The Tide Refuse Pile is an intermediate-sized pile of abandoned mine refuse located along Yellow Creek between SR 954 and Lucerne Mines in Center Township, Indiana County.  The abandoned pile is completely unvegetated, erodes directly into Yellow Creek and contributes acid mine drainage to the stream.  Yellow Creek above the Tide Pile is of generally good quality, but its quality progressively degrades from the area along the Tide Pile down to its confluence with Two Lick Creek.  The most significant source of pollution along this stretch of stream is the large, abandoned Lucerne Refuse Pile.  However, monitoring data over the past few years has shown that remining and reclamation of the Lucerne Pile has begun to decrease the pollution load from Lucerne.  The Tide Pile also is located adjacent to BCWA’s Lower Yellow Creek Treatment systems, and has complicated operation of those systems and any planned upgrades the systems may need.

Fortunately, as of Spring of 2025, the Pennsylvania DEP Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation (BAMR) and Robindale Energy Services are finalizing a contract to address the Tide Pile and its impacts on Yellow Creek.   Under this contract useable portions of the Tide Pile will be used hauled to waste coal burning power plant to generate electricity, while the unusable parts of the pile will be transported to the Lucerne site and mitigated with alkaline ash, which has an excess lime content.  Completion of this project will remove acid and metal  pollutants from Yellow Creek along with sedimentation from the pile.  A start date for the project is not yet established.

Removal of the Tide Pile will also help bring to reality a planned hiking/biking trail along Yellow Creek, which is being sponsored by the Indiana County Conservation District.  The trail will pass through an area that is currently affected by runoff and erosion from the Tide Pile.