A void into the mines opened up Sunday under Toby Creek in Luzerne. The waterway temporarily ran dry as crews worked to patch the problem.
Holes opened up in yards on Hughes Street and Hill Street in Swoyersville later in the week.
John Stefanko, deputy secretary for Active and Abandoned Mine Operations at the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), said the most common phone call to the agency is for subsidences from an underground deep mine.
"The underground mine workings are forever changing," said Stefanko, who oversees the state’s Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation (BAMR).
Much of the Anthracite Coal Region has been undermined and has subsidence potential, according to the DEP. Pennsylvania has the most abandoned coal mines in the nation.
Many things can cause a subsidence, including heavy rain, said Stefanko.
"Over the course of time, the underground strata may have changed, maybe a pillar gives way that was supporting the mine," he said. "Then the ground subsides above that pillar."
If a subsidence opens, Stefanko said residents should first call 911. If they suspect it’s from an underground mine, also call DEP, who will send out an investigator. BAMR has federal funding to fill in the holes. They often rely on old mine maps to determine what’s below homes.
Those maps come in handy when multiple subsidences occur in a neighborhood, said Stefanko.
"Then we could say 'how wide is this mine complex?'," he said. "That allows us to do some preventative construction."
New federal funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act also allows DEP to do work on preventative projects.
The agency said there is no mechanism or device to determine if and when a subsidence will happen.
"Sadly, and regrettably, we don't normally, and most homeowners don't normally find out about it until something actually occurs," Stefanko said.
Residents should be aware of what’s underneath their homes, he said. The agency offers Mine Subsidence Insurance and has an online searchable map to check eligibility. If you see unusual cracks or a depression in your yard, reach out to BAMR.
There are holes and then there's the water.
Orange water sat between two retention ponds on Simpson Street in Swoyersville. Water bubbled out of an old mine vent in Forty Fort and rusty pools formed along North Hampton Avenue near Kirby Park.
Bobby Hughes is director of the Eastern Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation (EPCAMR). He and a colleague tested the water, which revealed its make-up is indicative of water from the mines.
DEP has received numerous calls regarding orange-tinted water pooling or bubbling up from the surface at several locations throughout the west side of the Wyoming Valley, the agency says. Many of those locations are above abandoned mines. DEP says abandoned mine drainage is common in the coal regions.
The agency is aware and has investigated and documented the incidents. DEP is unsure if they are related to or triggered by the Toby Creek mine subsidence.
The department also received complaints regarding a sewage and/or sulfur-like smell in Duryea, Pittston and West Pittston.
The DEP cannot currently link the odors back to the subsidence or any underground mine issue.
