September 15-17
Legacy mine drainage is one of the most stubborn water problems across the Upper Ohio River Basin, so a chance to build real expertise in treating it does not come around often. The Western Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation (WPCAMR) is bringing back its NTTP Passive Treatment Course this September, and the deadline to get on the list is June 30.
The course runs September 15 to 17, 2026 at the Ramada Inn and Conference Center in State College, offered in partnership with the National Technical Training Program (NTTP) and the Pennsylvania DEP Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation. Space is tight: registration is capped at 20 people, with priority going to Conservation District staff from districts that have not yet sent anyone, and to non-profit watershed organizations.
Thanks to funding from the Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds, the course, meals, mileage, and up to three nights of lodging are covered. You will need to put your room on a credit card for incidentals, but the lodging itself is paid at the time of the event. Plan on Wednesday dinner being on your own, and plan to attend all three days, including a full day of field work on Wednesday with transportation provided.
What you will learn
Taught by official NTTP instructors, this is the same training PA DEP gives its new Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation hires. It is built for anyone who develops, designs, reviews, or evaluates passive treatment systems for mine drainage, and for folks preparing AMD treatment grant applications. Using real-world case studies and that full-day field trip, you will learn how to read the characteristics of coal mine drainage, choose and apply the right passive treatment technologies, collect baseline data, set stream restoration goals, and weigh the successes, failures, and limits of different approaches.
A little prep helps. Before the course, it is worth getting familiar with AMDTreat by watching the tutorials, and registrants will receive the new AMDTreat 6 software featured in them.
About NTTP
The National Technical Training Program has trained federal, state, and tribal staff working under the Surface Mine Control and Reclamation Act since 1985, across aquatic biology, geology, engineering, hydrology, permitting, reclamation, enforcement, and more.
How to get on the list
If someone at your Conservation District or watershed organization wants to attend, email Anne Daymut at anne@wpcamr.org by June 30, 2026 to be added for additional instructions and communications.
Also from WPCAMR
- WPCAMR Quarterly Meeting: Wednesday, August 12, 2026 at 10:00 a.m., location to be announced.
- PA AMR Conference: October 20 to 22, 2026, Holiday Inn, Grantville, PA.
WPCAMR staff will be at both.
