Jul 22, 2015 By Katie Green 4 min read

It’s no secret that the majority of the area below us is undermined. However, when part of the baseball field at Boyce Mayview Park in Upper St. Clair sank more than three feet earlier this summer, it was a reminder that no matter how long things have been sturdy and stable, anything can happen.

“These mines are old – they were done many decades before there were any kind of standards,” said John Poister, Department of Environmental Protection spokesman.

Even before any issues occurred in Upper St. Clair, the DEP was on a mission to raise awareness of the importance of mine subsidence insurance. They began mailings to homes in the South Hills late last year.

“The mailings are address-specific,” Poister said. “The home-owner sees their address on top of a map showing where mines are beneath them. We want to make them aware that there is a situation below them that could cause problems. It may never happen, but people should at least know that the area underneath their house is undermined.”

So far, the mailings have gone out to residents in Upper St. Clair, South Fayette, South Park, Pleasant Hills, Jefferson Hills and West Mifflin. The first of the mailings in South Fayette and Upper St. Clair were sent out July 17, and Poister said that the DEP will continue sending the information over the next few weeks until they have covered everyone.

Signs of mine subsidence damage include a crack in the ground, a sidewalk that suddenly becomes uneven and cracks in foundations or walls. However, Poister said that once the damage is visible, it is too late to get insurance. “You have to buy the insurance before mine subsidence occurs in order to be covered.”

He estimates that there are one million homes built over abandoned coal mines in Pennsylvania, but only about 60,000 have mine subsidence insurance.

“In extreme cases, the foundation will crumble and outside walls might give away. That becomes very serious and expensive to repair. If you are covered with insurance, you are covered for your expense.”

The good news is that it’s relatively inexpensive – $82.50 per year will buy $150,000 worth of insurance coverage. The cost for senior citizens for the same amount of coverage is $74.25 per year.

South Fayette Township manager Ryan Eggleston said that the township is sharing the DEP’s information with residents. “We’ve had no recent incidents in South Fayette, knock on wood,” he said.

The field at Boyce Mayview Park is in the repair process, according to township manager Matthew Serakowski. “We have stripped the area of the turf and are in the process of filling it in. We will be bringing in earth over the next few weeks, will level it off and reinstall the portion of the infield that was damaged.”

Sod will be laid in late August or early September, and the field will reopen for play next spring, in order to have a full growing season for the sod.

Serakowski said that the total for the repairs should come in below the initial estimate of $50,000-$75,000, and that no other incidents of mine subsidence have been reported in the township.