Allan Koski, Journal op-ed contributor

What if an abandoned mine shaft, caving area, or water-filled pit existed near your home – where your children play and explore? Would you know about its existence and the associated hazards? If you wanted to know more, how would you find out?

Currently, Marquette County residents have no user-friendly way to readily determine if such hazards exist near their homes. The technology and software exist to accomplish this. Using Global Positioning System technology and Geographic Information System mapping software every mine, active and abandoned, can be located on an online map with multi-colored dots precisely pinpointing their locations.

The dots will alert residents if a mine is open pit, underground, active or abandoned and provide related information. It’s the responsible thing to do and one that would prevent future tragedies. EGLE’s Dam Safety Division provides such a map of all 1,061 regulated dams in Michigan, for public awareness and safety.

Initiating and promoting an awareness program begins with the Office of the County Mine Inspector. With increased public awareness it is more likely that people will be the eyes and ears of the county mine inspector and as State Rep. Sara Cambensy, D-Marquette, wisely noted, “The public can be an integral part of keeping people safe… A mine inspector would really rely on the community to say, ‘Hey, I was on this trail and I saw a fence down, you might want to check it out.'”

Every responsible parent, knowing that potential hazards exist in the areas where their children play would immediately inspect and report any unsafe conditions to the proper authorities. Knowing where hazards exist, is the first step in preventing needless deaths. If you don’t know they exist, you can’t investigate to warn or counsel your children.

Just ask every parent, grandparent and sibling of a child who died in an abandoned mine if they wished that they had known of these hazards beforehand. Creating a map that raises public awareness of these dangerous locations is just one step.

The 2007 Marquette County Hazard Mitigation Plan in Chapter 5.2.3 states, “There are an estimated 200 [abandoned mine] sites in the county.” Further, the county mine inspector, “has taken GPS readings of approximately 140 of about 200 mine sites in Marquette County, with equipment provided by the Marquette County Resource Management Development Department.” (This is not the most recent Hazard Mitigation Plan, and I only use it as a reference in this one matter.)

In the intervening 13 years since 2007, undoubtedly a more complete GPS inventory exists. In a July a Mining Journal series by Staff Writer Lisa Bowers, the mine inspector said that he is most proud of his efforts to record the GPS coordinates of over 60 gold mines.in the county. Marquette County has a minimum data base of 200 abandoned mine site locations. Data is of little use unless it is analyzed and used for productive purposes.

The authors of the 2007 plan elaborated on the intended use of this GPS information: “The information would be readily available to local assessors, real estate agents and to purchasers, who would be able to make informed purchases. GPS and GIS technology can also be used to layer old mine maps with surface features to verify location of excavations below the surface, and the accuracy of fenced caving ground areas.” The latter would immensely clarify issues facing Negaunee.

The 2007 document also states: “Visitors and local adults as well as children need to be educated. Brochure distribution or brief presentations might be included in hunter safety and snowmobile training programs. Handouts on mine safety should be made available at local museums, hotels, and motels and through rock hunter clubs. Real estate agents should also be made aware of mine issues.” None of this has occurred.

The budgets of every state governmental unit have been financially stressed for years and so little of this has come to fruition. With the mine inspector governed by an Act of the State Legislature, it is logical to propose that Marquette County and the mine inspector collaborate with the talented staff at the local State University, Northern Michigan University’s Earth, Environmental and Geographical Sciences Department to assist in bringing these projects to fruition, especially mapping.

This project would be a model for other counties with abandoned mines. There is precedence with a state funded inventory of county mine sites conducted by mining engineers from Michigan Technological University in the late 1990’s. If one life is saved, the effort is worth it.

Editor’s note: Allan Koski is a retired mining engineer and candidate for Marquette County Mine Inspector.