Thursday, August 07, 2008
Kentucky AML To Partially Fund Pike County Mine Blowout Study.
Division of Abandoned Mine Lands (AML), a department within the Kentucky Energy and Environmental Cabinet, has announced it will partially fund a study to determine which areas of Pike County possess the greatest potential for mine blowouts, as soon as funding from additional sources can be secured.
Pike County Judge/Executive Wayne T. Rutherford first contacted the AML after mine blowouts earlier this year in Virgie and Grapevine occurred within weeks of each other.
“We felt as a court we should seek this funding,” Rutherford told residents of Grapevine when they came to a Pike County Fiscal Court Meeting in June to ask for help shortly after the blowout incidents occurred.
“Something has to be done about these hidden threats,” said Judge Rutherford. “This (two consecutive mine blowouts) is nothing new. Millions of gallons have accumulated in deep mines and threaten the well-being of residents all across this county.”
AML Director Steve Hohmann said in a letter to Judge Rutherford that the best way to proceed with an investigation of Pike County’s potential mine blowout areas would be to first conduct a pilot study to determine whether a larger, more comprehensive study of the county is feasible, productive or reliable. The pilot study will investigate three contiguous U.S. Geological Survey quadrangles in Pike County which have been heavily impacted by deep mining and have documented reports of past mine blowouts.
“We believe the best way to proceed is to conduct a “pilot” study of a limited area in Pike County provided that a source of funding in addition to AML can be found,” Hohmann wrote. He said the AML would attempt to locate the additional funding by contacting other agencies.
The reason the AML requires additional funding before it can perform the study is because the department can only fund a study for mining that occurred “pre-law,” or prior to 1982. Because the pilot study planned for Pike County by the AML will study mining which occurred both before and after 1982, the AML must secure funding from other sources.
Hohmann said once additional funding is secured, the Kentucky Finance and Administration Cabinet will begin the process of selecting an engineering firm to conduct the study.
Pike County Judge/Executive Wayne T. Rutherford first contacted the AML after mine blowouts earlier this year in Virgie and Grapevine occurred within weeks of each other.
“We felt as a court we should seek this funding,” Rutherford told residents of Grapevine when they came to a Pike County Fiscal Court Meeting in June to ask for help shortly after the blowout incidents occurred.
“Something has to be done about these hidden threats,” said Judge Rutherford. “This (two consecutive mine blowouts) is nothing new. Millions of gallons have accumulated in deep mines and threaten the well-being of residents all across this county.”
AML Director Steve Hohmann said in a letter to Judge Rutherford that the best way to proceed with an investigation of Pike County’s potential mine blowout areas would be to first conduct a pilot study to determine whether a larger, more comprehensive study of the county is feasible, productive or reliable. The pilot study will investigate three contiguous U.S. Geological Survey quadrangles in Pike County which have been heavily impacted by deep mining and have documented reports of past mine blowouts.
“We believe the best way to proceed is to conduct a “pilot” study of a limited area in Pike County provided that a source of funding in addition to AML can be found,” Hohmann wrote. He said the AML would attempt to locate the additional funding by contacting other agencies.
The reason the AML requires additional funding before it can perform the study is because the department can only fund a study for mining that occurred “pre-law,” or prior to 1982. Because the pilot study planned for Pike County by the AML will study mining which occurred both before and after 1982, the AML must secure funding from other sources.
Hohmann said once additional funding is secured, the Kentucky Finance and Administration Cabinet will begin the process of selecting an engineering firm to conduct the study.
# posted by Joe Kinzer @ 4:21 PM 
