AROUND THE TOWNSHIP Reflections After 20 Years of Protecting Wingfield Pines Roy Kraynyk, ALT, VP of Land Protection & Capital Projects I first visited Wingfield Pines in February 2001, a few on gravity for the water to flow through it, and the natural process weeks after being hired as Allegheny Land Trust’s (ALT) first full- of oxidation, where the ferrous oxide brought to the surface distime executive director. ALT already had the land under contract solved in the mine drainage turns into ferric oxide when it comes to purchase by December of that year. in contact with free oxygen. The iron changes It was a cold and sunny day when I from a mineral dissolved in water to a nonwalked the site with an environmental toxic solid that you can see accumulating at engineer who was conducting a Phase One the bottom of the sediment ponds as sludge. Environmental Site Assessment. The remOne day, the iron sludge will be removed and nants of the former golf course tees, greens, potentially sold as pigment for paint, stain, and fairways were still visible, the swimand dye. ming pool was about half full and frozen, The challenge the designers faced was to the bathhouse and kitchen building were create a system in the available acreage for the Teacher training at Wingfield Pines still standing but vandalized, and a small mine water to flow at a slow enough rate to be clubhouse with great views of the green in the system long enough for the dissolved space stood vacant. iron to oxidize before exiting the system. What We made our way north, past sand traps, used to take about 40 minutes for the water ending up at the abandoned mine discharge to reach Chartiers Creek from where the mine (AMD) flowing from a six-foot diameter water originally surfaced now takes about 40 concrete pipe. The channel created a flow hours. So, by the time the mine water reaches approximately 100 yards away to Chartiers the creek, the iron has turned into a solid simiCreek, and was pure orange in color from lar to rust and has sunken to the bottom of the Planting trees the iron sludge that was being deposited ponds and “finishing wetlands” that work to there by the mine water for decades. I said filter the last particles of iron from the water. to the engineer, “I hope our property line The system is working wonderfully, and you ends before this mess.” can personally observe it by the orange color We followed the flow channel to its of pond #1 compared to the clarity of the water confluence with Chartiers Creek, where entering Chartiers Creek. the bottom of the creek was a normal color From the beginning, the design was inand an assembly of various sized stones. tended to foster education by integrating However, looking downstream, the creek trails, boardwalks, and interpretative signage bottom was just a solid mass of orange throughout the system so that anyone visiting An aerial view of the AMD treatment sludge—a dramatic difference. Later studies the land can learn about the history of the site, system at Wingfield Pines of Chartiers Creek by Duquesne University as well as the legacy of mine drainage left by showed a drastic difference in the amount and diversity of life in the the coal mining industry. creek, up and downstream of the AMD input. Soon after that walk, While I’ve only explored the history of acquiring the land and ALT had a boundary survey completed and discovered that the cleaning its water, many of you know the green space hosts more discharge was on the land that it had under contract to purchase. than just an AMD treatment system. Upcoming Events at Seven months later, the 9/11 terrorist attacks occurred, bringing Visitors will also find a wide variety Wingfield Pines much of the country—including our ALT nonprofit—to a halt. So, of songbirds, including several seathe board decided to use operating funds in response to halted fund- sonal migrating species, waterfowl, Sunday, March 20 raising activities to close on the land and protect it by the December amphibians, reptiles, insects, and 7:30–8:30 p.m. Spring Equinox Starlight Stroll deadline. ALT became the proud owner of Wingfield Pines, which plants at the green space. Addition- $5/person was, and still is, one of ALT’s most popular green spaces, providing ally, attendees to our environmental Saturday, May 14 environmental, recreational, and other public benefits. education events onsite can learn 8–10 a.m. As the new owners of this AMD discharge-laden site, ALT got much more about the site’s flora World Migratory Bird Day $5/person to work planning remediation efforts to fix the site’s issues. Over and fauna. the course of about three years, we raised funds for a feasibility ALT looks forward to another Saturday, May 14 study and for the subsequent design, permitting, and construction 20 years of protecting this land, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. of the AMD Treatment System that you can see there today. and to making many more strides Bird Study Merit Badge The first drop of water into the system was in July 2009. It in maintaining, improving, and $20/Scout For information and has been flowing ever since, except for two years when ALT had programming on this special green registration, visit: to raise funds to redesign the system to fix an underground mine space in our community. n alleghenylandtrust.org/events. collapse that damaged the original system. To this day, the system requires no energy or chemicals. It relies —Photos courtesy of Lindsay Dill, ALT marketing communications director 70
UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY
Spring 2022
