From Williamsport Sun-Gazette:

Thirty years ago, more than 800 waste coal piles marred the Pennsylvania landscape, poisoning streams and emitting gaseous odors, including the rotten-egg smell of hydrogen sulfide.

Then, as part of a statewide cleanup, power plants capable of burning low-quality coal began turning the waste into electricity. Indeed, some waste piles still smolder from spontaneous combustion, polluting air long after mining ceased.

However, waste coal plants have reclaimed more than 7,200 acres and 1,200 miles of streams. Once barren landscapes and contaminated streams teem with wildlife because of the ongoing reclamation.

The complete article can be accessed here.