Water bubbles to the surface on Simpson Street in Swoyersville on Wednesday. The DEP stated this typically occurs ever 5-6 years.
Times Leader File Photo
Click here to subscribe today or Login.
Water pools in the Little League Field on Tripp Street in Forty Fort on Tuesday.
Times Leader File Photo
Amid growing concerns over orange-tinted water bubbling to the surface at several locations throughout the west side, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) said in a statement Thursday that it was unclear at this time if those incidents were caused by the mine subsidence that opened up in Luzerne on April 14 in Toby’s Creek.
DEP spokesperson Colleen Connolly said that many of the locations where water was observed are, “above abandoned mines, which are prevalent throughout the Wyoming Valley, given its history of coal mining.”
Over the last few days, the DEP conducted on-site visits of the locations and documented the occurrences, many of which have been reported to the department in the past.
In particular, Connolly said the water observed on Simpson Street in Swoyersville typically occurs every 5-6 years and the water pooling in the Little League Field on Tripp Street in Forty Fort has happened before and “the DEP is aware of its history.”
“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,” read the statement.
The DEP noted that iron coming out of solution leads to the orange tint in the water.
The Eastern Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation (EPCAMR), a nonprofit organization that works to promote the reclamation of mine scarred land, collected samples of the water on April 16.
Those findings can be found in full on the EPCAMR Facebook page.
In a post on the Forty Fort Borough Facebook page, officials urged residents to consider the water “hazardous” and to keep pets away from the area.
The DEP also addressed complaints it received regarding a sewage, sulfur—like smell in the Duryea, Pittston and West Pittston areas.
At this time, the DEP said cannot link the odors back to the subsidence or any underground mine issue.
The DEP has been investigating the source of that odor and was in contact with some sewage treatment plants to discuss their operations.
History of mining in NEPA
Mine subsidences have long been common throughout the Wyoming Valley due the area’s history of coal mining, which began in the 1700s.
Recently, in September 2023, a large subsidence measuring 70 feet opened in behind a apartment complex in Newport Twp., displacing dozens of residents.
According to Times Leader archives, the DEP estimates thousands of structures, including homes, are located above or near formerly mined areas.
More information regarding mine subsidence insurance can be found on the DEP website at https://www.dep.pa.gov/Citizens/MSI/Pages/default.aspx.
Visit https://www.minemaps.psu.edu/ to find out if your property sits above abandoned coal mines, including mine shafts and slopes.