Be Mine?

An educator visited us today from Pennsylvania State Parks, specifically from Jennings Environmental Education Center. He informed us on mines in Pennsylvania and their affect on our environment. He began with the history of Pennsylvania State parks and the mines in this state. We learned about the different jobs and the equipment used in the mines. Also, he had us play a game that gave us facts about mining. During the game, we could earn money, our mine could shut down, or we could die. I, of course, died in a mine explosion.

Mines affect our environment by the mine drainage they produce. We were given two samples of water. One contained creek water, while the other contained mine drainage. We were asked to identify which sample was which by using water chemistry tests, such as pH and dissolved substances. After the tests there was a very obvious difference in the samples even though they looked identical with the eye. Then, we learned how to fix the problem of mine drainage and treat the affected water. The three important steps to remember are neutralization, oxidization, and filtration. I am very excited to be able to visit Jennings Environmental Education Center and see its beauty because they are able to treat the mine drainage.