Jim Fulton, chief of OSM's Denver Field Division, surveys the damage caused by mine subsidence to the driveway of a Marshall, Colo., residence. OSM's Denver Field Division reclaimed the pit quickly. Hazards like this can happen anywhere underground mining has occurred.
Over the years, the Office of Surface Mining emergency
program has been responsible for abating hundreds of landslides, subsidence
events, mine fires, refuse fires, mine-related floods and mine blowouts.
Congress established Section 410, the “Emergency Powers”
part of the Surface Mining Act to address the potential for any type of crisis
resulting from past mining practices.
Section 410 provides for immediate response to emergency situations
related to mine hazards that may adversely affect life, safety and health when
no other agency has the authority to act.
Under the surface Mining Act emergency problems are defined
as abandoned coal min hazards that present an immediate danger to the public
health, safety or general welfare and are caused by coal mines abandoned before
August 3, 1977.
Typically, emergency abandoned min land problems
include landslides, openportals and shafts, subsidence, and wast bank and
underground mine fires discovered near houses, roadways and populated
areas. Because health, safety and
property can be seriously threatened by Abononed Mine
Land emergency problems
rapid response is critical
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