'A constant problem': Abandoned mines causing sinkholes, other incidents across the country

Key Points:

• An ABC News investigation reveals that decaying infrastructure from abandoned underground mines across the U.S. is causing dangerous sinkholes, injuries, and fatalities beneath homes, highways, and streets.
• Hundreds of thousands of abandoned mines, many dating back over a century, remain unmonitored and unsealed, with no comprehensive federal database tracking their locations, complicating prevention and remediation efforts.
• Pennsylvania, with a long history of coal mining, is a hotspot for mine-related hazards, where communities face ongoing issues like ground subsidence, polluted streams, and frequent sinkholes.
• Federal funding and resources for mine reclamation are limited and reactive, focusing mainly on coal mines after incidents occur, while other types of mines lack dedicated cleanup programs.
• Officials and advocates urge increased attention, funding, and proactive measures to locate and secure abandoned mines, emphasizing the urgent need to prevent further injuries and deaths linked to these hidden hazards.