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March 27, 2006
ODNR STAFF TO BEGIN EXTINGUISHING COAL REFUSE FIRE IN ATHENS COUNTY
Burning “gob pile” threatens nearby natural gas pipeline and residences
COLUMBUS, OHIO - Work is scheduled to begin Wednesday to extinguish a coal refuse (gob pile) fire at the former Ohio Colleries Company mine in northern Athens County. The fire, which was discovered on March 13, is burning about 40 feet from a natural gas transmission line, 70 feet from a busy state highway, and about 150 feet from a residence, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).
Coal refuse material is unmarketable coal associated with the underground mining process. It is found in large piles where mining has taken place in the past.
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Extinguishing a gob pile fire. This 2002 photo is from the Brier Ridge burning gob pile in Dillonvale, Ohio.
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The ODNR Division of Mineral Resources Management will be working with Columbia Gas Transmission, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the Athens County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) to extinguish the fire and reclaim the area. Motorists are advised that work will involve temporary closure of State Route 13 between the villages of Jacksonville and Redtown in Trimble Township.
Columbia Gas, which has been monitoring the transmission line since the fire was discovered, is disconnecting the pipe this week. Gas service to most area customers will not be interrupted.
By mid week, workers will begin excavating the burning coal and dousing it with water. The extinguished material will be layered with non-combustible material and placed in a safe location. The refuse pile will be covered with non-combustible material, graded, re-soiled and planted with vegetation.
The ODNR Division of Mineral Resources Management, which is responsible for reclaiming abandoned mine lands in Ohio, will spearhead the overall effort. The Athens County EMA will be responsible for all county communications; ODOT will monitor the fire along State Route 13 and will be responsible for road closures while work is underway; and Columbia Gas Transmission will be responsible for monitoring the high-pressure natural gas transmission line. Work will continue until the fire has been extinguished and the area is safe for both motorists and residents.
Coal refuse material normally ignites when people burn trash or debris close by. The combustion can result in smoke, haze, heat, or venting of hazardous gases that can pose a danger to people or animals in the area.
ODNR administers the Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Program to reclaim those areas disturbed by coal mining operations and for which there is no continuing reclamation responsibility by a mine operator. The emergency aspect of the program focuses on problems that require immediate action, such as the coal refuse fire associated with this site.
A federal fee levied on mined coal funds the AML Emergency Program. This fee is scheduled to expire on June 30. This coal refuse fire is a prime example of the work that will no longer be done if Congress does not fully reauthorize the Abandoned Mined Land statute.
Additional information on the state’s mine reclamation program is available at ohiodnr.com
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