Citizens Coal Council has released two new reports examining Pennsylvania’s oversight of longwall coal mining and the damage it continues to cause to homes, water supplies, streams, wetlands, and coalfield communities.
The first report, Broken Streams, Broken System, Broken Trust: PA DEP’s Failure to Protect Southwestern Pennsylvania from Widespread Longwall Coal Mining Damage, analyzes the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Sixth Act 54 Report, covering mining impacts from 2018 through 2022. The analysis finds a troubling gap between the damage documented by the state and the repair, restoration, and accountability that followed. Among the findings, only four of 260 structures with resolved, mining-related damage claims were reported as repaired, while miles of streams experienced flow loss, pooling, and other impacts.
The second report, Act 54 and Longwall Mining in Pennsylvania: Impacts, Oversight, and the Case for Reform, takes a broader look at nearly three decades of Act 54 implementation. Prepared for Citizens Coal Council by Schmid & Company, Inc., the report examines persistent weaknesses in impact prediction, enforcement, restoration tracking, public reporting, and protection of streams and wetlands. It also offers detailed recommendations for modernizing Pennsylvania’s mining oversight and ensuring that damage is prevented where possible, and fully repaired when it occurs.
Together, the reports show that many of the same problems have continued across multiple Act 54 reporting cycles: outdated data systems, inadequate transparency, lengthy or unsuccessful restoration efforts, and limited consequences for operators when damage occurs.
Act 54 was intended to establish a clear standard: if a mining company causes damage, it must fix it. These reports demonstrate why stronger oversight, meaningful enforcement, and greater accountability are urgently needed to make that promise a reality for Pennsylvania’s coalfield residents and waterways.
Read the reports:
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