the fall.</p><p>&#8220;For displaced workers, especially veterans, it offers a new pathway to help secure meaningful employment,&#8221; said Michael Dziak, president and CEO of Earth Conservancy.</p><p><ins>For other local news stories, <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/category/local" target="_blank">click here</a>.</ins></p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Robert Hughes, executive director of the Eastern PA Coalition for Abandon Mine Reclamation (EPCAMR) looks over the projects specs laid out by the Earth Conservancy after a press conference at the Hanover 9 Reclamation site. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_Earth-Conservancy-Projects-3.jpg</photo0><caption0>Robert Hughes, executive director of the Eastern PA Coalition for Abandon Mine Reclamation (EPCAMR) looks over the projects specs laid out by the Earth Conservancy after a press conference at the Hanover 9 Reclamation site. </caption0><photoCredit0>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_Earth-Conservancy-Projects-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Michael A. Dziak, Earth Conservancy president and CEO, thanked all parties Thursday involved in helping the Ashley-based group get federal grants totaling $800,000. The money will go to projects in Hanover Township and Nanticoke, plus a workforce training program aimed at helping veterans. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_Earth-Conservancy-Projects-2.jpg</photo1><caption1>Michael A. Dziak, Earth Conservancy president and CEO, thanked all parties Thursday involved in helping the Ashley-based group get federal grants totaling $800,000. The money will go to projects in Hanover Township and Nanticoke, plus a workforce training program aimed at helping veterans. </caption1><photoCredit1>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_Earth-Conservancy-Projects-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Cecil A. Rodrigues, left, acting administrator for EPA&#8217;s Mid-Atlantic Region, talks about the importance of the Brownfields Cleanup projects at a press conference at the Earth Conservancy&#8217;s Hanover 9 Reclamation Site on Thursday afternoon. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_Earth-Conservancy-Projects-1.jpg</photo2><caption2>Cecil A. Rodrigues, left, acting administrator for EPA&#8217;s Mid-Atlantic Region, talks about the importance of the Brownfields Cleanup projects at a press conference at the Earth Conservancy&#8217;s Hanover 9 Reclamation Site on Thursday afternoon. </caption2><photoCredit2>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_EPAgrant.CMYK_.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Michael A. Dziak, Earth Conservancy president and CEO, thanked all parties Thursday involved in helping the Ashley-based group get federal grants totaling $800,000. The money will go to projects in Hanover Township and Nanticoke, plus a workforce training program aimed at helping veterans. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_EPAgrant.CMYK_.jpg</photo3><caption3>Michael A. Dziak, Earth Conservancy president and CEO, thanked all parties Thursday involved in helping the Ashley-based group get federal grants totaling $800,000. The money will go to projects in Hanover Township and Nanticoke, plus a workforce training program aimed at helping veterans. </caption3><photoCredit3>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Melanie Mizenko</p><p>mmizenko@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Melanie Mizenko at 570-991-6116 or on Twitter @TL_MMizenko</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Earth Conservancy lands federal grants for local projects