Barletta Holds Bipartisan Press Conference Marking End of Jeansville Mine Fire

Press Release

Today, Congressman Lou Barletta (PA-11) held a press conference at the Jeansville Mine in Luzerne County to announce the underground mine fire there has been extinguished. Barletta was joined by State Senator John Yudichak (D-PA-14) and Banks Township Supervisors Joe Clark and Charles Schalles, who also helped organize efforts to extinguish the fire. Additional attendees included representatives from Hazleton Shaft Corporation and the site superintendent, Derrek Singley. The fire, which had likely been burning underground anywhere from 30 to 40 years before it surfaced, was discovered in 2012 by Hazleton Shaft Corporation which was conducting mining operations in the area. At the time, the fire was burning roughly 25 acres of abandoned coal shafts.

"While it took six years and the combined efforts of officials on all levels of government, we are all glad to be here today to tell the people of Jeansville that this fire has finally been extinguished," Barletta said. "When I first learned of the fire, I feared it would be another Centralia, and I'm sure local residents felt the same. That's why I was determined to do everything possible to ensure it was put out once and for all. I'm grateful to Senator Yudichak, Representative Tarah Toohil, and to Joe Clark and Charles Schalles of Banks Township for all they did to help coordinate local and state authorities in this effort. It just goes to show what can be accomplished when all levels of government and the private sector work together to ensure the wellbeing of our local communities."

After becoming aware of the fire and the public safety hazard it posed, Barletta pressed federal, state, and local authorities for a solution. In September 2015, Barletta convened a meeting with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and state and local officials to exchange information about the fire, understand the full impact on local residents and ecosystems, and explore resources available to extinguish it. Two months after that meeting, Hazleton Shaft Corporation was awarded a $9.3 million contract, funded in part with federal dollars. DEP will continue to monitor the site for the next few months to ensure the safety of local residents.

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