Federal officials warn of dangers of abandoned coal mines

The arrival of summer is bringing a warning from officials with the U.S. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, urging people to stay out of any abandoned coal mines that they may discover when out and about. Abandoned coal mine sites are dangerous and can have features that are hazardous to human health and safety. Coal mine subsidence can create openings to underground workings that might be obscured by overgrown vegetation, and mine entries can contain dangerous gases and a lack of oxygen, officials said. If you hear or see a person or animal trapped in a mine feature,...

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