DEP closer to extinguishing Phillips mine fire
The state Department of Environmental Protection is one step closer to extinguishing the Phillips Mine fire with a project that will cost just over $7 million.
According to DEP community relation coordinator John Poister, DEP officials awarded the mine reclamation contract to the lowest qualified bidder, Earthmovers Unlimited Inc., in the amount of $7,197,263 earlier this month.
The next step in the process, according to Poister, is for the DEP to send them a notice to officially proceed with the project. They’ll then be given two years to do so.
“There’s quite a bit of work that has to be done; it’ll take quite a while,” Poister said.
The Phillips Mine previously owned by the former Frick Coal and Coke Company, is located just off Altman Hill Road in North Union Township. It was last used in 1944, though the area that’s on fire is about 20 acres near the town of Phillips, Poister said.
Because the fire is underground, it’s not usually visible. However, light smoke can be seen on days with little wind. It’s also obvious in the winter time when the snow above the mine is melted.
“It’s a very complex undertaking. They’re digging into soil that’s essentially on fire,” Poister said.
“They’re going to be putting up a fire barrier around the perimeter of the affected area, then likely doing some other work to bring water in,” he said.
At that point, the construction company will have to come up with a way to cool it off, usually consisting of moving the heated soil to a temporary location and quenching it.
“There’s a lot of complicated air monitoring, because there’s a lot of burnt coal, fumes and smoke. Their workers have to be prepared to handle that,” Poister said.
“They pretty much know what they’re facing. We don’t think there’s any great unknowns,” he added. “It’s adjacent to a busy roadway, so we obviously want to put it out.”
After the fire is extinguished, the company will be tasked with grating and restoring the land. That will also consist of planting new vegetation, trees and seeding new grass, which Poister noted is a big undertaking.
Each year, DEP officials try to prioritize their mine reclamation projects throughout the commonwealth. Now that the money is available for such a large project, they’re able to proceed with it, Poister said.
Numerous bids were received and reviewed before DEP officials settled on the lowest qualified company.
“There’s a fairly small group of contractors who do this; there’s not too many people out there who are qualified and have experience doing this,” Poister said. “We looked at our bids very closely to make sure they’re in line with our specifications.”