There are about 500,000 abandoned mines in the U.S., according to the Mine Safety and Health Administration. These facilities can pose a variety of risks.
Mine safety was thrust into recent headlines after a 64-year-old grandmother was swallowed up by a sinkhole in Unity Township, Pennsylvania. Elizabeth Pollard apparently fell into a hole that led to an abandoned mining shaft; her remains were found days later.
Pennsylvania has at least "5,000 abandoned underground mines," said The Associated Press. Other states in Appalachia are also dotted with them, as are Nevada and California.
People have died falling into mines, "and some murderers have tried to hide victims' bodies by dumping them in open mine shafts," said the AP. Those who wander into mines "can drown in flooded shafts, get lost in underground tunnels or perish from poisonous gases."
Mines also affect the environment. "Elevated levels of lithium, rubidium and cesium have been detected in waters associated with the historic Kings Mountain Mine" in North Carolina, said Newsweek. Lead has also been discovered in mining sites across the U.S and abroad.
The best solution is to close off the mines — but there are too many to do it quickly. In Colorado, some "13,500 mine features have been closed so far," said Marketplace, but that is still only half of the total number in the state. A "lack of federal funding can make cleanup difficult," said the Santa Fe New Mexican. Many mines also have wildlife living in them, which presents liabilities for endangered species. | 
