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Pennsylvania Launches Online Mine Map Viewer
HARRISBURG, Pa. -- The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has launched the Pennsylvania Mine Map Atlas, an online underground mine map viewer. The atlas allows residents and stakeholders to see detailed maps of underground mines once available only in hard copies.
"DEP is now providing public access to a wealth of information about undermined areas, enhancing our ability to safeguard structures in Pennsylvania's mining regions," said Gov. Tom Corbett in a prepared statement.
Over more than 10 years, the department identified and scanned more than 15,000 hard copy mine maps. To date, approximately half of those maps have been located on the surface of the earth by using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software, a process known as "georeferencing." Maps are continuously scanned into high-resolution images, georeferenced and added to the atlas. More than 40,000 are yet to be scanned.
The atlas features enhanced search tools and views. It allows users to download and print maps -- a beneficial function for engineers and stakeholders in various industries.
Another important feature of the Pennsylvania Mine Map Atlas is its ability to measure the distance from a mine to a specific structure, Corbett said. This function will help identify houses and other structures at risk of mine subsidence, ground movement caused by the collapse of old, abandoned mines.
If the atlas shows that a house sits on or close to an undermined area, the DEP recommends mine subsidence insurance. Such policies e protect property owners against financial loss resulting from damage caused by mine subsidence, usually excluded from home owners' insurance policies.
At a cost of $51,541, the Pennsylvania Mine Map Atlas was a joint initiative of the department's mine subsidence insurance program and Penn State's Pennsylvania spatial data access program. The project was funded by the Surface Mining Conservation and Reclamation's general operations budget. These monies come from fines, penalties, permits and licenses paid by the mining industry.
For more information about the maps or to check local mining conditions, visit this website.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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