This treatment system causes water from the tunnel to flow through an oxic limestone drain, increasing its pH and raising its concentration of alkalinity.
[3] Prior to the installation of the treatment system on the Oneida Number One Tunnel, its discharge ranged from 560 to 3000 gallons per minute.
The tunnel discharges its water into a narrow and deep draw approximately 670 feet (200 m) from Sugarloaf Creek.
[3] The Oneida Number One Tunnel is the second-largest source of acid mine drainage in the watershed of Catawissa Creek.
[4] There are recreational lakes both upstream and downstream of the point where the Oneida Number One Tunnel discharges into Sugarloaf Creek.
[4] The total maximum daily load document for Catawissa Creek suggests reclaiming mined land in the Green Mountain Coal Basin to reduce the discharge of the Oneida Number One Tunnel.
The treatment system has significantly reduced the effect of acid mine drainage on Sugarloaf Creek.