LETTER: Abandoned mines are not tourist sites; stay out!

Dozens of people get injured or die in the U.S. every year because they don’t follow this simple advice: Stay out of abandoned and active mines and surrounding lands.

Abandoned mines are not history museums or tourist sites.

The properties where underground mining occurred decades ago should not be viewed as today’s playgrounds or swimming holes or spots to secretly gather with friends for underage drinking or other irresponsible activities.

Simply put, these properties are hazards.

Drownings. ATV crashes. Falls. Asphyxiation. The list of potential risks from entering Pennsylvania’s abandoned mine lands is long and, for many of us, all-too familiar. Yet some people – usually children and young adults – make the unwise choice to ignore the warnings and then end up paying the price.

As recently as mid-July, a trio of men reportedly entered an abandoned mine in Sugar Notch, Luzerne County, and one of them fell from a rope ladder. He was hurt and essentially trapped. Rescuers worked for about two hours to remove him from the mine shaft and get him to a hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries, according to news reports.

By one estimate, the nation has 500,000 or more abandoned mines. Whether used in the past to extract coal, limestone, salt, gold or other precious products, these neglected places can sometimes prove to be alluring and deadly attractions.

That’s why the “Stay Out, Stay Alive” public safety campaign was introduced many years ago. Led by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration, the campaign seeks to educate school students and others about the dangers, including hidden dangers, of mines and quarries.

Among the threats:

“Bad air” containing poisonous gases such as methane and carbon monoxide, which create low oxygen environments that can lead to dizziness, disorientation, breathing difficulties and even fainting;
Wooden ladders that are broken or brittle;
Water-filled strip mining pits and pools in places where it’s difficult to estimate the water’s depth or see what objects lie below the surface;
Unstable rock and soil, especially near mine openings, and deep shafts in which a person can tumble as if dropping from a multistory building;
Dry-rotted or unstable timber that can fall, hitting someone or perhaps even causing a tunnel or mine roof to collapse.

Add to that mix the potential for encountering rats, other rodents, bats, fungi and undetonated explosives, and it becomes clear why poking around old mines is a foolish and possibly fatal pursuit.

I serve as executive director of the Eastern Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation (EPCAMR), a nonprofit organization based in Ashley. For years, EPCAMR has been a part of the “Stay Out, Stay Alive” campaign, promoting the slogan as well as distributing themed stickers, bookmarks and activity books to youths to make them aware of the dangers.

It’s important to periodically remind people of all ages that entering an abandoned mine property is both illegal (trespass laws typically apply) and irresponsible.

Misguided explorers – often in pursuit of “likes” and views on social media – are endangering their own lives and the safety of first responders. When a rescue is needed, the financial burden typically gets placed on volunteer-powered fire and ambulance crews that are already strapped for funds and proper equipment.

To anyone fascinated by the idea of old mines, I suggest that rather than seeking thrills below ground, you instead become an EPCAMR supporter and volunteer.

For nearly 30 years, our organization has been helping to reclaim abandoned mine lands for recreational, commercial and other productive uses. We need volunteers to perform many tasks, including occasional field work performed above ground during which we identify pollution-spewing abandoned mine discharges and other features on the landscape that are health and safety concerns.

Another option for people who are curious about mines: Visit any of the region’s exceptional mining museums or supervised mine tours. You can get a deep appreciation of our collective heritage, including the coal industry’s history and its inherent dangers, without putting your life at stake.

Robert “Bobby” Hughes, a Wilkes-Barre native, is the founding executive director of the Eastern Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation (EPCAMR). The nonprofit organization serves 16 counties, promoting the reclamation and reuse of land impacted by past coal mining practices. Email him at [email protected].