Saving Life and Property RRC Reclaims Abandoned Mine in East Texas Neighborhood
When looking to buy a house in the city you want to live, you will understandably worry about how strong the structure is and if it will serve the needs of your family.
It’s where you expect to feel safe. It’s unlikely that you will give much thought to hidden dangers under the potential home or property. For residents of two homes less than half a mile south of the historic courthouse in Center in East Texas, what lurked underground turned out to be a hand-dug mine dating back to the 19th century.
Need Help with an Abandoned Mine? The Railroad Commission is looking to help landowners who have abandoned coal mining features on their property. Properties eligible for funds can get the mining features reclaimed and restored through RRC’s Abandoned Mine Land Program.
Thanks to the Railroad Commission’s Abandoned Mine Land Program, there is help for properties such as these in Texas that have been impacted by abandoned coal and uranium mines before federal mining laws took effect in 1975 and 1977. In fact, the RRC responded to this neighborhood in Center in 2016 on an emergency basis to address subsidence next to one of the homes. The agency returned this year to finish addressing issues with the former lignite mine, which is about 40 feet deep in some places, focusing on the property next door to the one from 2016.
If you have features such as sinkholes, depressions, mine equipment or highwalls and suspect they may have been caused by past mining, please you can contact the AML program at AML@rrc.texas.gov.
If mines such as these are not properly addressed, the voids could lead to sinkholes that could swallow property and harm unsuspecting people. ENERGY NEWS
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