Office of Surface Mining 
Western Field Operations - 1020 15th Street - Brooks Towers -
Denver, Colorado 80202 - (303) 844-2459

For Release December 12, 1991  
Don O'Bryan (303) 844-3069
Donald Donner (303) 844-3066

OSM DECLARES A SUBSIDENCE  EMERGENCY IN WILBURTON, OKLAHOMA

The Interior Department's Office of Surface Mining (OSM) has issued
a contract to fill a subsidence hole over an abandoned mine area.
The sudden event occurred December 6, 1991 in the front yard of 205
SW 2nd Street, Wilburton, Oklahoma.

The hole  is  approximately 7  feet by 8  feet and 19  feet deep.
Locally available coarse material was used to temporarily fill the
subsidence.   A contract was then awarded to drill and grout for a
permanent solution.

The work is financed by OSM's abandoned mine land reclamation fund,
which is supported by fees assessed on active coal mines.

-DOI-