Reclaiming mines
North Dakota Public Service Commission project to find, fill old mines
BY JAMES C. FALCON
james@nordaknorth.com
North Dakota’s Public Service Commission is receiving funds to help reclaim and repurpose abandoned coal mines throughout the state, including one in Garrison. The area in question is located just southwest of the intersection of N.D. Highway 37 and County Road 15, “near those residences” located on the west end of the county road, explained Joan
Breiner, assistant director of Abandoned Mine Lands with North Dakota Public Service Commission. Plans for this area of land include exploratory drilling and grouting. “Exploratory drilling is where we go and drill from the surface into the ground to find where the mine workings are,” Breiner explained. “We’re looking specifically for voids in areas where the coal mines were. What we’ve seen is there is the potential for the roof of the mine to collapse.” That void comes to the surface and forms a sinkhole, which can be hazardous to the homes in the vicinity, as well as the roads, she said.
