City to move forward with study examining abandoned coal mines

Study to produce new map identifying subsidence risks

NEWS RELEASE - Distributed March 25, 2014 2:45 PM

Summary

At its Monday night meeting held March 24, Council voted in support of a staff recommendation to develop a partnership with the Ministry of Energy and Mines in an effort to study the risks associated with abandoned coal mines in Nanaimo. A key deliverable of the study will be the creation of a map identifying those parts of Nanaimo where City roads and utilities may be susceptible to occurrences of subsidence due to the presence of shallow mine tunnels.

Link to Strategic Plan: Proactive measures to identify risks associated with former coal mines and coal mining infrastructure support the City's strategic priority to take responsibility to be an excellent municipal government.

Key Points

The City and the Ministry of Energy and Mines are working together to better identify those areas with the greatest potential for subsidence.
Subsidence occurs when the ground slowly or suddenly lowers in elevation. It can be localized or spread over a large area. The possibility of subsidence is a concern for the City.

Quotes

"Coal mines are an important part of Nanaimo's history, unfortunately there are some localized areas where they have the potential to impact what is currently above them. This study will be a first step in better understanding how the historic coal mines may impact certain areas of the City in the future."

Bob Prokopenko

Acting Director Engineering and Public Works

City of Nanaimo