Reclaimed Garden Models New Economic Development Strategy

The long-abandoned coal mine where the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden now sits was not, at first, considered a high priority for rehabilitation. Though plagued by high concentrations of aluminum in its central pond, the site didn't meet the criteria to be classified as "brownfield."

But now the garden is one beneficiary of a new $30 million state grant program that is taking a different approach to environmental remediation: targeting sites that have the greatest potential for economic development, rather than the greatest ecological need. Where reclamation programs have traditionally sought to "simply restore damaged land to its original condition and eliminate public health hazards," a 2016 Congressional authorization allowed states like Pennsylvania to put clean-up funds toward community development projects on the site.

The botanic garden, which serves 25,000 visitors a year, is one of 14 pilot projects throughout Pennsylvania to receive this funding. An underground treatment system to de-acidify the pond has already been implemented, and the grant monies will be used to create new curated gardens and recreational areas for public access.