|
Unprotected shafts can be an extreme safety hazard. Two-hundred-foot deep shafts are not uncommon in Utah's thousands of abandoned mines. Protect yourself and your loved ones.
Hazardous mine openings, with or without warning signs, are a danger to the public. Cave-ins, toxic mine air, falls, and undetonated explosives can cost you your health or even your life! Often when all of the minerals were mined out of an area, a mine was simply abandoned. Waste rock was left in piles, shafts and tunnels were left open, and roads and hillside cuts were left in place. When it looks dangerous, it is dangerous. Do not venture into the unknown.
Timbers were and still are used to support the roof of mines. The timbers weaken over time due to the weight of the roof rocks and the natural breakdown of the wood itself. Do not take any risks by entering a mine opening. Even trained professionals cannot always predict what will happen next. Dark areas may hide a winze (a vertical shaft) that may be 70-feet or deeper.
The loose rocks and soil above this entry could break away and cover the opening, trapping anyone who enters the mine. Report the location of any abandoned mine. You may help save someone's life. Abandoned mines pose a hazard to the public and the environment. Contact the State of Utah Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program office or the nearest BLM office.
|
