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Consol submits plan to open Blacksville No. 2 mine

1 min read

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 Greene County-West Virginia line where an underground fire burned for days in March.

The Blacksville No. 2 mine was evacuated after smoke began pouring from a shaft in Wayne Township, Greene County, 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 damaged 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.

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