"A new state report details troubling mining legacies in 10 Pennsylvania counties, including Elk, raising questions about the true cost of coal for those communities as new, more modern forms of energy development begin to take root.

The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) report compiled with University of Pittsburgh researchers is the fourth in an ongoing series detailing the effects of mining in Elk, Armstrong, Beaver, Cambria, Clearfield, Greene, Indiana, Jefferson, Somerset and Washington counties.

It links the activity to everything from sinkholes to water pollution, while addressing regulatory shortcomings, hurdles and past successes. The data was not detailed by county, but rather given in an overview of area incidents."

Colin Deppen reports for the Bradford Era January 1, 2015. [2]