Typically, emergency abandoned mine land problems include: landslides, open portals and shafts, subsidence, and waste bank and underground mine fires discovered near houses, roadways, and populated areas. Because health, safety, and property can be seriously threatened by Abandoned Mine Land emergency problems, rapid response is critical.

Where should the emergency be reported?
Abandoned Mine Land emergencies can be reported to Field and Area Offices of the Interior Department s Office of Surface Mining, to the Office of Surface Mining's Appalachian, Mid-Continent or Western Regional Coordinating Centers, or to the state Abandoned Mine Land agencies in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia, which have established their own Abandoned Mine Land Emergency Programs. Click on the state where the problem is located to get the phone number and E-mail address of these offices.

What Information needs to be reported?
When reporting an Abandoned Mine Land emergency you should include your name and telephone number, a brief description of the problem, location of the site, and the name and telephone number of any other person(s) who is knowledgeable about the emergency problem.