After three recent fatalities in abandoned mine lands in Pennsylvania, Environmental Protection Secretary Kathleen A. McGinty today warned Pennsylvanians about the dangers of trespassing in mines and quarries, issuing a warning to "stay out and stay alive". According to statistics compiled by DEP and MSHA, there have been 40 fatalities at mines and quarries in 15 different counties in Pennsylvania since 1989. Congress recently extended the federal Abandoned Mine Lands fund, which provides money to states to reclaim mines that were abandoned prior to passage of modern mining laws. The total cost to reclaim all abandoned mine sites in Pennsylvania is estimated at $15 billion.

Editors Note: In my opinion, which of course means very little. The fact that cleaning up abandoned mines through reclamation offers pretty good competition to the detractors of the Allegany Enterprises coal mining move in Cameron County.