LUZERNE, Pa. — After days of work, officials now believe a mine subsidence in Luzerne County is fixed.
A hole in Toby Creek in Luzerne opened on Sunday.
Not much work was done Thursday in Toby Creek, as the mine subsidence has now been plugged, and the water is flowing back to normal.
Crews have been working for days, pumping about a dozen loads of concrete into the hole formed by the mine subsidence in the creek.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection now says the hole is plugged and shouldn't be causing any major issues.
As for the water that's bubbling up in areas on Luzerne County's west side, the DEP says that is not linked to this mine subsidence at Toby Creek.
Newswatch 16 has been following water seeping from the ground in places around Forty Fort and Kirby Park. The DEP says the water issues have happened in the past, and it's common with all the rainy weather.
"When we get heavy precipitation like we have these past couple of weeks, it tends to make the mine fill up, water to bubble to the surface, and then run down with the iron in it in the orange-like tint on the roadway. We've documented that in the past. We've gone out, we've inspected so we have a history of these incidents happening in the past," said Colleen Connolly, DEP regional spokesperson.
The DEP says while the water that's been bubbling up may not look or smell the nicest, it is not dangerous.
As for the smell in the Pittston, West Pittston, and Duryea area, officials say that's not related to this subsidence either. Instead, the group has been in touch with local sewage treatment plants.
Statement from DEP:
Over the past several days, the Department of Environmental Protection has received numerous calls regarding orange-tinted water pooling or bubbling up from the surface at several locations throughout the west side of the Wyoming Valley. Many of those locations are above abandoned mines, which are prevalent throughout the Wyoming Valley, given its history of coal mining. The DEP is aware of these incidents, has investigated them with on-site visits and has documented their occurrence. There have also been questions as to whether those incidents are related to, or have been triggered by, the mine subsidence that occurred on Toby Creek in Luzerne Borough on Sunday, April 14th. At this time, the department has not been able to connect them to the subsidence on Toby Creek. However, many of the incidents have occurred previously and the DEP has documented and investigated them over the years. Typically, high water levels from underground mines occur after heavy precipitation, which we have experienced lately, and that can lead to water runoff/pooling with water on the surface. Iron coming out of solution leads to the orange tint in the water.
The department has also received complaints regarding a sewage/sulfur--like smell in the Duryea/Pittston and West Pittston areas. The DEP has been investigating the source of that odor and has been in contact with some sewage treatment plants to discuss their operations. At this time, the DEP cannot link the odors back to the subsidence or any underground mine issue.
The DEP encourages residents to report anything suspicious to the department: 570-826-2511, 24 hours a day.
In the meantime, the subsidence reclamation work on Toby Creek is ongoing and water continues to flow downstream. The hole has been plugged and DEP continues to monitor it. DEP appreciates the cooperation among all the agencies involved in the response. The department also wants to remind residents again to consider mine subsidence insurance to protect their properties. You can find more information at: Mine Subsidence Insurance (pa.gov)