COLUMBUS, OH - The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) will conduct subsurface drilling tests beginning the week of March 19 to determine the extent and condition of abandoned underground coal mines in a residential neighborhood of Byesville in southern Guernsey County.
Drilling will be conducted on streets and public right-of-ways in and around South Acres Drive.
Subsidence has been reported along South Acres Drive, prompting the exploratory drilling project. This project will involve drilling several borings into the underground mine complex to determine the degree of past mining, as well as the condition of the rock above. This information can be used to determine if a collapsed underground coal mine or other factors caused the subsidence. Drilling results can also be used to determine if the subsidence is isolated or has the potential to become widespread.
According to project coordinator Gary Novak, the mine beneath this neighborhood was operated by Willis Creek Coal Company and was abandoned in 1904. At that time, coal was extracted at a depth of approximately 50 feet or more below the ground's surface.
Persons having questions or comments regarding this project may contact Byesville Mayor Donald Gadd at 740-685-6562; Gary Novak with the ODNR Division of Mineral Resources Management office in Cambridge at 740-439-9079; or Tim Jackson with the ODNR Abandoned Mine Lands Program in Columbus at 614-265-1013.
For Further Information Contact:
Jane Beathard, ODNR Media Relations
(614) 265-6860