COLUMBUS, OH -- Geologists and a technical team with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) have located an unmapped underground coal mine beneath a Village of New Lexington neighborhood. The abandoned mine poses no immediate threat to public safety in the area, ODNR experts emphasize.
Staff from ODNR's Division of Mineral Resources Management located the mine beneath a neighborhood bordered by the streets of Highland Drive on the northwest, Park Avenue on the north, McKinley Avenue on the east, Eastern Avenue on the south, and Maple Heights on the west. Results of an exploratory drilling investigation indicate that the unmapped mine lies below 20 homes in this neighborhood. A more detailed investigation of the area will follow in the near future to determine the engineering design and specifications required to stabilize the ground beneath village streets and the 20 homes involved.
The area, referred to as the Van Atta Mine Stabilization Project, has a low to moderate risk for subsidence activity, although a number of homes in the neighborhood have experienced subsidence activity in the past. Drilling information does not reveal any open mine voids that pose an immediate threat to the public's health or safety.
The Van Atta Project aims to reduce the long-term risk of property damage and personal harm to New Lexington residents. Furthermore, the work will ensure the public safety of the community in the future.
The project is slated for construction in the fall of 2001. Prior to construction of this project, ODNR will coordinate activities with the community; develop design plans and specifications for the mine stabilization project; secure a construction right of entry from each affected property owner; and put the entire construction project up for competitive bid.
Copies of the investigation report or any questions concerning the exploratory drilling project should be directed to DMRM Project Geologist Derek Collins at (614) 265-1038. Questions concerning the proposed stabilization project should be directed to DMRM Project Officer Bill Jonard at (740) 439-9079, or Program Manager Terry Van Offeren at (614) 265-1094.