Stay Out and Stay Alive
WASHINGTON – Across the country, there are thousands of abandoned coal mine sites. While enjoying the great outdoors this summer, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement reminds you to stay out of abandoned coal mines that you may happen upon.
Abandoned coal mine sites are dangerous and contain features with the potential to be extremely hazardous. Coal mine subsidence can create openings to underground workings that may be obscured by overgrown vegetation. Mine entries often contain dangerous gasses. For your safety,
do not explore it; stay out and stay alive.
Abandoned Coal Mine Land Feature Safety Problems
Open shafts are vertical mine openings that can extend hundreds of feet to the lower level of a mine. Open shafts can be concealed by mine debris, dirt, rock, vegetation and even water.
Deadly gases and lack of oxygen can be present in abandoned mines that are not ventilated. Pockets of methane, carbon dioxide, and other deadly gases can form. These pockets of gas may be volatile or simply displace oxygen with no visible sign.
High walls and open pits are located where large areas of the surface have been disturbed to get at minerals near the surface. Open pits can be filled with water that can be highly acidic or laden with harmful chemicals. High walls can be unstable at the top and the bottom and are prone to collapse or disguised by vegetation obscuring the steep drop-off.
Report AML Features
To report the location of an abandoned coal mine land feature in Oklahoma, call OSMRE Tulsa Field Office at (918) 568-0130.
OSMRE carries out the requirements of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 in cooperation with states and Tribes. OSMRE’s objectives are to ensure that coal mining activities are conducted in a manner that protects citizens and the environment during mining, to ensure that the land is restored to beneficial use after mining, and to mitigate the effects of past mining by aggressively pursuing reclamation of abandoned coal mines. For more information, visit OSMRE.
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