Coal

Longwall mining is a deep mining technique capable of fully extracting huge panels of coal, frequently up to 1,500 feet wide and two miles long. Coal shearing machines known as “continuous miners” remove a long wall of coal in a single slice as hydraulic jacks hold up the roof above and in front of the machine. Once this coal has been extracted, the continuous miner and hydraulic jacks advance, and overlying rock collapses into the void behind. This occurs 400-1,000 feet below the surface, causing subsidence to both natural features and manmade structures above..

Generally speaking, longwall mine operators are legally permitted to damage buildings and water supplies, but are required to repair homes and replace water supplies when liable for the damage. Unfortunately, residents often become embroiled in lengthy battles for necessities, like a temporary water supply.  

Washington and Greene Counties are home to the largest underground coal mine complex in North America. The communities we serve experience first-hand the subsidence-induced damage to homes and other structures, water supplies, and streams. People living above active longwall mines have to navigate the complex world of pre-mining surveys of their structures and water supplies to establish baselines for mining damage claims, as well as problems during and after mining, such as negotiating with companies or filing damage claims. 

Coal companies offer to buy homes and properties before mining if the risk of significant damage is high, or after mining if significant damage has occurred. This practice has resulted in a systematic depopulation of areas where longwall mining has occurred. Residents wishing to stay in the area have two options: (1) to purchase another home in the area that could be undermined in the future, and potentially being displaced again; or (2) purchase a home that was undermined years ago, which may have some lingering issues and/or future problems. Both of these options are complicated by the fact that houses in the area rarely go up for sale and many properties are already owned by a coal company.   

When longwall mine operators choose to purchase properties above underground mining, overlying communities are adversely altered. If these properties suffer subsidence damage and are later sold “as-is”, these subsidence impacts can degrade the local tax base and negatively impact the local community. Subsidence impacts have the potential to create economic strain on the communities living over active mines. The 2020 Greene County Comprehensive Plan reveals that the county has seen a decline in the overall population, an increase in the median age, a dramatic decrease in school enrollment, and an increase in blighted properties. The prevention or restoration of damage from mine subsidence is related to the economic future and well-being of our communities. 

Ryerson Station State Park is the only state park in Greene County. For years, the jewel of the park was Duke Lake, a 62-acre lake that was a major attraction for people across the region. The lake was drained in 2005 after the dam was damaged by longwall mining operations at the Bailey Mine. 

A report prepared in connection with Act 54, the state law that regulates bituminous coal mining in Pennsylvania, reveals the devastating effects of coal mining generally and longwall mining in particular. The most recent report found the the 46 bituminous coal mines in the state undermined a total of 31,343 surface acres between 2008 and 2013 through both longwall and room-and-pillar methods. Approximately 40% of that undermined acreage is within Greene County, and 19% in Washington County. During that same time, nearly 200 miles of streams were undermined and about 77% of the miles of those streams experienced flow loss, pooling (formation of pools inside the stream banks where the stream should be flowing consistently) or both. Visit our Act 54 Campaign Page for more information on the damages and actions to protect our communities.

• Subsidence: the shifting of the earth above a coal mine after the coal has been removed, causing structural damage to homes, buildings, roads, and railways.
  • In 2006, 1-79 was undermined fourteen times, and traffic has been restricted on I-70 and PA Turnpike 43 due to subsidence.
• Ponding: as a result of subsidence, wetlands are frequently created in areas that were previously dry.
• The release of methane gas into the atmosphere, water and homes. At least one home explosion has been documented as a result.
• Ground cracks and landslides: frequently these render the land unusable.
• Damage to homes, including cracking, buckling, and leaning.
• Disturbance to the water table responsible for loss of water to homes and businesses and for the drying up of numerous wells, springs, and streams.
• Creation of slurry impoundments, catch ponds for the water used to wash coal.  They frequently contain arsenic, mercury, and other toxic elements.
• Depopulation of rural areas in the coalfields where longwall mining has occurred.

Are you directly impacted by longwall mining? Is there proposed longwall mining infrastructure in your community? Contact us at 724-229-3550 or email us at coalteam@centerforcoalfieldjustice.org to see how we can support you.

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