On Wednesday, Oct. 30, the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining’s (DOGM) Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program (AMRP) hosted a public meeting at the Helper Civic Auditorium from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. This meeting was hosted in order to discuss efforts to manage the ongoing Kenilworth Mine fire.
A representative of the DOGM stated that they wanted to hold the meeting in order to let the public know that they are taking the fire very seriously and do consider it an emergency. They have never had anything like this before, as they have dealt with smaller fires, but none that have grown as alarmingly as this one.
There is paperwork that is needed to be completed and they hope to get on the ground in the next few weeks to address the fire. Right now, there is not an intention to be able to fully put the fire out, and they do not know how deep it is. However, it is blowing so much smoke that the DOGM wants to be able to complete what they can before the snowfall.
The DOGM wants to be sure that the public is aware that they cannot just fly in, put it out and fly back out, but they do have the funding and the authority to address the fire. They have been working with other agencies for a couple of months now to figure out what needs to be done.
The first action was to visit the site to attempt an immediate plan. There is going to be some sort of long-term plan that will have to be developed over the winter, maybe involving drilling into the mountain to see how deep the fire goes. There is also a difficulty in the location, though the best way to put out a fire such as this one is to dig into the burning coal, expose it and quench it.
The focus was then turned to a powerpoint presentation that had been prepared. This presentation explained the main vent observations. From August 20 to Oct. 3, the vent increased in size, became hotter (150 degrees Fahrenheit to 180 degrees Fahrenheit), developed creosote staining and starting emitting more smoke.
Difficult access limits abatement options and excavation, soil cover and grouting was ruled out. Some recommendations were to close the intake vents as much as possible, then plug the exhaust vent(s), effectively try to close the damper and then the flue to decrease fire activity or to use highly-expansive fire-resistant urea silicate resin foam.
The DOGM team stated that they wish to be out there hopefully in late November and remain for a few weeks. It was acknowledged that air quality is definitely an issue and it will be a difficult task, though they assured that they will do the best that they can.
Following, the floor was opened for questions and concerns. One concern raised was the safety of the residences. Within four days of the increase of activity being reported, the DOGM went out to ensure that flammable material was not nearby to be able to start a forest fire.
The fire is all up on the mountain and the seams do not go toward the town. Right now, the large concern is more of the air quality issue. Following a bit more discussion, the DOGM thanked everyone for their concerns and ideas, saying that it is helpful to get input from the community regarding smoke coming from a new area, the color of smoke changing, etc.
