Jurisdiction: Abandoned Mine Lands
2007 Completed Projects Archive
Williams County Road 9 - Phase 2
The Commission entered into two contracts for the Williams County Road 9, Phase 2, abandoned mine project that occurred in 2007. The first included drilling holes into hazardous subsurface underground mine voids and pumping cement grout to fill them and stabilize the surface from collapse. The second contract was for field and lab testing of the grout. Approximately 236 holes, totaling 34,812 feet, were drilled along public roads and residential areas near Williston, ND; and, 5,576 cubic yards of grout were pumped into underground mine voids. Work was completed between June 4 and September 17, 2007. The contracted work was completed at a total cost of $675,140.61.
Columbus - Phase 8
The Commission entered into a contract for Phase 8 of the Columbus AML Site during the 2007 construction season. This project involved moving approximately 53,600 cubic yards of material to complete highwall backfilling and grading on 80 acres. This work was completed between June 4 and September 26, 2007. The total amount charged to the 2007 construction grant for work at the Columbus AML site, including staff time and travel, was $274,779.20.
Havelock SW
The Commission conducted a smaller project in the fall of 2007 to reclaim remnants of a surface mine, including a final pit highwall, near the former town of Havelock. Approximately 18,500 cubic yards of spoil material was moved to reclaim this area. The work started on October 1, 2007 and was completed on October 16, 2007. The contracted work was completed for $64,466.15.
Maintenance/Mine Investigations
The Commission conducted several maintenance projects and mine related investigations that were charged to the 2007 construction grant. Three contracts were entered into that required the contractor to fill approximately 13,750 cubic yards of dangerous sinkholes at abandoned underground mines near Hanks, Noonan and Sawyer in 2007 and near Williston in 2008. The work was carried out between November 5, 2007 and November 24, 2008. The sinkhole filling work was completed for $73,044.20.
Exploratory Drilling
The Commission conducted an exploratory drilling project during the 2007 grant period to locate and characterize suspected underground mine workings along and underneath State Highway 200 east of Underwood and within the City of Beulah. This work was started in the fall of 2007, but was not completed until the spring of 2008.
Coal Fire Suppression
In late 2006, the Commission received a special $10,000 grant to extinguish coal outcrop fires. Four coal outcrop fires located on U.S. Forest Service land and private property were extinguished in the spring of 2007. The actual construction costs for extinguishing the fires was $10,000.
Completion of Projects Started in 2006
Phase 1 of the Williams County Road 9 project was started in 2006, but not completed until the spring of 2007. The main objectives of this project were to drill holes into underground mined workings and to pump a cementitious grout through these holes to fill mine voids and reduce the likelihood of collapse. This project began on September 21, 2006 and was completed on June 5, 2007. A total of 30,134 feet were drilled and 2,500 cubic yards of grout were injected into underground mined workings. The contract was for $354,550 and the work was completed for a total cost of $344,373.20. A separate contract was issued for field and laboratory testing of the grout that was injected at the Williams County Road 9 site and the total cost of that work was $14,247.50.
A contract was awarded in October of 2006 for filling sinkholes at several abandoned underground mine sites in the western portion of the state. However, the actual construction work to fill sinkholes at the Wilton, Buechler, Beach, Beulah, Hanks, Scranton, Haynes, Havelock and Noonan AML Sites did not occur until the spring of 2007. Approximately 4,150 cubic yards of material was used to fill sinkholes under the contract and the work was completed at a total cost of $20,000.