HARRISBURG, Pa. -- A mining engineer with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, is honored with a national award for his work with coal. Craig Burda was presented with the 2017 ECHO Award on Wednesday, for his work on coal refuse reclamation. The U.S. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement says Burda led the charge in cleaning up coal refuse sites in the Commonwealth. The majority of those sites are now zero-discharge facilities, meaning Burda's work has cut down on coal-based pollution, including acid mine drainage.
"In our work, we're always striving for improvements," Burda said. "We're never satisfied with the status quo. So our hope is to continue to improve the designs, and the monitoring and the compliance of our facilities to have the least environmental impact."
The ECHO Award honors dedication to public service and protection of society within the confines of surface mining control.