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2025 Exploratory Drilling AML Project
This investigatory project located and characterized underground mine workings at an abandoned underground coal mine in New Salem, North Dakota. Surface disturbance was minimal. Work was conducted between December 26, 2024, and March 17, 2025. The final cost for this project was $390,176.
2024 Dakota Collieries AML Project
The 2024 Dakota Collieries AML Project involved backsloping and backfilling approximately 915 feet of dangerous highwall using adjacent spoil piles. The site was approximately 4 miles southeast of Zap, North Dakota, in Mercer County. The 11-acre abandoned surface mine was characterized by a steep eroding highwall approximately 50 feet in height. Additional work on adjacent properties included reclaiming subsidence and erosional features from abandoned underground and surface mines. Reclaimed areas were reseeded with locally adapted grass species native to western North Dakota. Work began on July 22 and was completed on October 2, 2024. The final cost for this project was $1,081,973.
2024 Exploratory Drilling AML Project
This investigatory project located and characterized underground mine workings at abandoned underground coal mines in New Salem and Scranton, North Dakota. Surface disturbance was minimal. Work was conducted between May 16 and June 20, 2024. The final cost for this project was $281,313.
2024 Lehigh Road Phase IX AML Project
The 2024 Lehigh Road Phase IX AML Project was a remote backfilling project to stabilize abandoned underground coal mine workings along Lehigh Road and other infrastructure located near Dickinson, North Dakota. This project was a continuation of the 2022 and 2023 Exploratory Drilling Projects. This project utilized drill holes from those projects and an additional 22,338 feet of drilling was completed. Abandoned mine workings were filled with 3,401 cubic yards of flowable grout. Work was conducted between July 18 and September 19, 2024. The final cost for this project was $1,234,493.
2024 Sinkhole Filling and Maintenance AML Project
This project filled dangerous sinkholes caused by underground mine collapse on abandoned mine lands. Sinkhole filling projects like this have been conducted since the 1980s. Work was conducted on AML sites near Bowman, Scranton, Haynes, Beach, Dickinson, Richardton, Beulah, Washburn, and Mandan between September 16 and November 13, 2024. Maintenance work was conducted at a reclaimed surface mine site northwest of Mandan. The final cost for this project was $226,306.
2023 Garrison Phase 6 AML Project
This remote backfilling project stabilized abandoned underground coal mine workings along McLean County Highway 15 and homes south of Garrison. This project utilized drill holes from past drilling projects and an additional 4,060 feet of drilling was completed. Abandoned mine workings were filled with 3,491 cubic yards of flowable grout. This project was a continuation of the 2022 Exploratory Drilling and the 2022 Garrison Phase 5 AML projects. The 2022 projects revealed the extent of the underground mines in Garrison is larger than expected. Work was conducted between May 24 and June 30, 2023. The final cost for this project was $1,088,811.
2023 Exploratory Drilling AML Project
This investigatory project located and characterized underground mine workings beneath public roads and an industrial area southeast of Dickinson. Surface disturbance was minimal. Work was conducted between July 5 and August 16, 2023. The final cost for this project was $355,218.
2023 Sinkhole Filling Project
This project filled dangerous sinkholes caused by underground mine collapse on abandoned mine lands. Sinkhole filling projects like this have been conducted since the 1980s. Work was conducted on AML sites near Beulah, New Salem, and Zap between October 6 and November 22, 2023. The final cost for this project was $48,911.
2022 Morton County Phase 3 AML Project
This reclamation project involved backsloping and backfilling 3,390 feet of highwalls with onsite mine spoil at the abandoned Youngstown Mine. Affected areas were reseeded with locally adapted grass species native to western North Dakota. The total area affected was about 12 acres. Work was conducted between March 15 and August 10, 2022. The final cost for this project was $282,645.
2022 Garrison Phase 5 AML Project
This remote backfilling project stabilized abandoned underground coal mine workings along McLean County Highway 15 and near homes in south Garrison. This project utilized drill holes from past drilling projects and an additional 4,889 feet of drilling was completed. Abandoned mine workings were filled with 2,139 cubic yards of flowable grout. Work was conducted between August 8 and October 14, 2022. The final cost for this project was $747,025.
2022 Exploratory Drilling AML Project
This project located and characterized underground mine workings beneath public roads and occupied residences. This investigatory project was conducted near the cities of Beulah, Dickinson, Garrison, Velva, Bowman, Noonan, and Scranton. Surface disturbance was minimal. Work was conducted between May 16 and September 16, 2022. The final cost for this project was $926,690.
Sinkhole Filling, Maintenance and Emergencies
This project filled dangerous sinkholes caused by underground mine collapse and extinguished coal fires on abandoned mine lands. Sinkhole filling projects like this have been conducted since the 1980s. Work was conducted on AML sites near Beulah, Hanks, Haynes, New Leipzig, New Salem, Parshall, Scranton, Velva, Williston, Wilton, and Zap. The final cost for this project was $93,310.
2021 Beuchler/Velva Phase II Project
This project reclaimed parts of three abandoned coal mines (Knorr, Quist, and Truax-Traer) in Ward County approximately 8 miles southwest of Velva, ND. The 2021 Beuchler/Velva Phase II public meeting was held January 19, 2021, at the Velva City Hall. The project reclaimed 2,800 feet of dangerous highwalls and 4.7 aces of subsidence. Work was conducted between July 7 and October 1, 2021. The final cost for the project was $325,483.
2021 Exploratory Drilling AML Project
This project involved drilling and casing to locate and characterize underground mines in residential lots and near roadways near Belfield, Beulah, and Garrison. The bid opening for this project was held February 25, 2021. The project was conducted between April 15 and July 15, 2021. The final cost for this project was $348,826.
2021 Beulah/Zap Phase 16 Project
This remote backfilling project stabilized underground coal mine workings along North Dakota State 200 and 60th Ave SW, north of Beulah in Mercer County. The 2021 Beulah/Zap Phase 16 public meeting was held on Thursday, Jan 7, 2021, at the Beulah Civic Center. This project used drill holes from past drilling projects and additional drilling was completed. Approximately 2,433 cubic yards of grout and 414 tons of foamed sand was pumped into mine voids. Work was conducted between August 3 and September 9, 2021. The final cost for this project was $842,855.
2020 Project Summaries
2020 Projects included:
- Hettinger and Stark Counties AML Project
- Williams County Road 9 Phase 8 AML Project
- Noonan Foamed Sand AML Project
- Sinkhole Filling AML Project
2019 Exploratory Drilling AML Project
This project involved rotary drilling and casing to locate and characterize underground mines in parking lots and near buildings at an industrial subdivision near Williston. The bid opening for this project was held March 12. The project was conducted between April and July 2019. The estimated contract cost for this project was $400,000.
2019 Morton County Phase 2 AML Project
This 30-acre project eliminated about 4,400 feet of dangerous final pit highwalls at five abandoned surface coal mines in Morton County. These mines have steep highwalls about 10-40 feet high. The reclamation work involved backfilling the highwalls with earthen material from adjacent spoil piles and borrow areas. About 150,000 cubic yards of earthen material were moved in the reclamation process. The bid opening for this project was held April 18, 2019. The project was conducted between June and September 2019. The estimated contract cost for this project was $332,350.
2019 Williams County Road 9 Phase 7 and Noonan AML Project
This two-site AML drilling and grouting project stabilized collapsing underground coal mines at an industrial subdivision near Williston and along roads and trails near Noonan. Project work included rotary drilling, casing drilled holes and pumping cementitious grout and foamed sand to stabilize underground mine voids and reduce the potential for mine collapse and sinkholes. Testing of the grout and sand materials were covered under a separate contract. The bid openings for this project were held April 18, 2019. The project was conducted between June and August 2018. Estimated total contract costs for this project were $1 million.
2018 Wilton Phase 4, Shell Lake and Williams County Road 9 Phase 7 AML Project
This multi-site AML drilling and grouting project involved drilling, casing, and pumping pressurized grout into collapsed underground mine workings along Highway 36 near Wilton, near an occupied farmstead about 14 miles north of Parshall and at businesses in an industrial subdivision at Williston. The contractors for this project were B & C Concrete Pumping, Inc. of Williston and GEOSERV Inc. of Bismarck. Combined contract costs were $1,577,793.34.
2018 Wilton, Shell Lake, Williams County Project Summary
2018 Morton County AML Project
This 36-acre project eliminated about 2,500 feet of dangerous final pit highwalls at two abandoned surface coal mines northwest of New Salem in Morton County. Work on this project began June 11 and finished September 18, 2018. Approximately 115,000 cubic yards of spoil material was used to backfill the highwalls at these two sites. The contractor for this project was Wilson Construction, Inc. of Scranton. The contract cost was $252,400.
2018 Morton County Project Summary
2017-2018 Sinkhole Filling AML Project
This two-year project was conducted to fill dangerous sinkholes caused by underground coal mine collapse. Approximately 163 sinkholes were filled in 2017 and 177 in 2018. The contractor was Pleasant and Sons Construction of Greenville, KY. The contract cost was $209,714.
2017-2021 Sinkhole Filling Projects Environmental Assessment
2017 Exploratory Drilling AML Project
This project involved rotary drilling and casing to locate and characterize underground mine conditions near roads and structures. Work was conducted near the cities of Burlington, Foxholm, Noonan, Parshall, Roseglen and Williston, ND. The contractor was S&S Drilling, Inc. of Williston, ND, and the contract cost was $158,047.
2017 Exploratory Drilling Project Summary
2017 Wilton Phase 3 AML Project
This project involved drilling, casing, and pumping pressurized grout into collapsed underground mine workings along Highway 36 and an occupied farmstead near Wilton, ND. There were two contracts for this project, one for construction and one for material testing and the combined contract costs were $1,283,123.
2017 Wilton Phase 3 Project Summary
2017 Columbus Phase 16 AML Project
his 45-acre project eliminated about 5000 feet of dangerous final pit highwalls at abandoned surface mines south of Columbus, ND. The contract cost was $359,070.
2017 Columbus Phase 16 Project Summary
2017 Beulah Highway 200 Emergency AML Project
The 2017 Beulah Highway 200 Emergency AML Project was conducted to fill dangerous sinkholes caused by underground mine collapse along North Dakota Highway 200 near Beulah, ND. Work was conducted April 26-28, 2017, and the contract cost was $4,945. The contractor for this work was Earthworm Excavating of Tolna, ND. This is a link to the project summary report.
2016 Wilton Phase 2 AML Project
The objectives of this project were to drill holes to locate underground mine workings and to pump a cementitious grout through these holes to fill the mine voids and reduce the likelihood of collapse. This project involved drilling and pumping pressurized grout into collapsed underground mine workings near the city of Wilton, ND. There were two contracts for this project, one for construction and one for material testing and the combined contract costs were $1,420,907.
2016 Wilton Phase 2 Project Summary
2016 Bowman Foxhole AML Project
This ten-acre project eliminated about 1100 feet of dangerous highwalls at an abandoned surface mine site located on either side of a public road (78th Street SW) about six miles north of Bowman, ND. The contract cost was $90,447.
2015 Sinkhole Filling AML Project
The objective of this two-year project was to fill hazardous sinkholes resulting from the collapse of underground coalmines. Approximately 207 sinkholes were filled in 2015 and another 138 were filled in 2016. In addition, two emergency coal fires were extinguished under this contract (see 2015 Emergency Projects Archive). The contract cost was $201,246.96.
2015 Columbus Phase 15 AML Project
This project involved the elimination of nearly 5,000 feet of abandoned mine highwalls at two abandoned surface mines in Burke County. About 255,000 cubic yards of spoil material was used to backfill the highwalls and about 65 acres were reclaimed at two sites. Earthwork at the Columbus Phase 15 AML site started on July 11, 2015, and was completed August 21, 2015. Seeding operations and straw wattles placement were completed on September 9, 2015. The contracted work was completed for a total cost of $477,125.
2015 Scranton/Bowman Phase 3 and Wilton Project
The objectives of this project were to drill holes to locate underground mine workings and to pump a cementitious grout through these holes to fill the mine voids and reduce the likelihood of collapse. This project involved drilling and pumping pressurized grout into collapsed underground mine workings. Project areas included an undermined farmstead near Reeder and roadways near Scranton, Bowman and Wilton. The final totals were 24,291 feet of drilling, 3,409 feet of casing, and 7,940 cubic yards of grout. The amount of grout injected into mine voids at each site were 953 cubic yards near Reeder, 86 cubic yards at Scranton, 4,500 cubic yards north of Bowman, and 2,400 cubic yards southeast of Wilton. There were two contracts for this project, one for construction and one for material testing and the combined contract costs were $1,509,449.
This is a link to the project summary report.
2015 Emergency Projects
The 2015 Haynes Coal Fire Emergency Project was conducted to extinguish a dangerous coal refuse fire near the junction of North Dakota Highways 8 and 12, about 2¾ miles northeast of Haynes, ND. Work was conducted between April 22 and May 1, 2015, and the contract cost was $18,020. The contractor for this work was Earthworm Excavating of Tolna, ND. This is a link to the project summary report.
The 2015 Lovejoy Avoca Coal Fire Emergency Project was conducted to extinguish a dangerous coal refuse fire about four miles east of Williston, ND. Work was conducted June 3-10, 2015, and the contract was $18,110. The contractor for this work was Earthworm Excavating of Tolna, ND. This is a link to the project summary report.
2014 Hazen West Phase 3 AML Project
This 30 acre project eliminated about 3000 feet of steep highwalls at an abandoned surface coal mine located north of Highway 200 between Hazen and Beulah. Most of the project area is managed by the North Dakota Game & Fish Department as a wildlife management area. Reclamation removed serious mine-related hazards and improved the utility of the area for fishing, hunting, and other outdoor activities. The contractor was Kern and Tabery, Inc. of Wadena, MN, and the contract cost was $1,124,092.80. This is a link to the project summary report.
2014 Scranton/Bowman Phase 2 Project
The objectives of this project were to drill holes to locate underground mined workings and to pump a cementitious grout through these holes to fill the mine voids and reduce the likelihood of collapse. The project was a continuation of work from 2013 along public and private roadways near Scranton, ND. The contractors were B & C Concrete Pumping, Inc. of Williston, ND, Northeast Technical Services, Inc. of Virginia, MN (Material Testing), and Water Supply, Inc. of Mandan (Ground Water Monitoring) and the combined contract cost was $800,552.15. This is a link to the project summary report.
2014 Beulah/Zap Phase 15 Project
The objectives of this project were to drill holes to locate underground mined workings and to pump a cementitious grout through these holes to fill the mine voids and reduce the likelihood of collapse. The project was a continuation of work from 2013 along ND Highway 200,60th Avenue SW, and the Curt Michaelson driveway north of Beulah, ND. The contractors were B & C Concrete Pumping, Inc. of Williston, ND and Geoserv, Inc. of Bismarck, ND (Material Testing) and the combined contract cost was $812,665.35. This is a link to the project summary report.
2014 Exploratory Drilling Project
The objectives of this project were to perform rotary drilling, drill hole casing and associated work in order to obtain subsurface information concerning abandoned underground mines. Work was conducted along ND Highway 36 and 41st Street NE near Wilton, ND. The contractor was Antler Enterprises, Inc. of Black Hawk, SD, and the contract cost was $165,227. This is a link to the project summary report.
2014 Sinkhole Filling Project
This project was conducted to fill approximately 174 dangerous sinkholes resulting from collapse of underground coal mines. These sinkholes were located near the cities of Haynes, Dickinson, Richardton, New Salem, Beulah, Garrison and Wilton. The contractor was Pleasant and Sons Construction of Greenville, KY. Work was conducted between October 6 and November 14, 2014, and the 2014 contract cost was $81,487. This is a link to the project summary report.
2014 Dickinson-Bowman Emergency Project
The 2014 Dickinson-Bowman Emergency Project was conducted to repair dangerous sinkholes caused by underground mine collapse along Lehigh Road, near Dickinson, and near the intersection of 81st Street and 146th Avenue north of Bowman, ND. Sinkholes at these locations were a serious hazard to public safety and also to public infrastructure. One of the sinkholes near Dickinson was on the ditch of a public highway and it also broke a rural waterline. Sinkholes at Bowman were near the intersection of two public roads. One of them severed a fiber optic telecommunications line and another was near a major natural gas pipeline. This is a link to the project summary report.
2013 Havelock C Project
This project involved the backfilling of about 2000 feet of highwalls and mine pits at a 16 acre abandoned surface mine in Hettinger County southeast of New England. Approximately 198,000 cubic yards of excavation was required for this project. The contractor was Martin Construction, Inc. of Gladstone, ND. Work was completed July 30, 2012, and the contract cost was $246,620.
2013 Richter Project
This project involved the backfilling of about 2000 feet of highwalls and mine pits at a 40 acre abandoned surface mine in Morton County northeast of Glen Ullin. Approximately 130,000 cubic yards of excavation was required for this project. The contractor was Baranko Brothers, Inc. of Dickinson, ND. Work was completed August 13, 2012, and the contract cost was $261,682.50.
2013 Beulah/Zap Phase 14 Project
The objectives of this project were to drill holes to locate underground mined workings and to pump a cementitious grout through these holes to fill the mine voids and reduce the likelihood of collapse. Approximately 6,106 feet were drilled and 7,119 cubic yards of grout were pumped into underground mine voids at this project site. The contractor for this project was B & C Concrete Pumping, Inc. of Williston, ND. Work was completed September 10, 2013, and the contract cost was $951,844.77. A separate contract was issued to Northeast Technical Services, Inc. for testing of the grout used for this project and the final cost was $36,240.
2013 Scranton/Bowman Project
The objectives of this project were to drill holes to locate underground mined workings and to pump a cementitious grout through these holes to fill the mine voids and reduce the likelihood of collapse. Approximately 15,590 feet were drilled, four monitoring wells were installed and 3,498 cubic yards of grout were pumped into underground mine voids at this project site. The contractor for this project was B & C Concrete Pumping, Inc. of Williston, ND. Work was completed January 1, 2014, and the contract cost was $858,092.14. A separate contract was issued to Northeast Technical Services, Inc. for testing of the grout used for this project and the final cost was $28,646. A separate contract was also issued to Water Supply, Inc. of Mandan, ND, for groundwater monitoring and hydrogeological consulting. This contract is ongoing.
2013 Sinkhole Filling Project
This project was conducted to fill approximately 180 dangerous sinkholes resulting from collapse of underground coal mines. Sinkholes were filled near the cities of Beulah, Zap, Richardton, Dickinson, Williston, Hanks, Noonan, Velva, Washburn, Wilton, Haynes and Scranton, North Dakota. Repairs were also made to erosion features on a reclaimed surface mine near Velva, ND. The contractor for this work was Pleasant and Sons Construction of Greenville, KY. Work was completed November 10, 2013, and the 2013 contract cost was $128,709.
2012 Columbus Phases 13 and 14 Projects
These two projects were conducted to eliminate 7000 feet of dangerous highwall, level unstable spoil piles and grade and revegetate 350 acres at an abandoned mine south of Columbus. Approximately 589,250 cubic yards of excavation were required for these projects. The contractor for Phase 13 was Baranko Bros, Inc. of Dickinson, ND. Work was completed October 25, 2012, and the contract cost was $625,693.80. The contractor for Phase 14 was Riley Bros. Construction, Inc. of Morris, MN. Work was completed October 3, 2012, and the contract cost was $757,829.75.
2012 Beulah/Zap Phase 13 Project
The objectives of this project were to drill holes to locate underground mined workings and to pump a cementitious grout through these holes to fill the mine voids and reduce the likelihood of collapse. Approximately 4059 feet were drilled and 5496 cubic yards of grout were pumped into underground mine voids at this project site. In addition, 36 dangerous sinkholes were filled. The contractor for this project was B & C Concrete Pumping, Inc. of Williston, ND. Work was completed December 5, 2012, and the contract cost was $729,263.80. A separate contract was issued to Geoserv, Inc. of Bismarck, for testing of the grout used for this project and the final cost was $30,500.
2012 Exploratory Drilling Project
The objectives of this project were to perform rotary drilling, drill hole casing and associated work in order to obtain subsurface information concerning abandoned underground mines. Approximately 31,595 feet of drilling and 2540 feet of casing were conducted at locations near Belfield, Bowman, New Leipzig, Reeder and Scranton, North Dakota. The contractor for this project was T & C Drilling, Inc. of Mandan, North Dakota. Work was completed July 31, 2012, and the contract cost was $170,500.
2012 Sinkhole Filling Project
This project was conducted to fill approximately 41 dangerous sinkholes resulting from collapse of underground coal mines. Sinkholes were filled near the cities of Haynes, Dickinson, Wilton, and Baldwin. Repairs were also made to erosion features on a reclaimed surface mine near Velva, ND. The contractor for this work was Earthworm Excavating of Carrington, ND. Work was completed November 27, 2012, and the contract cost was $61,772.75.
2012 Coal Fire Suppression Project
This project was conducted to extinguish four dangerous coal seam fires on the Little Missouri National Grasslands in Slope and McKenzie Counties in North Dakota. The contractor for this project was Baranko Bros, Inc., of Dickinson, ND. Work was conducted December 5-23, 2012, and the total contract cost was $35,000.
2011 Columbus Phases 11 and 12 Projects
These two projects were designed to eliminate a combined 2.5 miles of dangerous highwalls on 270 acres at an abandoned mine south of Columbus. Approximately 1.4 million cubic yards of excavation were required for these projects. The contractor for Phase 11 was Kern & Tabery, Inc. of Wadena, MN. Work was completed May 18, 2012, and the contract cost was $1,737,940.20. The contractor for Phase 12 was Gary Morlock Construction, Inc. of Bismarck, ND. Work was completed October 27, 2011, and the contract cost was $922,416.
2011 Beulah/Zap Phase 12 Project
The objectives of this project are to drill holes to locate underground mined workings and to pump a cementitious grout through these holes to fill the mine voids and reduce the likelihood of collapse. This was the twelfth year of a multi-year project in near Beulah. Approximately 15,829 feet were drilled and 9000 cubic yards of grout were pumped into underground mine voids at this project site. The contractor for this project was B & C Concrete Pumping, Inc., of Williston, ND. Work was completed December 29, 2011, at a final cost of $1,087,530. A separate contract was issued to Geoserv, Inc., of Bismarck, for testing of the grout used for this project and the final cost was $38,655.
2011 Sinkhole Filling Project
This project was conducted to fill approximately 172 dangerous sinkholes resulting from collapse of underground coal mines. Sinkholes were filled near the cities of Burlington, Noonan, Hanks, Beach, Haynes, Dickinson, Richardton, New Salem, Parshall, Garrison, Wilton and Washburn, ND. The contractor for this project was Basaraba Excavating & Dirt Works, L.L.C., of Wilton, ND, and the total contract cost was $153,520.50.
2011 Wilton-Garrison Emergency Project
This project was conducted to repair especially dangerous sinkholes near Wilton, Garrison and Beulah. The project was completed May 6, 2011. The contractor was Unlimited Excavating, L.L.C., of Washburn, ND, and the contract cost was $8100.
2011 Scranton Emergency Project
This project was conducted to repair especially dangerous sinkholes near Scranton, ND. It was completed July 25, 2011. The contractor was Bowman County, and the contract cost was $3284.
2011 Niobe (Lenny Rodin) Emergency Project
This project was conducted to repair especially dangerous sinkholes near Niobe, ND. It was completed December 8, 2011. Harris Construction, of Kenmare, ND, conducted this project under subcontract to B&C Concrete Pumping, Inc., and the contract cost was $772.50.
2010 Buechler/Velva Project
This project was designed to eliminate about 10,750 feet of dangerous highwalls on a 150 acre site at an abandoned mine southwest of Velva. Reclamation was to have been achieved by excavating material from spoil piles to backfill the highwalls and pits. Approximately 1,850,000 cubic yards of excavation were required for this project. Unfortunately the contractor, Smith Contracting of Butte, MT, ceased work and abandoned this project prior to completion. The project was completed under a tender agreement with Smith's bonding company by Kern & Tabery, Inc. of Wadena, MN, September 30, 2011. The total amount paid to both contractors was approximately $1,447,264.80.
2010 Williams County Road 9 Phase 5 Project
The objectives of this project were to drill holes to locate underground mined workings and to pump a cementitious grout through these holes to fill the mine voids and reduce the likelihood of collapse. This was the fifth and possibly last year of a multi-year project in areas along Williams County Road 9 and other nearby residential areas east of Williston. Approximately 25,833 feet were drilled and 1290 cubic yards of grout were pumped into underground mine voids at this project site. The contractor for this project was B & C Concrete Pumping, Inc, of Williston, ND. Work was completed November 18, 2010, at a final cost of $230,793. A separate contract was issued to Material Testing Services, LLC, of Minot, for testing of the grout used for this project and the final cost was $12,516.
2010 Beulah/Zap Phase 11 Project
The objectives of this project were to drill holes to locate underground mined workings and to pump a cementitious grout through these holes to fill the mine voids and reduce the likelihood of collapse. This was the eleventh year of a multi-year project near Beulah and Zap. Approximately 15,000 feet were drilled and 6870 cubic yards of grout were pumped into underground mine voids at this project site. The contractor for this project was B & C Concrete Pumping, Inc, of Williston, ND. Work was completed November 15, 2010, at a final cost of $669,021.40. A separate contract was issued to Geoserv, Inc, of Bismarck, for testing of the grout used for this project and the final cost was $27,335.
2010 Beulah KDKT Emergency Project
This project was conducted to repair a large and dangerous sinkhole caused by underground mine collapse near the KDKT Radio Tower in Beulah. The sinkhole was partially filled with cementitious grout, which was allowed to harden, and then topped off with dirt. The contractor for this project was Basaraba Excavating of Wilton, and the final cost was $24,000. Work was completed June 28, 2010.
2010 Coal Fire Suppression Project
This project was conducted to extinguish four coal outcrop fires in Slope County, located within the U.S. Forest Service's Little Missouri National Grasslands and on nearby privately owned property. The contractor for this project was Dave Titus Excavating of Bismarck, and the final cost was $20,975. Work was completed October 23, 2010.
2010 Buechler/Velva Maintenance
This project was conducted to repair erosion and stabilize a waterway at the Buechler/Velva Site. The contractor for this project was Dig It Up Backhoe Service of Minot, and the final cost was $15,882.09. Work was completed November 9, 2010.
2009 Hazen West Phase 2 Project
This project eliminated about 5000 feet of dangerous highwalls on a 50 acre site at an abandoned surface mine west of Hazen and northeast of Beulah. One of the highwall areas was just south of State Highway 200 between Hazen and Beulah. The reclamation was achieved by backsloping portions of highwalls and excavating material from spoil piles to backfill the remaining part of the highwalls and pits. Approximately 508,000 cubic yards of excavation was required for this project. The contractor for this project was Kern & Tabery, Inc, of Wadena, MN. Work was completed August 28, 2009, at a final cost of $597,039.
2009 Williams County Road 9 Phase 4 Project
The objectives of this project were to drill holes to locate underground mined workings and to pump a cementitious grout through these holes to fill the mine voids and reduce the likelihood of collapse. This was the fourth year of a multi-year project in areas along Williams County Road 9 and other nearby residential areas east of Williston. Approximately 60,000 feet were drilled and 8026 cubic yards of grout were pumped into underground mine voids at this project site. The contractor for this project was Agri Industries, Inc, of Williston, ND. Work was completed May 10, 2010, at a final cost of $992,206.25. A separate contract was issued to Material Testing Services, LLC, of Minot, for testing of the grout used for this project and the final cost was $55,306.
2009 Columbus Phase 10 Project
The main objective of this project was to backfill a surface mine highwall near the access road to a farmstead at the east end of the larger Columbus AML site. About 25,000 cubic yards of spoil were moved to backfill the highwall. This project also included repair of some erosion features on reclaimed areas at the Columbus AML site. The contractor for this project was Edward H. Schwartz Construction of New England, ND. Work was completed November 6, 2009, and the final cost was $70,003.00
2009 Coal Fire Suppression Project
In January 2009, the Commission awarded a contract for coal outcrop fire suppression work at sites in McKenzie, Billings, and Slope Counties. The burning coal veins were located within the U.S. Forest Service's Little Missouri National Grasslands and on nearby privately owned property. The contractor for this project was Basaraba Excavating of Wilton, and work was completed May 12, 2009. A total of 31 coal fire sites were excavated and extinguished at a cost of $40,000.
2009 Maintenance Project
The main objective of this project was to fill dangerous sinkholes caused by underground mine collapse. Approximately 360 sinkholes were filled on 22 properties at 10 locations in western North Dakota. The contractor for this project was Basaraba Excavating of Wilton, and the final cost was $127,600.
2008 Columbus Phase 9 AML Project
The main objective of this project was to backfill highwalls and spoil grading on about 75 acres of mined land located southwest of Columbus in Burke County. Approximately 820,000 cubic yards of spoil material were moved during reclamation. Work at the Columbus Phase 9 AML site started in June 2008, and except for seeding and cleanup, was completed by November 2008. The Commission entered into a separate contract in early 2008 for tree and shrub planting on the reclaimed areas at the Columbus site in the spring of 2008. In addition, another contract was signed in late 2008 for tree and shrub planting on the reclaimed areas at this site in the spring of 2009. The contracted work was completed for a total cost of $1,197,998.47.
2008 Williams County Road 9 Phase 3 Project
The objectives of this project were to drill holes to locate underground mined workings and to pump a cementitious grout through these holes to fill the mine voids and reduce the likelihood of collapse. This was the third year of a multi-year project in areas along Williams County Road 9 and nearby residential areas east of Williston. A total of 49,951 feet were drilled and 3,880 cubic yards of grout were injected into underground mined workings and the work was conducted between June and December of 2008. Some cleanup and road repairs remain to be completed in the spring of 2009. A separate contract was issued for field and laboratory testing of the grout used for this project.
2008 Maintenance Projects
Four contracts were awarded in 2008 for sinkhole filling at numerous abandoned underground coal mines in the western portion of the state. Three of these projects were completed in the summer and fall of 2008, while work on the fourth project was postponed until the spring of 2009. The three projects completed in the fall of 2008 totaled $77,075.00.
Completion of a Project Started in 2007
In October 2007, the Commission entered into a contract for exploratory drilling at abandoned underground mines in Mercer and McLean Counties. The abandoned underground mine site in Mercer County was located in southeast Beulah and the other was located along State Highway 200 east of Underwood in McLean County. The work in McLean County was completed in November 2007 and no underground mine voids were detected at that site. The work in Beulah began later in 2007, but was not completed until the spring of 2008. The contractor drilled d204 holes totaling 16,430 feet. The contracted work was completed for $75,490.00.
2008 AML Emergency Projects Report
In the spring of 2008 the AML Division conducted an emergency project in the right-of-way of State Highway 36 near Wilton to fill an underground mine sinkhole. This project was completed at a cost of $2,016.
In May and June, the AML Division conducted an emergency project to drill and pressure grout underground mine voids east of Williston. A large void was detected between the driveway and concrete floor of a building that is used for a metal crafting and landscaping business. The driveway and locations around the building were drilled to locate additional voids and more than a 1,000 yards of grout were used to fill the voids. This project was completed at a cost of $109,185.50. Since this amount exceeded the total amount of the emergency project award, $100,000, some construction funds were used for this project.
The AML Division carried out another emergency project in early July of 2008 to fill an underground mine sinkhole that was immediately underneath and alongside the basement of a home north of Parshall. A grout mixture was used to gravity fill the sinkhole; however, the concrete floor in the home was damage while filling the sinkhole and repairs were made and a structural survey of the home was conducted to check for any other damages. The total cost of this project including the cost of grout, repairs and structural survey was $16,699.34. Since the emergency grant amount had been expended, construction funds were used to pay for this project.
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.
Beulah/Zap - Phase 10
The Commission entered into two contracts for the Beulah/Zap Phase 10 abandoned mine project. One contract required the contractor to drill holes into underground mined workings and to pump grout to fill mine cavities south of Zap. The second contract required the contractor to perform field and lab testing of the grout that was used for this project. Holes totaling 17,166 feet were drilled and 1640 cubic yards of grout was injected into mine voids. The work was completed between June 8 and September 9, 2006. The drilling, grouting and testing work was completed at a cost of $299,383.20.
Williams County Road 9 - Phase 1
The Commission entered into two contracts for the Williams County Road 9, Phase 1, abandoned mine project. One contract required the contractor to drill holes into underground mined workings and to pump grout to fill mine cavities east of Williston. The second contract required the contractor to perform field and lab testing of the grout that was used to fill the mine cavities. Holes totaling 30,134 feet were drilled and 2500 cubic yards of grout was injected into mine voids. The work was completed between September 21, 2006 and June 5, 2007. The contracted work was completed at a total cost of $348,250.70.
Columbus - Phase 7
The Commission entered into a contract for Phase 7 of the Columbus AML Site to reclaim approximately 20 acres of abandoned highwalls and pit. Approximately 105,000 cubic yards of spoil material was moved during reclamation. Dirt work at the Columbus Phase 7 AML site started on June 1, 2006, and was completed August 30, 2006. The contracted work was completed for a total cost of $238,050.00.
Maintenance/Mine Investigations
The Commission also conducted a sinkhole filling project in 2006. The contractor filled approximately 4150 cubic yards of sinkholes at abandoned underground mines near Baldwin, Beulah, Dickinson and Wilton. Work on this project started on November 29, 2005 and was completed on May, 20, 2006. The sinkhole filling work was completed for $18,329.50.
Eagles Oversight Investigation
Bill Dodd and Bruce Beechie inspected the Eagles Club on June 5. The area of concern was in the main hall at the northeast corner of the building. Tile separations and radial cracking are evident. They installed two crack monitors. One is located in the main hall near the kitchen access window and the other is located about 2 ½ feet north of the men's restroom at the northeast corner of the building in the hallway. The crack in the dining room floor appears to be a separation joint. The widest crack is below MP-1 near the kitchen access window and measures .2 inch or approximately .5 centimeters. Photographs were taken of the cracks/separations.
Loren Daede, City of Beulah Engineer and Shirley Oyen, Eagles Club Manager were present. Shirley said she would keep and eye on the crack monitors and do her best to protect them. Bill Dodd and Bruce Beechie will periodically check the crack monitors and keep a log of measurements. The following are pictures of the floor:
Garrison Sinkholes
- Garrison Narrative
- SHPO clearance request
- Eligibility determination
- Map
- Garrison Photo1
- Garrison Photo2
- Garrison Photo3
Garrison2 Sinkhole Repair
Allen Fetzer, Fetzer Brothers Excavating, called 7/26/06 morning, and a meeting was arranged at 1:00 that same day. He signed a contract and began work immediately. Everything went well for the first few minutes until he accidentally tore out the water line and electrical line from Brunsell's well. Fetzer was able to repair both lines and water in the excavated hole probably allowed more compaction than would have otherwise occurred. There was solid grout along the west edge of the trench, so the mined workings were pretty close. Fetzer said he will haul some topsoil in and rake and seed the area. I spoke with Sylvin Brunsell, the homeowner, and he was satisfied with the work and sorry it caused such a hassle.
Leith AML Project
The Leith AML Site is comprised of 45 acres of surface and underground mines located in Grant County, Sections 1 and 2, T133N, R88W, and Section 7, T133N, R87W, approximately one to two miles west of Leith, North Dakota. The area was mined in the early 1920's through the mid 1960's.
The Leith AML site was characterized by a series of sink holes, vertical openings, highwalls, and adjoining spoil piles. The mines contained numerous areas of subsidence resulting from underground mining of lignite coal. The highwalls in places approached vertical elevation drops in excess of 70 feet. These mines constituted a dangerous situation to hunters and landowners that used the area. Snow cover during fall and winter presented an inherent danger on and around the vertical openings, sinkholes, highwalls and spoil piles.
The Leith project entailed the elimination of 5000 feet of dangerous highwall left at the old surface coal mines. Reclamation work on this site started on May 16, 2005. Project Manager and Engineer for the project was Mark Knell. The contractor, Quality Construction Inc., moved approximately 187,000 cubic yards of soil material to eliminate the hazardous highwalls from a 40-acre area. The contractor utilized a fleet of construction equipment, which included scrapers, dozers, and front end loader. An approximate 5-acre subsidence area was also reclaimed. The sink holes were filled and topography regarded to control water and prevent erosional problems. Topsoil material was salvaged prior to spoil dirt work operations then respread following completion of the dirt work. At the end of July 2005 the dirt work at the Leith project was completed. The project area was fertilized, seeded and mulched August 1- 9, 2005. Larry Reisenauer inspected the project. The project was completed for $229,783.75. Trees will be planted on the site next spring. The attached photographs show a small portion of the reclamation areas.
- Leith before reclamation (45kb pdf)
- Leith after reclamation (26kb pdf)
Beulah/Zap Phase IX AML Project
The 2005 Beulah/Zap Phase IX abandoned mine reclamation site was located along Mercer County Highway 13 within T144N, R89W, Sections 23 and 26 about 1 mile south of Zap. This project represented the second phase of underground mine reclamation at the Zap AML site.
The Zap site along County Road 13 represents an approximate 1 mile section of road that was undermined by the abandoned Lucky Strike Coal Mine, Dry Flint Coal Mine and possibly other smaller abandoned underground lignite coal mines. The Lucky Strike mine operated from approximately 1917 To 1937 and produced over 600,000 tons of coal by the room and pillar method of underground mining. The Dry Flint Coal Mine operated from approximately 1921 to 1927 and production figures indicate that approximately 10,000 tons of coal was produced from this mine.
Attention was focused on this site in 1996 when reports of sinkholes in the road and road ditches were reported to the PSC by the Mercer County Highway Department. Exploratory drilling indicated a substantial portion of County Road 13 to be undermined. The reclamation method used for this project was pressurized grout remote backfilling. In this method, grout is pumped under pressure through drilled holes into the underground coal mine workings. The grout material flows into mined cavities and helps reduce the likelihood of mine collapse and the formation of subsidence or sinkholes.
A total of 3,824 cubic yards of grout was pumped into underground mine voids and collapsing (rubble) areas. An additional 270 holes (borings) were drilled at the site in 2005 and those that encountered mine workings were cased with PVC pipe to be used as a conduit for grout injection next year. Several sinkholes located in adjacent pastures and one within the road right-of-way were backfilled with dirt as part of the project.
It is expected that one additional phase of grout injection will be required to finish work along County Road 13 and that project is expected to begin or about June 1, 2006. Pictures include:
- pink stake chasers indicate areas where mine voids were drilled and cased
- batching a load of grout
- pumping grout into the underground coal mine
- close-up of pumping a load of grout into the underground coal mine
- an engineering firm is hired to test many aspects of the grout in 50 cubic yard increments
- grouting and drilling operations
Garrison Phase IV AML Project
The 2005 Garrison Phase IV abandoned mine reclamation site was conducted at residential areas, city streets and highways at Garrison, ND. This project was the fourth of a four-year project of drilling and subsurface mine reclamation to address the highest priority undermined areas at Garrison. The reclamation method used for this project was pressurized grout remote backfilling. In this method, grout is pumped under pressure through drilled holes into the underground coal mine workings. The grout material flows into mined cavities and helps reduce the likelihood of mine collapse and resultant subsidence or sinkholes.
Dangerous sinkholes have been a frequent problem for the residents of Garrison (population 1318) as shallow abandoned underground coal mines have deteriorated with time and collapsed. At least two major highways and three residential and commercial subdivisions at Garrison are underlain by relatively shallow abandoned underground coal mines. These include the Garrison Coal Mine, Rupp Mine, Quality Coal Mine, J. A. Kunkel Mine and others. A deep sinkhole that opened along McLean County Highway 15 in 2001 focused special attention on the hazards of abandoned underground mines at Garrison.
The 2005 Garrison project ended with a surprise when fresh gasoline was discovered in an underground mine void. This was traced to a leak of approximately 30,000 gallons from an underground storage tank at a nearby gas station. This finding was turned over to the North Dakota Department of Health and was being investigated at the time of this writing.
Summary statistics about reclamation work conducted at Garrison are contained in the following table, followed by photographs of reclamation.
| Year | Drilling (ft) | Casing (ft) | Grout (cu. yds.) | Contract Costs |
| 1983 (Sinkholes) |
|
|
| $16,237.75 |
| 1997 (Expl. Drill) | 11371 | 493 |
| $ 24,426.80 |
| 1999 (Sinkholes) |
|
|
| $4,124.88 |
| 2002 (Phase I) | 22062 | 1597 | 1055 | $120,939.76 |
| 2003 (Phase II) | 20100 | 4460 | 0 | $ 55,000.00 |
| 2004 (Phase III) | 14585 | 2870 | 1720 | $217,069.70 |
| 2005 (Phase IV) | 17985 | 534 | 2024 | $304,223.50 |
| Total | 86103 | 9954 | 4799 | $742,023.39 |
- Drilling in a residential area at Garrison in 2005
- Grout injection in Garrison in 2005
- Environmental drilling to trace gasoline leak in Garrison, 2005
Beulah Coal Refuse Fire
Snake Road
A grouting project was completed beneath Snake Road, a paved road that connects Burlington and Des Lacs in Ward County. The following are some pictures that illustrate activities at the site:
- batch plant
- drilling
- more drilling
- an injection pipe shot into the air
- drilling with mud pit
- laser level to detect ground movement
- batch plant control center
Belfield AML Project
The Belfield AML Site is comprised of 14 acres of uraniferous lignite surface mine located in Billings County, Section 15, T141N, R100W, approximately fourteen miles northwest of Belfield, North Dakota. The area was mined in the 1960's.
The Belfield AML site was characterized by a series of highwalls and adjoining spoil piles. The highwalls in places approached vertical elevation drops in excess of 30 feet. Higher than normal radiation levels resulting from the uranium causes an additional hazard associated with this site. This mine constituted a dangerous situation to ranchers, hunters and trappers that frequent the site and people servicing the adjacent active oil well. Snow cover during fall and winter presented an inherent danger on and around the highwalls.
- a post-reclamation shot
- a pre-reclamation shot
- the use of a polyethylene liner to segregate radioactive material at one of the sites reclaimed under this project
Columbus (6) AML Project
The Columbus Phase 6 AML Project Site is located approximately 4 miles south of Columbus, North Dakota. The project site is within the SE1/4 of Section 19, T162N, R93W, in Burke County. This project site contains 30 acres of an approximately 1280 acres surface mine. The project entailed the elimination of 1000 feet of dangerous highwall left at the old Truax–Traer surface coal mine. Reclamation work on this site started on August 17, 2004. Project Manager and Engineer for the project was Mark Knell. The contractor, Orrin A. Holen Construction Inc., moved approximately 104,000 cubic yards of soil material to eliminate the hazardous highwalls from a 30 acre area. The contractor utilized a fleet of construction equipment, which included scrapers and dozers. Approximately 1000 cubic yards of a coal slack type soil amendment was respread on the disturbed areas. This material was then mixed into the spoil material to loosen the soil prior to seeding operations. Topsoil material was also salvaged prior to spoil dirt work operations. On October 15, 2004 the dirt work at the Columbus Phase 6 project was completed. The project area was bladed and cleaned-up on October 26-27, 2004. The project inspector was Larry Reisenauer. The project was completed for $162,556.00.
Beulah Sinkhole Project
An eligibility determination was made and signed by Commission Counsel. The following are representative pictures of the Michelson, Garner Sailer and Game and Fish properties on which extremely hazardous sinkholes were encountered.
Beulah/Zap Phase VII AML Project
The 2003 Beulah/Zap abandoned mine reclamation sites were located 1) along US Highway 200 about one mile north of Beulah, 2) within a residential area in Beulah and 3) along Mercer County Highway 13 about one mile south of Zap.
This project began July 1 and was completed August 4, 2003. The contractors were Thiem Drilling, Inc., of Williston, ND, (grouting) and Geoserv Inc., of Bismarck, ND (material testing). The total amount paid was $276,279.
This was the seventh in a continuing series of projects designed to address all high-priority undermined sites near Beulah and Zap. The Beulah/Zap project sites are one of the most heavily mined areas in the state and over $5 million have been spent on reclamation projects at these sites since 1980.
The reclamation method used for this project was pressurized grout remote backfilling. In this method, grout was pumped under pressure through drilled holes into underground coal mine workings. The grout filled the mined cavities and reduced the likelihood of mine collapse and dangerous sinkholes.
A total of 4650 cubic yards (582 truckloads) of grout were injected mainly into mined workings beneath the right-of-way of US Highway 200. Confirmation drilling was conducted at Sun Valley Court in Beulah, the site of a 1992 grouting project (Eagles Club Project). Thirty eight holes were drilled at this site and one of them intercepted rubble from collapsed mined workings. One load, 8 cubic yards, of grout was injected to fill this mine cavity. Exploratory drilling on Mercer County Highway 13, south of Zap, identified additional undermined areas beneath this road. Grout injection was not finished at the Beulah sites and has not begun at the Zap site. More reclamation work is certainly needed at the Beulah/Zap sites and additional phases of this project should continue into the future.
The following are photos of the project site:
Buechler/Garrison AML Project
The 2003 Buechler/Garrison abandoned mine reclamation sites were located along ND Highway 23 about eight miles south of Sawyer, ND, in Ward County and within residential areas in and near Garrison, ND in McLean County.
This project began August 4 and was completed October 20, 2003. The contractors were Thiem Drilling, Inc., of Williston, ND, (grouting) and Material Testing Services, Inc., of Minot, ND (material testing). The total amount paid was $228,239.
The reclamation method used for this project was pressurized grout remote backfilling. In this method, grout was pumped under pressure through drilled holes into underground coal mine workings. The grout filled mined cavities and reduced the likelihood of mine collapse and dangerous sinkholes.
A total of 2283 cubic yards (about 285 truckloads) of grout were injected into mined workings beneath the right-of-way of ND Highway 23. Exploratory drilling was conducted at Shempps Third Addition in Garrison and South Garrison Addition. A geophysical survey using cross-hole radar was performed at the Garrison sites by Marino Engineering Associates, Inc. of Urbana, IL. Several undermined areas were identified at the Garrison sites and additional work is planned there in 2004.
The following are photos of the project sites:
Columbus (5) AML Project
The Columbus Phase 5 AML Project Site is located approximately 4 miles south and 1 mile west of Columbus, North Dakota. The project site is within the SW1/4 of Section 19, T162N, R93W, in Burke County. This project site contains 42 acres of an approximately 1280 acres surface mine. The project entailed the elimination of 1200 feet of dangerous highwall left at the old Truax–Traer surface coal mine. Reclamation work on this site started on June 9, 2003. Project Manager and Engineer for the project was Mark Knell. The contractor, Quality Construction Inc., moved approximately 125,000 cubic yards of soil material to eliminate the hazardous highwalls from a 42 acre area. The contractor utilized a fleet of construction equipment, which included scrapers and dozers. Approximately 2000 cubic yards of a coal slack type soil amendment was respread on the disturbed areas. This material was then mixed into the spoil material prior to topsoil respread operations. Topsoil material was salvaged prior to spoil dirt work operations then respread following completion of the dirt work. On August 13, 2003 the dirt work at the Columbus Phase 5 project was completed. The project area was fertilized, seeded and mulched on September 22-25, 2003. The project inspector was Larry Reisenauer. The project was completed for $174,469.02. The following are photos of the site:
Lehigh Road Phase VIII AML Project
The 2003 Lehigh Road VIII abandoned mine reclamation site was located along portions of Lehigh Road, Lehigh Drive, other unnamed county roads and private property about 3 miles southeast of Dickinson, in Stark County, North Dakota. For now, completion of this project marks the last of eight consecutive projects conducted near the Lehigh area. Additional work remains in various areas around this old mining district, although higher priority projects in other areas of the state will be pursued first.
The general contractor was Thiem Drilling, Inc. of Williston and the material testing engineering firm hired for the job was Geoserv, Inc. of Bismarck. Contracts with both firms were signed on May 21, 2003. Both projects were closed out on November 5, 2003.
The reclamation method used for this project was pressurized grout remote backfilling. In this method, grout was pumped under pressure through drilled holes into underground coal mine workings. The grout filled mined cavities and reduced the likelihood of mine collapse and dangerous sinkholes.
Over 16,000 feet of drilling was accomplished and 3,000 cubic yards of grout pumped by the general contractor at a cost of $211,617. The material testing firm collected and tested 180 cylinders of grout at a cost of $9026.
2002 Maintenance (Sinkhole Filling) AML Project Summary
Project Type: Surface backfilling of dangerous sinkholes
Primary Locations: Twelve sites near the cities of Noonan, Wilton, New Salem, Dickinson, Beulah and Haynes, North Dakota
Project Dates: October 30 to November 26, 2002
General Contractor: Onsite Improvements, Inc., of Dickinson, ND
Project Cost: $35,428.50
The 2002 Maintenance (Sinkhole Filling) Project was conducted to repair approximately 100 dangerous sinkholes at twelve sites in western North Dakota. These sinkholes were caused by collapse of abandoned underground coal mines. The standard requirements for sinkhole filling under this contract were as follows.
- Remove and stockpile topsoil or suitable plant growth material from around/within sinkhole.
- Excavate the sinkhole (as directed) with a backhoe or excavator.
- Backfill the sinkhole with approved fill material, compaction with loader or excavator required between lifts.
- Grade area to blend with adjacent topography and re-establish drainage.
- Respread topsoil over disturbed areas and finish-grade.
- Seed (broadcast spreader allowed) disturbed areas with required mixture.
- Drag the seeded areas with a spike-tooth harrow or equivalent.
The required seed mixture for native grassland areas consisted of the following varieties and rates:
| Variety Rate/Acre | Lbs. (PLS) |
| Western Wheatgrass | 4 |
| Green Needle Grass | 4 |
| Sideoats Grama | 2 |
| Little Bluestem | 2 |
| Switchgrass | 4 |
| Slender Wheatgrass | 4 |
This AML Project reduced the likelihood of death or injuries to property owners and the public and of property damage by eliminating some deep and dangerous sinkholes. However, there are many more sinkholes that need to be repaired and new sinkholes are reported each year. Hundreds of collapsing abandoned underground mines are located in Western North Dakota. Sinkhole filling projects such as this one have been conducted annually in North Dakota and will likely continue for the foreseeable future. Photos:
Beulah/Zap Phase VI AML Project Summary
Project Type: Underground, Pressurized Grout Remote Backfilling
Primary Location: Along U.S. Highway 200 in Sections 12 and 13, T144N, 88W, approximately one mile north of Beulah, ND
Project Dates: July 25 to October 1, 2002
General Contractor: Earth Energy and Water Systems, New Salem, ND
Material Testing Contractor: Geoserv, Inc., Bismarck, ND
Project Cost: $262,539.55
More than fifty coal mines have been located within 20 miles of Beulah and Zap, making it one of the most heavily mined areas in the state. The Knife River Coal Mining Company's Underground Mine, encompassing an area of nearly 2000 acres immediately north and east of Beulah, was one of these. It operated between 1915 and 1953 and produced over ten million tons of lignite coal.
More than fifteen abandoned mine land reclamation projects have been conducted at or near Beulah since 1980 at a total cost of over five million dollars. Many hazardous underground mine collapse features, or sinkholes, have occurred near Beulah and Zap. These sinkholes usually collapse suddenly and some have been more than thirty feet in diameter and depth. They can be extremely hazardous, especially when they occur near homes, buildings or roads.
The 2002 Beulah/Zap Phase VI AML Project was the sixth in a continuing series of pressurized grout remote backfilling projects designed to address all remaining high-priority undermined sites near Beulah and Zap. In pressurized grout remote backfilling, grout is pumped under pressure through drilled holes into mined cavities to fill them and reduce the likelihood of collapse. Grout used in this project was composed of cement, flyash, sand, water, and superplasticizer. Grout injection generally continued until subsurface void areas were filled to refusal or until injection pressures indicated that surface lifting was likely.
The 2002 Beulah/Zap Phase VI AML Project was conducted along U.S. Highway 200, north of Beulah. A total of 3800 cubic yards (475 truckloads) of grout were injected into mined workings beneath the right-of-way of Highway 200. Geoserv, Inc. conducted material testing of the grout and collected samples at fifty cubic yard intervals throughout the project. Samples were allowed to cure and were lab tested for compressive strength. The compressive strength requirement for this project was 150 PSI after 28 days. All samples exceeded this requirement.
This AML reclamation project reduced the likelihood of death or injuries to the public and of property damage potentially resulting from underground mine collapse. However, due to budgetary constraints, work has been conducted in phases at the Beulah/Zap Sites. More work is needed to reduce the hazards of underground mine collapse at these sites. Plans are already underway for a seventh phase to this project to be conducted in 2003.
- Beulah/Zap Phase VI Photo 1
- Beulah/Zap Phase VI Photo 2
- Beulah/Zap Phase VI Photo 3
- Beulah/Zap Phase VI Photo 4
Haynes Phase IV
The Haynes AML Site is comprised of 850 acres of surface and underground mines located in Adams County, Sections 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 15, 16, 21, and 22, T129N, R94W, approximately two miles north of Haynes, North Dakota. The area was mined in the mid 1920's through the late 1960's.
The Haynes AML site was characterized by a series of sink holes, vertical openings, highwalls, and adjoining spoil piles. The mines contained numerous areas of subsidence resulting from underground mining of lignite coal. The highwalls in places approached vertical elevation drops in excess of 90 feet. These mines constituted a dangerous situation to hunters and landowners that used the area. Snow cover during fall and winter presented an inherent danger on and around the vertical openings, sinkholes, highwalls and spoil piles.
The Haynes Phase 4 project site is within Section 8 and 9, T129N, R94W in Adams County. The project entailed the elimination of 1550 feet of dangerous highwall left at the old surface coal mine. Reclamation work on this site started on August 12, 2002. Project Manager and Engineer for the project was Mark Knell. The contractor, Wilson Construction Inc., moved approximately 250,000 cubic yards of soil material to eliminate the hazardous highwalls from a 55-acre area. The contractor utilized a fleet of construction equipment, which included scrapers, dozers, motorgader and excavator. An approximate 30-acre subsidence area was also reclaimed. The sink holes were filled and over 6000 feet of level terraces were constructed to control water and prevent erosional problems.
Topsoil material was salvaged prior to spoil dirt work operations then respread following completion of the dirt work. On October 3, 2002 the dirt work at the Haynes Phase 4 project was completed. The project area was fertilized, seeded and mulched October 17-28, 2002. Larry Reisenauer inspected the project. The project was completed for $273,552.92. Trees will be planted on the site next spring. The following photographs show a small portion of the reclamation area:
Lehigh Road Phase VII AML Project Summary
Project Type: Underground, pressurized grout injection Location: E ½ of Section 7, W ½ of Section 8, W ½ of Section 17 and NE ¼ of Section 18, T139N, R95W in Stark County,approx. 2.5 miles Southeast of Dickinson, North Dakota
Grout Placement: Under roads and ditches of Lehigh Road, Lehigh Drive and a private residence
Project Dates: July 31, 2002 to October 16, 2002
General Contractor: Thiem Drilling, Inc., Williston, ND
Drilling Contractor: S & S Drilling, Williston, ND
Material Testing: Geoserv Inc., Bismarck, ND
Asphalt Patching: Northern Improvement Company, Dickinson, ND
Project Cost: $278,778.35
At least seven, and possibly more underground mines, and several large surface mines make up what was once a prominent mining district around the old town site of Lehigh, North Dakota. Approximately 2.4 million tons of lignite coal was removed by underground extraction methods in this area encompassing approximately 1,100 acres.
Much of the coal was used for the production of charcoal briquettes at the nearby Royal Oak (formerly Husky) plant located in the NW ¼ of Section 17. A large portion of the coal was also used as home heating fuel, and also sold as fuel to the Dickinson Power Plant and the Dickinson Pressed Brick Company. Mining underground for coal began in this area in 1890 and continued until around 1949.
Depth below surface to the underground workings varies between 30 feet and 130 feet depending upon topographic location, although most workings average around 65 feet below surface. Most of the coal extraction was from the 10-13 foot thick Lehigh Bed, although a limited amount of extraction from the shallower (4 feet thick) Dickinson bed was also reported.
Over the years, the underground mines have begun a deterioration and collapsing process, which results in large and dangerous sinkholes on surface. Pressurized grouting is a reclamation procedure in which holes that are drilled from surface intercept the abandoned underground workings and a grout mixture is pumped into the mine to fill void spaces left by the underground rooms and tunnels.
Over the last 7 years, a total of 36,600 cubic yards (the gravimetric equivalent of over 64,000 tons) of grout were injected into abandoned mine workings under Lehigh Road, Lehigh Drive and several other township and private roads in the area. The Lehigh Road Phase VII project was a continuation of grout injection projects in this area in which 4,632 cubic yards of grout were injected under the above-mentioned roads and under a private residence. Over the past 20 years, at least 12 instances of sinkholes opening up on roadways and within ditches in this area have been documented. The goal of these underground grouting projects is to minimize the possibility of additional sinkhole development within roadways and to make the area as safe as possible for the driving public and local residents.
Additionally, four areas of previously collapsed road areas from sinkhole development were repaired and asphalted by a local contractor.
Beulah Fire Project
The Beulah Coal Fire Emergency Project, Contract AM-436-02, was completed January 16, 2002. This project was conducted to extinguish a coal refuse fire at the former site of the MDU Power Plant on the east side of Beulah. The contractor was Perreault Construction, Beulah, ND, and the total contract amount was $1527.50.
Lehigh Road Phase VI AML Project Summary
Project Type: Underground, pressurized grout injection
Location: E ½ of Section 7, W ½ of Section 8, W ½ of Section 17 and NE ¼ of Section 18, T139N, R95W, approx. 2.5 miles Southeast of Dickinson, North Dakota
Grout Placement: Under roads and ditches of Lehigh Road and Lehigh Drive
Project Dates: May 31, 2001 to August 15, 2001
General Contractor: Thiem Drilling, Inc., Williston, ND
Drilling Contractor: S & S Drilling, Williston, ND
Material Testing: Geoserv Inc., Bismarck, ND
Project Cost: $275,395.50
At least seven, and possibly more underground mines make up what was once a prominent mining district around the old town site of Lehigh, North Dakota. Approximately 2.4 million tons of lignite coal was removed by underground extraction methods in this area encompassing approximately 1,100 acres.
Much of the coal was used for the production of charcoal briquettes at the nearby Royal Oak (formerly Husky) plant located in the NW ¼ of Section 17. A large portion of the coal was also used as home heating fuel, and also sold as fuel to the Dickinson Power Plant and the Dickinson Pressed Brick Company. Mining underground for coal began in this area in 1890 and continued until around 1949.
Depth below surface to the underground workings varies between 30 feet and 130 feet depending upon topographic location, although most workings average around 65 feet below surface. Most of the coal extraction was from the 10-13 foot thick Lehigh Bed, although a limited amount of extraction from the shallower (4 feet thick) Dickinson bed was also reported.
Over the years, the underground mines have begun a deterioration and collapsing process, which results in large and dangerous sinkholes on surface. Pressurized grouting is a reclamation procedure in which holes that are drilled from surface intercept the abandoned underground workings and a grout mixture is pumped into the mine to fill void spaces left by the underground rooms and tunnels.
Over the last 6 years, a total of 31,000 cubic yards of grout were injected into abandoned mine workings under Lehigh Road, Lehigh Drive and several other township and private roads in the area. The Lehigh Road Phase VI project is a continuation of grout injection projects in this area in which 4,000 cubic yards of grout were injected under the above-mentioned roads. Over the past 20 years, at least 12 instances of sinkholes opening up on roadways and within ditches in this area have been documented. The goal of these underground grouting projects is to minimize the possibility of additional sinkhole development within roadways and ditches and to make the area as safe as possible for the driving public and local residents.
Noonan A (6)
The Noonan A (6) Problem Area is composed of an extensive surface and underground coal mine located in Divide County, T162N, R95W, Sections 3 and 10. The AML site is within one mile of the corporate limits of Noonan, North Dakota, and encompasses approximately 1,400 acres. Mining was conducted from the 1920's to the 1960's. This AML site was characterized by a dangerous highwall located within a few feet of a recreation road. The sinkholes within the mine were also a hazard.
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department, landowners and regional landfill personnel had indicated that they wanted some reclamation work done on this site. The regional landfill is located in the southwest corner of the mine. A party area in the spoil piles in the northwest portion of the site had been used throughout the year by teens. The Noonan's Recreation Area, on the east side of the site, is also heavily used throughout the year by campers and fishermen.
On a portion of the north edges of the surface mine, there were steep final pit highwalls ranging in height up to approximately 30 feet. Slides, erosional back cutting and sloughing along the highwall were good indications of its instability. Dangerous sinkholes from past underground mining operations were also located in the west portion of the site.
Reclamation work on this site started on July 9, 2001. Project Manager and Engineer for the project was Mark Knell. The contractor, Martin Construction Inc., moved approximately 90,000 cubic yards of soil material to eliminate the 3,200 linear feet of hazardous highwalls from the 20-acre area located along the west and north edge of the mine. The contractor utilized a fleet of construction equipment, which included scrapers, dozers and motorgader. Topsoil material was salvaged prior to spoil dirt work operations then respread following completion of the dirt work. An additional 190 acres of steep sided spoil piles were reshaped to gentle slopes. On September 28, 2001 the dirt work at the Noonan A(6) Project was completed. The project area was fertilized and seeded during October 2001. Revegetation was done with a seed mixture compatible to the quality of available plant growth material. Larry Reisenauer inspected the project. Trees will be planted on the site next spring. The attached photographs show a small portion of the reclamation area. Photos:
- highwall elimination in northwest area
- reshaping of spoil piles
- reshaping of steep-sided spoil piles
- highwall reclamation at landfill area
Lehigh Emergency Project
Work began on the Lehigh Emergency Project on October 12, 2001. Dickinson Ready Mix bid $21,850 for the injection of 400 cubic yards of flowable fill concrete (grout) into the three sinkholes. The contractor formulated our standard grout formulation and began pouring grout at about 2:45 PM CT. A subcontractor, Winn Construction, pumped grout into the sinkhole between the two buildings. A total of 34 loads (306 cyd) were injected into two of the sinkholes, 24 into the largest hole (after the light pole had been removed) and 10 into the hole between the two buildings. At that point, Dickinson Ready Mix ran out of flyash and it was dark anyway. None of the holes were completely filled and work will continue today.
On the last load into the large sinkhole, at about 8:00 PM, the ground shook slightly and all the grout apparently drained into another mine cavern. Grout had been within five feet of the top of the hole and, within a couple seconds, the grout level dropped down almost to the original depth of the sinkhole, about 25 feet. This will probably result in a contract cost overrun. It's a good thing though, because the grout certainly found its way into another underground mine cavity and may prevent other hazardous mine collapses in the future.
Beulah Sailer Equipment Shed
Two sinkholes, one ten foot deep and one fifteen foot deep opened beneath the floor of an equipment shed, located northeast of Beulah, ND in Mercer County. A tractor has been nearly consumed by the shallower hole, and two combines are in jeopardy from the deeper hole. The site is contiguous with a Game and Fish Management Area on which a number of reclamation projects have been undertaken. This entire area has been impacted by a large underground mining operation abandoned many years ago. An emergency declaration is being sought from OSM-Casper. The following are digital photographs taken February 8, 2001:
Columbus (4) AML Project
The Columbus Phase 4 AML Project Site is located approximately 4 miles south and 2 mile west of Columbus, North Dakota. The project site is within the N 1/2 of SE 1/4 of Section 23, T162N, R94W, in Burke County. This project site contains 20 acres of an approximately 1280 acres surface mine. The project entailed the elimination of 1400 feet of dangerous highwall left at the old Truax-Traer surface coal mine. Reclamation work on this site started on June 19, 2000. Project Manager and Engineer for the project was Mark Knell. The contractor, Martin Construction Inc., moved approximately 280,000 cubic yards of soil material to eliminate the hazardous highwalls from a 20 acre area. The contractor utilized a fleet of construction equipment, which included scrapers and dozers. Two diversion ditches was constructed to control water and prevent erosional problems. Three new wetland ponds were established in the low areas. Topsoil material was salvaged prior to spoil dirt work operations then respread following completion of the dirt work. On October 16, 2000 the dirt work at the Columbus Phase 4 project was completed. The project area was fertilized, seeded and mulched during October 2000. The project inspector was Larry Reisenauer. The project was completed for $187,499.86. Trees were planted on the site in 2001.
Fire on the Prairie
A grass fire took place in April, 2000 in McLean County, north of Washburn about 45 miles from Bismarck. This fire ignited coal refuse from an underground mine that had been mined between 1909 to 1927. Local fire fighters attempted to douse the fines with water but intense heat prevented the water from extinguishing the simmering fines. The following are a series of pictures which depict the impacted area, the measures taken by our office to eliminate this emergency and the final result. Fire Photo1 and Fire Photo2 show both a panorama and the burning embers, Fire Photo3, Fire Photo4 and Fire Photo5 show heavy equipment at work during reclamation, Fire Photo6 shows a trench being cut into which the burning material was dozed, Fire Photo7 is an additional shot of heavy equipment at work, and Fire Photo8 and Fire Photo9 show a couple panoramic shots after reclamation.
Beulah/Zap Phase II AML Project Summary
Project Type: Underground, pressurized grout remote backfilling
AML Priority: #14
Note: Due to financial limitations work was only done in 1998 at one of the Beulah Sites
Location: SW¼,SW¼,SW¼ of Section 12, T144N, R88W, Mercer County, at the junction of US Highway 200 and ND Highway 49 (Black Diamond Lounge Site)
Acreage: Less than 10 acres
Project Dates: July 27-September 2, 1998
Contractors: Thiem Drilling, Incorporated of Williston (Construction) and Geoserv Inc., of Bismarck (Material Testing)
Bid Volume: 4750 cubic yards grout
Actual Volume: 6205 cubic yards grout
Bid Price: $269,687.50 (Thiem) and $14,065.00 (Geoserv)
Actual Price: $311,811.50 (Thiem) and $12,202.00 (Geoserv)
This project phase was conducted to complete reclamation work begun in 1997 near a building complex located approximately one mile north of Beulah. This building complex presently includes the Ragtop Maltshop and Café, the Black Diamond Lounge, and the Hook Line and Sinker bait shop and convenience store. The reclamation technique utilized was Pressurized Grout Remote Backfilling. In this technique, a cementitious grout is pumped under pressure through drilled holes into the mine cavities to fill them and reduce the likelihood of collapse.
In 1997, grout was pumped to stabilize collapsing mined workings directly beneath the Black Diamond Lounge, near the Hook Line and Sinker, and beneath portions of the driveway and parking lot. In 1998, grout was pumped into collapsing mined workings beneath the remainder of the driveway, beneath several occupied mobile homes, and beneath the east ditch of Mercer County Road 21. This project phase marks the completion of a large reclamation project. In 1997 and 1998, over 35,000 feet of rotary drilling was conducted and nearly 13,000 cubic yards (approximately 25,000 tons) of grout were pumped to fill collapsing mine workings at this site. In addition, approximately 41,000 tons of slurry was injected at this site during a project conducted in 1983. The total combined costs of the 1983, 1997 and 1998 grouting projects at this site exceed $1.2 million.
Mining History
- The Knife River Coal Mining Company's Underground Mine was an underground room and pillar mine that encompassed an area of well over 1,000 acres immediately north and east of Beulah. It operated between 1915 and 1953. Annual coal production ranged from about 3,000-450,000 tons and total production from this mine was more than 10 million tons. It supported a work force ranging from about 50-300 men.
- More than 50 mines have been located within 20 miles of Beulah and Zap, making it one of the most heavily mined areas in the state.
Background of Reclamation Project
- Some of the earliest Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) Reclamation work was conducted near the Sun Valley Mobile Home Park in Beulah in 1980.
- At least eight major projects and several smaller ones have been conducted at or near Beulah since then at a total cost of approximately $5 million.
- In 1983, a gravity fill remote backfilling reclamation project was conducted near the Manny's Site. In this project, approximately 41,000 tons of slurry consisting of sand, flyash and water was "poured" through drilled holes into the mine workings. Several subsidence events occurred subsequent to this project indicating that the fill in the abandoned mine workings was not adequate in some portions of the site.
- In 1994, a serious subsidence event occurred directly under the Black Diamond Lounge, a part of the Manny's Building Complex. The resultant sinkhole was approximately 20 feet in diameter and 10 feet deep. This broke water lines, damaged air conditioning units and shut off power to the building. The AML Division responded and had the sinkhole repaired immediately under the emergency program. In 1996, a sinkhole surfaced beneath and near an occupied mobile home about 300 feet north of Manny's and this was also repaired under the emergency program.
- Exploratory Drilling was conducted at the three Beulah/Zap sites in 1996-97. We found collapsing underground mined workings at all sites.
- The Beulah/Zap Phase I Project was conducted between July 14 and August 22, 1997.
- AML reclamation projects at this site should reduce the likelihood of death or injuries to property owners and the public and of property damage resulting from collapse of underground mine workings. The projects were conducted with no significant interruption to businesses located at this site.
- This is the driveway of the Black Diamond Lounge. Most of the grouting work was done here.
- A shallow subsidence feature in the County Road 21 road ditch.
- Drilling conducted in the County 21 ditch prior to grout injection in the driveway.
- The material tester is testing the slump of the grout (foreground). Note the grout pumping equipment in the background.
- Grout injection near the Mark and Dineen Evanger home, north of the Black Diamond.
- A "blowout" in which pressurized grout burst through the surface.
Custer Phase II
The North Dakota Public Service Commission reclaimed the Phase 2 portion of this abandoned surface coal mine site. This phase of the project involved the backfilling the central portion of the west highwall. Approximately 287,000 cubic yards of spoil was excavated from the adjacent spoil piles to backfill the highwall. After completion of the dirt work operations the site was fertilized, seeded and mulched. The construction cost for the Phase 2 Project was $161,322.69. The Custer Phase 2 Project started on June 16, 1998 and was completed on October 10, 1998. The following are pictures that illustrate pre- and post-mining conditions:
Graf
The North Dakota Public Service Commission reclaimed potentially hazardous portions of the Graf abandoned surface coal mine site. This project involved the backsloping of the west highwall. Approximately 56,000 cubic yards of spoil was excavated. The excavated material was used to backfill the north and south highwalls. After completion of the dirt work operations the site was fertilized, seeded and mulched. The construction cost for the Graf Project was $48,380.00. Reclamation began May 11, 1998 and was completed on June 30, 1998. The following is a:
This emergency abandoned mine reclamation project was conducted in the fall of 1998. The objective of this project was to repair a dangerous vertical opening (sinkhole) that surfaced suddenly from the collapse of underground mined workings. This sinkhole, approximately 8' diameter and 10' deep, occurred in the front yard of a home owned by Mrs. Lester Bauer at 410 First Avenue Northeast, in Beulah, North Dakota. The sinkhole was reported on November 25, 1998. Contract No. 373908 was issued to Litsey Construction, L.L.C, of Beulah on November 25. Litsey filled the sinkhole with approximately 30 cubic yards of dirt, using a backhoe and truck, the same day. On January 20, subsequent subsidence occurred severing a sewer line buried in the front yard of the Bauer residence. The contract was reopened and Litsey repaired the additional sinkhole and the sewer line. The total contract cost was $1045. A digital video clip (text transcript) shows the severity of this emergency.
Noonan Fire Emergency
The objective of this project was to extinguish a fire on a coal fines refuse pile at the historic Baukol-Noonan Mine. This coal refuse fire was ignited by adjacent prairie fires and subsequently ignited more prairie fires and was a hazard to people living nearby. In addition, burning coal fines (screenings) were often overlain with gray-brown ash that was difficult to distinguish from minespoil. The subsurface below this ash was extremely hot and potentially dangerous to users of the area.
The site is located in the S1/2 of Section 3 and the N1/2 of Section 10, T162N, R95W, about ½ miles east of Noonan. The portion in Section 3 is privately owned and that in Section 10 is part of the Harris M. Baukol Wildlife Management Area owned and managed by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. This site and surrounding areas are used for hunting, fishing, motorcycling and other recreational, fish and wildlife and agricultural uses. The coal fines pile covered an area of approximately 30 acres and about 10 acres were addressed by this emergency project.
This 1998 Noonan Fire AML Project was conducted between April 24 and May 29, 1998. The contractor was Walters Construction of Flaxton, ND. Walters isolated burning coal materials with a bulldozer and other earthmoving equipment and buried them with inert clay materials to smother the fire. The contract cost was $22,700.
- Photo 1 shows where the original fire began at the north edge of the coal refuse (fines) Pile. The burning coal fines were pushed into the pit at the left (east) side of the photo. The light colored material is ash overlying the burning coal fines.
- Photo 2 shows the same area after the burning coal fines were pushed into the pit and buried and the area was regraded.
- Photo 3 was taken from the northeast side of the coal fines pile looking westward. All of the coal fines in the foreground are burning. The dozer pushing burning materials caused the smoke billowing in the background. The city of Noonan is in the distant background.
- Photo 4 shows the same area after the burning coal fines were covered with clay spoil material.
- Photo 5 shows a grass fire ignited by the burning coal fines. It took the Noonan Fire Department about 2 hours to get this fire under control.
- Photo 6 is a picture of AML Project Manager, Bill Dodd, somewhat black-faced, after helping to extinguish the grass fire.
- Photo 7 and Photo 8 show the contractor, John Walters, pushing clay spoil over the burning coal fines to smother the fire.
- Photo 9 shows a "hot spot" of burning materials in an area where work had already been done. These hot spots, where the fire had not been completely extinguished, showed up all over the site and were often hard to identify. This project was conducted in an area of historic underground mining.
- Photo 10 shows a sinkhole, or collapse feature, on the site. Walters dropped one of the tracks of his bulldozer into a sinkhole like this one.
- Photo 11 shows how the smoldering coal fines ignite when exposed to air.
- Photo 12 shows some of the remainder of the coal fines pile. Only about 1/3 of the pile was covered during this project. The danger of fire will remain until the entire coal refuse pile is covered.
- Photo 13 shows a historic coal wagon. This old wagon, located at the north edge of the project area, was probably used in the early 1900s in conjunction with underground mines predating the Baukol-Noonan surface mine. Although weather worn and slightly damaged by the fire, it remains as a testament to the historic uses of these lands.
Beulah/Zap Project
The Beulah/Zap Site is located approximately 75 miles north of Bismarck in west central North Dakota. Several underground lignite coal mines were operated near the cities of Beulah and Zap from the early 1900s until about 1955. Knife River Coal Mining Company operated the largest of these and it undermined an area of over 1000 acres directly north and east of Beulah. Coal seams in this area are relatively thick with a shallow cover of overburden. As the underground mines have begun to deteriorate with time, cave-ins have been occurring which result in large and deep sinkholes.
In the past several years, deep sinkholes have been surfacing in residential and commercial areas and on public roads near Beulah and Zap. Some of these sinkholes have been over 30 feet deep. In 1995-97, the Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) Division conducted exploratory drilling which confirmed the presence of collapsing underground mines beneath Manny's Sports Center, a large multi-purpose commercial building, and several nearby occupied mobile homes. The Manny's complex includes the Black Diamond Lounge and the Hook, Line and Sinker convenience store and bait shop, which are all located in the same building.
Between July 14 and August 22, 1997, the AML Division conducted a pressurized grout remote backfilling project to stabilize the underground mines beneath the Manny's complex from collapse. In this technique, a cementitious grout is pumped through drilled holes directly into collapsing underground mine workings. This project was interesting because grout was pumped into holes drilled into mined workings directly through the floor of the building. Grout was also pumped through angled holes that intercepted mined workings directly beneath the building. Several specialized monitoring techniques were utilized to alert contractors if structural movement occurred during pressure grouting activities beneath the building.
The contractors for this project were The Concrete Doctor, Inc., (TCDI) http://www.geomod.com/ of Lincolnshire, IL, and Geoserv, Inc., of Bismarck. Approximately 6750 cubic yards of grout were pumped into the underground mine workings and total contract costs were about $450,000. This AML project was the subject of a paper presented at the 19th Annual Conference of the Association of Abandoned Mine Land Programs at Canaan Valley West Virginia, August 17-20, 1997. Several other commercial, residential and transportation facilities in the Beulah/Zap area are undermined and at risk of collapse. Therefore, additional reclamation work is planned for 1998 and subsequent years at Beulah and Zap.
- Pre-reclamation photo of Manny's and adjacent homes
- Pre-reclamation photo of the Hook, Line and Sinker
- Subsidence beneath the Black Diamond Lounge, 1993
- Exploratory drilling, Winter 1996
- Angled drilling
- Drilling inside the building
- Installing casing in a drilled hole
- Grout pumping operations
- Grout pressure gauge
- Grout testing
- Grout pumping inside the building
- A "blowout"
- Ground cracking caused by grout pumping
- Monitoring equipment
- Monitoring equipment (2)
Columbus (3) Project
The Columbus Phase 3 AML Site is located approximately 4 miles south and 1 mile west of Columbus, North Dakota. The project site is within the S ½ of Section 24, T162N, R94W in Burke County. This project site contains 45 acres of an approximately 1280 acre surface mine. The project entailed the elimination of 4000 feet of dangerous highwall left at the old Truax–Traer surface coal mine. Reclamation work on this site started on May 12, 1997. Project Manager and Engineer for the project was Mark Knell. The Gary Morlock Construction Contractor moved approximately 367,600 cubic yards of soil material to eliminate the hazardous highwalls from a 45 acre area. The contractor utilized a fleet of construction equipment, which included scrapers, dozers, motorgader, excavator and end-dumb trucks. A diversion ditch was constructed to control water and prevent erosional problems. Topsoil material was salvaged prior to spoil dirt work operations then respread following completion of the dirt work. On August 18, 1997 the dirt work at the Columbus Phase 3 project was completed. The project area was fertilized, seeded and mulched during September 1997. The project was inspected by Ken Tokach. The project was completed for $325,474.50. Trees will be planted on the site next spring. The attached photographs show a small portion of the reclamation area:
Haynes Phase 2 Project
The Haynes Phase 2 AML Site is located approximately 3 miles north and 1 mile west of Haynes, North Dakota. The project site is within Section 6, T129N, R94W in Adams County (see map). The 40 acre underground and strip mine is located within 300 feet of an occupied farmstead(see map). The strip mine's 2800 foot highwall can be seen as the as the dark areas on this topographic map. Reclamation work on this site started on May 20, 1996. Project Manager for this project was Mark Knell. The contractor (Wilson Construction, Inc.) moved approximately 92,000 cubic yards of soil to eliminate the hazardous highwalls from a 14-acre area.
Over 2,000 feet of level terraces were constructed to control water and prevent erosional problems. Dirt work at the Haynes AML site was completed on June 13, 1996. The site was fertilized, seeded and mulched on June 24 through 26, 1996. See post-reclamation photo. The project inspector was Ken Tokach. The project was completed for $51,000. A total of 5030 feet of trees were planted on the site in 1997.