Farmer’s Branch, TX
LCA Environmental has been awarded the first statewide contract from the Texas Railroad Commission for Abandoned Mine Land reclamation. The work involves identification, investigation, surveying, and remediation/restoration of abandoned coal mines throughout Texas. Of the many hundreds of working coal mines once present in Texas, only a handful remain. When operations ceased at most of the historic mines, the typical closure activities were minimal, such as blocking the entrance to tunnels. The tunnels themselves remained, and with the passage of time have become a threat to public safety as tunnels collapse, the ground above the tunnels subsides, and sinkholes are formed at the surface. If the sinkholes are not connected to mine tunnels below, the sinkholes can be cleaned out and backfilled up to the surrounding surface elevation with inert fill material. If the sinkholes are connected to an underground tunnel, it may be necessary to drill through the bottom of the sinkhole to a tunnel below and then pump cement into the tunnels to stabilize them against future subsidence,
“Surface mines were typically abandoned with even less closure activity, often by just driving away and leaving a large hole/impoundment behind,” says Lynn Clark, Vice President and Principal Geoscientist at LCA. These impoundments often filled with water over the years, becoming large ponds or stock tanks. The sides, or walls, of these impoundments in the present day are often unstable and create a drowning hazard when animals (and children) slip into the water-filled impoundments.
About LCA
LCA Environmental is an award-winning engineering firm with expertise in geology, engineering, and remediation. With 30 years of experience, we provide environmentally friendly services that include site assessment, remediation, geoscience, and design and construction management. We also provide consulting services for waste management, environmental impacts, petroleum fuel storage and dispensing systems, water management, green infrastructure design and more. Contact us to learn how we solve environmental problems with engineering solutions www.lcaenvironmental.com.
