CASPER, Wyo. — The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality’s Abandoned Mine Land Division was recognized during the Oct. 17 National Association of Abandoned Mine Land Programs conference for reclamation work at Hanna Elementary School and the adjacent high school track and football field.
The school, track and football field are on top of mine workings in the Hanna No. 4 Mine, the Wyoming DEQ said in a press release Monday. The area experienced routine sinking of the ground, also known as subsidence, due to underground material movement.
The Wyoming DEQ’s Abandoned Mine Land Division undertook efforts to mitigate the subsidence risk in the area in 2020.
“Approximately 42,500 cubic yards of voidfill grout was injected into mine voids under the Hanna Elementary School, football field/track and surrounding areas, enough to fill 13 Olympic swimming pools,” the Wyoming DEQ said.
After the mitigation work was completed, the football field, track, school parking lot and playground equipment were restored.
“This was a very difficult project due primarily to the strict, but necessary, time commitments made to the school district for completion prior to football season,” Don Newton, Wyoming AML administrator, said in the press release. “The coordinated efforts between the Town of Hanna, Carbon County School District #2, Howard Concrete Pumping Co., Inc. and its subcontractors, and Brierley Associates resulted in an excellent outcome for this small community.”
The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement presented the Wyoming DEQ’s Abandoned Mine Land Division with its Western Reclamation Award during the Oct. 17 conference.
