On Friday, June 5, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania announced a $10.6 million award to reclaim abandoned mine land at Settlers Cabin Park in Allegheny County. The funding will be used to treat two long-standing mine discharges that have impacted Pinkertons Run and to build a paved connector linking the park to the Panhandle Trail. Park officials and local conservation groups say the combined cleanup and trail work is meant to boost water quality while expanding safe, all-season access for hikers and cyclists.
As reported by the Pittsburgh Business Times, the $10.6 million award is designated for what partners are calling the Pinkertons Run project and will treat two discharges while extending the Panhandle connector at Settlers Cabin Park. Local reporting notes that the money will pay for both water-quality work and the paved trail connection.
The award lines up with a broader statewide push to accelerate abandoned-mine reclamation using federal IIJA and state Growing Greener funding. PA Department of Environmental Protection materials say the Abandoned Mine Land and Abandoned Mine Drainage grant programs prioritize treating AMD discharges, reclaiming hazardous mine features and protecting public health.
What the grant will fund
Locally, the Allegheny County Parks Foundation has led earlier remediation on Pinkertons Run, installing a passive limestone bed and stabilizing roughly 1,200 linear feet of streambank, and says the new funding will allow engineers to design and build additional treatment to raise pH and restore aquatic habitat. The Allegheny County Parks Foundation lists stream cleanup and bank stabilization among its ongoing projects at Settlers Cabin Park.
Trails and regional access
The paved Panhandle connector paid for by this award will stitch Settlers Cabin Park into the 29-mile Panhandle Trail and the wider regional network, improving year-round access for walkers and cyclists. The Allegheny Land Trust and county trail guides have described the Panhandle connector as a key piece of a greenway strategy that ties together parks, preserves and long-distance trails in the region.
Next steps and timeline
DEP’s 2026 AML/AMD grant guidance lays out application, permitting and reimbursement rules. Projects generally require engineering, permitting and construction before grant reimbursements are issued, and the period of performance is often measured in months to a few years. The DEP grant guidance also emphasizes the need for long-term operation and maintenance plans for treatment systems.
Project materials list Allegheny County, the Allegheny County Parks Foundation and watershed partners that have done prior studies and treatment work on Pinkertons Run, and those groups say the $10.6 million award advances both water restoration and trail connectivity goals. Allegheny County Parks Foundation materials describe the funding as a major step toward restoring the stream and completing the Panhandle connector at Settlers Cabin Park.
