Oklahoma's deadly coal mine land

ABANDONED MINE LAND PROGRAM.THERE ARE MORE THAN70-THOUSAND ACRES OFABANDONED COAL MINES INOKLAHOMA... UNDERGROUND...AND ON THE SURFACE.

THE ONESON TOP ARE STRIP MINES."Hills and valleys and hillsand valleys and hills andvalley." THEY MIGHT BE NICETO LOOK AT ...KEVIN LOUDERMILK, DEBBIE "Wehave lost some calves.

Wehad a bull that broke a leg,that we had to put down."BUT THEY CAN BE DANGEROUS.THE LOUDERMILK'S ARE OUTOVER 10- THOUSAND DOLLARS INLIVESTOCK.

THE TWO COMMONHAZARDS WITH MINE LAND AREHIGH WALLS... AND WATER.TOOLE "It's very difficultif not almost impossible toget out of, but kids will bekids.

They see these thingsand will be attracted tothem." SINCE 1972... THEABANDONED MINE LAND RECORED26 DEATHS ON ABANDONED MINELANDS IN THE STATE.

12ADULTS... NINE TEENS... ANDFIVE CHILDREN.toole "Most of those weredrowning.

The most recentone was in June, 2019."UNDERGROUND MINES AREN'TSAFE TO BE IN EITHER.ROBERT TOOLE, DIRECTOR,ABANADONED MINE LANDRECLAMATION PROGRAM,OKLAHOMA CONSERVATIONCOMMISSION "We have had somedeaths occur from folksgoing into an undergroundmine and encountering anarea that was void ofoxygen, and theysuffocated." ROBERT TOOLE'SJOB IS TO PROTECT LIVES...BY REPAIRING SCARRED LAND.IT TAKES A LOT OF WORK...TOOLE "We've got to clearall the trees and brush,first.

Then, we've got tobegin pushing material intothe pit and fill the pit up,shape it and grate it.

Itwill be a multi-yearprocess." AND MONEY.

ITWOULD TAKE UPWARDS OF $120million TO RECOVEROKLAHOMA'S ABANDONEDSITES... WHICH ARE ONPRIVATE PROPERTY.

THIS ONEBELONGS TO THE LOUDERMILK'S.KEVIN "We've had severalkids that we caught fishingup here, on top of the highwall.

They would just fishdown into the water, and hadseveral of them swimming outthere.

We've been told theyjump off the side." WORK ONHIS PROPERTY COULD STARTLATER THIS YEAR.

IT'S DONEBY THE ABANDONED LANDAMATPRO ITEnisent pln eonofmine19AR.HEY 5,CRITH MO GO.THHETHEY WORK TO INVESTIGATEPOSSIBESTHE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE HELDANOTHER MEETING TONIGHT ASTHEY