OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION & ENFORCEMENT

For release May 9, 1996
Jerry Childress (202) 208-2719 jchildre@osmre.gov

OSM TV SPOTS WARN PUBLIC OF ABANDONED MINE DANGERS

The Interior Department's Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and
Enforcement (OSM)is distributing television public service
announcements designed to warn people to stay out of abandoned
mines because of the deadly dangers lurking inside.

The 15 and 30-second TV spots, videotaped at an abandoned
underground mine in Colorado, depict a chilling scenario in which
a youthful would-be explorer, unaware, of the dangers, as most of
us are, strolls into a mine which caves in on him.

"These public service announcements carry just one gripping
statement -- STAY OUT OF ABANDONED MINES! -- so the same thing
won't happen to you," said OSM Director Robert J. Uram.

Uram warns that besides the risk of cave-ins, old mines conceal a
multitude of other potentially lethal hazards, including deadly
gases, venomous insects, poisonous snakes, loose rock, decaying
mine timbers, and vertical shafts hidden within the tunnels.
"People have even drowned in abandoned mine workings that are
flooded," Uram added.

"Abandoned mines are nothing like naturally formed caves which are
attractive to recreational and professional explorers, and should
never be mistaken for caves," Uram said. "Mines and caves are two
very different things."

"Hiking, exploring, and other outdoor activities are a source of
enjoyment for millions of Americans, particularly during the spring
and summer months," Uram said. "But outdoor recreation also
requires caution -- especially near the hundreds of abandoned mines
scattered across the American countryside."

"There is nothing of any value in an abandoned mine -- that's why
it was abandoned," Uram pointed out. "But there are any number of
ways to lose your life in old mine workings. The safest thing to do
is to stay completely out of them."

Uram said that each year a number of people are killed or injured
in abandoned mines, usually because they do not know of the
dangers. In January two young men died in abandoned mine incidents
in Colorado and Utah.

"We need all the help we can get in spreading the word about the
dangers of abandoned mines," Uram said. "That's why we are
distributing this public safety message to television
broadcasters."

The professionally produced television spots are being offered to
television stations and cable operators in mining states across the
nation. Meanwhile, broadcasters and cablecasters interested in the
safety announcements should contact the OSM Office of
Communications, 1951 Constitution Avenue N.W., Washington, D.C.
20240, (202)208-2719.

The mission of OSM is to carry out the requirements of the Surface
Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 in cooperation with
States and Tribes. OSM's primary objectives are to ensure that coal
mines are operated in a manner that protects citizens and the
environment during mining and assures that the land is restored to
beneficial use following mining, and to mitigate the effects of
past mining by aggressively pursuing reclamation of abandoned coal
mines.

News releases on OSM topics of interest can be downloaded from
OSM's Home Page at: http://www. osmre.gov. Frequently requested
information about OSM is available 24 hours a day by Fax-On-Demand
at: (202)219-1703.