Askam Borehole

The Askam Borehole is a major discharge point for acid mine drainage (AMD) located in Hanover Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, near the village of Askam in the United States. Constructed by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection in the early 1970s, the borehole was drilled to relieve pressure from rising groundwater in the South-East Mine Pool Complex, which threatened to flood local basements.

One of two primary outlets for this mine pool, alongside the South Wilkes-Barre Boreholes, it released between 3,500 and 7,000 US gallons (13 to 26 m3) of contaminated water per minute into the Nanticoke Creek watershed. The discharge contained high levels of iron, sulfates, and acidity, with a pH of 3.7 and acidity at 633 parts per million as reported in the 1970s by "Operation Scarlift" studies, posing a significant environmental challenge. The borehole, with a diameter of 30 inches (76 cm), operated until it collapsed in 2008, after which replacement boreholes and active treatment systems took over AMD management at the location.

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