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May 8, 2006
ODNR TO HOLD MEETING IN ATHENS TO DISCUSS
ABANDONED MINE PROJECTS IN SOUTHEASTERN OHIO
COLUMBUS, OH - A public meeting to discuss proposed abandoned mine projects in nine southeastern Ohio counties will be held from 6 to 9 p.m., Wednesday, May 17 at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) district office, 360 E. State Street, in Athens.
ODNR Division of Mineral Resources Management employees will be available to discuss the environmental, public health and safety issues associated with Ohio mines that were abandoned prior to August 3, 1977, when legislation addressing the mines went into effect.
The policies and procedures of Ohio’s Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Program will be discussed, as well as the proposed AML projects for Athens, Belmont, Gallia, Hocking, Meigs, Monroe, Muskingum, Perry and Vinton counties.
Meeting attendees are encouraged to present details of their own abandoned mines in these counties as well as Guernsey, Jackson, Lawrence, Licking, Morgan, Noble and Washington counties, and to check on eligibility for AML project funding.
ODNR is seeking approximately $4.56 million in federal grant money from the U.S. Department of the Interior to fund abandoned mine clean-ups during the next year throughout the northeastern and southeastern Ohio coal mining region. A portion of that money is earmarked for 21 non-emergency projects in southeastern Ohio.
ODNR proposes to spend about $1.27 million on design and construction for these projects. Also included in the $4.56 million grant is $268,000 to improve streams impacted by acid mine drainage and $1.8 million to address emergency abandoned mine land issues in the coal region.
Non-emergency projects proposed for the southeastern Ohio mining district include:
- Eliminating one dangerous water impoundment
- Stabilizing four mine-related landslides
- Backfilling several subsidence features
- Sealing 29 mine entries
- Installing or upgrading nine mine drainage diversion systems
- Removing a dangerous mine-related structure
- Conducting exploratory drilling and geotechnical investigations
- Reclaiming a 29-acre eroding mine waste gob area
- Removing obstructions and taking corrective measures to prevent mine-related stream flooding problems
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