Consol submits plan to reopen Pa.-W. Va. mine
Consol asks government safety officials for OK to reopen Pa.-W.Va. mine where fire occurred
PINE BANK, Pa. (AP) -- Consol Energy Inc. has submitted a plan to state and federal mine safety regulators to reopen a coal mine straddling the Pennsylvania-West Virginia line where an underground photo burned for days in March.
The Blacksville No. 2 mine was evacuated after smoke began pouring from a shaft in Wayne Township, Pa. on March 12. Workers spent days drilling boreholes so cameras could search for the fire and water could be pumped into the mine to extinguish it.
The fire was extinguished March 21 and Consol has since assessed the damage and built 21 seals to isolate the damages area from the rest of the mine. Consol spokeswoman Lynn Seay says the seals need about a week to cure and strengthen.
It remains unclear when some 500 workers will resume mining.
