ODNR TO STUDY EXTENT AND CONDITION OF
ABANDONED UNDERGROUND COALMINE IN NORTH CANTON
COLUMBUS, OH - A series of underground drilling tests scheduled to begin Monday, June 27 along Applegrove Road in North Canton will help the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) determine the extent and condition of abandoned underground coalmines in the area.
Mark Smith, field officer with the ODNR Division of Mineral Resources Management, said the Applegrove Road Mine Reclamation Project will help define any abandoned underground coal mines in the area that may not have been mapped before, and will help develop recommendations to reduce the risk of mine subsidence activity.
Initially, drilling will be conducted on streets and other public rights of way; however, ODNR officials may later ask permission to evaluate some private properties as well. Work is expected to be completed by mid-July.
Some private residences north and south of Applegrove Road also may fall within the affected area. In recent years, the neighborhood has experienced several subsidence events due to the collapse of abandoned underground coalmines dating from the late 1920s and early 1930s. Mines from that era were often not mapped or the existing maps are incomplete.
Persons having questions or comments regarding the exploratory drilling project may contact Derek Collins, geologist with the division’s Abandoned Mine Lands Program in Columbus at 614-265-1038.
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