Gas flux measurements from historical coal waste piles near Nanticoke Creek, Pennsylvania

Gas emissions from coal waste piles can occur through degassing, biological decomposition, or low-temperature oxidation through atmospheric exposure. This study quantifies methane and carbon dioxide emissions of historic coal waste piles near Nanticoke Creek in Pennsylvania to: 1) measure if these piles are releasing gas emissions, 2) understand if previous surficial treatments of the waste piles affect gas emissions, 3) establish the background gas flux measurements prior to planned reclamation activities at the site, and 4) serve as an example of emissions from coal waste piles in the anthracite mining region of Pennsylvania, where there are a significant amount of historical coal mining waste sites. Six sites with differing characteristics were established across the Nanticoke Creek field site, which is located on the former Truesdale mine just south of Nanticoke, Luzerne County, PA. Gas fluxes were measured in May and October 2024. This data release contains site details and photographs, raw methane and carbon dioxide concentration measurements, and calculated methane and carbon dioxide soil fluxes.