State officials working to put out mine fire

an eight-month project that involved drilling and pumping a cement-like grout into the mine cavity to isolate the fire and cut off its air supply. As a result, flames were extinguished that were too deep or inaccessible to put out by excavation, Ms. Fraley said.

Cuddy-based Howard Concrete Pumping Inc. carried out the process, which proved effective, she said, covering a larger area than originally expected and reducing the scope of the fire. The cost was about $3.8 million.

The second phase of the project is under design and will involve excavation work all the way down to the burning coal seam. The mine stretches as deep as 120 feet. Afterward, workers will backfill the shaft, restoring its condition.

That work could resume as soon as early next year, Ms. Fraley said, adding that the bureau plans to start seeking bids for the project later this year.

It is unclear when the work would finish or how much it will cost.

Coal mining began in Pennsylvania in the mid1700s, fueling not only the rise of the steel industry in the region but also industrial growth across the country.

Despite the prosperity that followed, the industry left a legacy of environmental degradation, as there were no formal environmental regulations governing mining operations for two centuries, according to the DEP. After being stripped of their coal deposits, sites were abandoned, left to languish in a degraded state.

The Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation is charged with addressing the long-standing problems that abandoned mines have left across Pennsylvania, including land subsidence, dangerous gas emissions and tainted water supplies.

The severity of the risks such sites pose is based on a three-tier system established by the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, which collects fees from coal mining companies to help finance reclamation projects.

The designations are based on a number of factors, with public health risks taking precedence.