Institute for Mine Mapping, Archival Procedures and Safety (IMAPS) at IUP – Objectives and Benefits Presenter: John Benhart, Jr. Chair, Dept. of Geography & Regional Planning IUP Participating Units: Computer Science, Geography & Regional Planning; Geosciences; IUP Libraries; Mathematics; Safety Sciences Partners: Senator Arlen Spector; US Dept. of Interior, Office of Surface Mining (OSM); Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (PADEP); CONSOL Coal, Inc.; Rosebud Mining, Inc.

Why is This Project Important? It will improve the safety of all future coal mining in Pennsylvania… by decreasing the risk that coal operators will encounter unknown abandoned mines by providing needed information about the accurate location of abandoned mines (maps) that will be part of improved safety training and emergency response It will improve services to the citizens of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Mine Subsidence Insurance programs Community Planning It will provide training and experience in high-growth, high-demand fields for Pennsylvania students Geospatial Technology has been identified by the federal government as a “high-growth industry” (as of 2004) It will contribute to economic development in the Commonwealth Information useful for remining, reclamation and new mining; as well as other types of development

Large Format Mine Maps 40-100+ years old, mostly canvas, up to 13-14 feet long Contain large amounts of very important information, but…. Difficult to preserve, store, and access The “missing link” of abandoned mine land information At least 1,300 in Pennsylvania Around 200 in IUP’s R&P collection

Digitization of Large Format Mine Maps Requires a very large scanner IUP Cruze device: 58” x 88” Multiple passes to record…even with a large scanner Must be processed back into one digital map Stitching of scan tiles back together

Cruze Scanner, Stapleton Library - Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Accurately Locating Large Format Mine Maps Where are abandoned mines located? How could we find out? Georeferencing digital mine maps The National Map/PAMAP standard Quantitative evaluation of locational accuracy How geographically “close” are we to the real location of abandoned mines?

Rochester & Pittsburgh Coal Company Map – Circa 1930s 13th & Phila. Sts. 1575503.674 ft. E 473059.449 ft. N 6th & Phila. Sts. 1579659.912 ft. E 472883.539 ft. N 6th & Maple Sts. 1579698.912 ft. E 469554.859 ft. N Rochester & Pittsburgh Coal Company Map – Circa 1930s

PAMAP Imagery, Indiana, PA 2006 13th & Phila. Sts. 1575503.674 ft. E 473059.449 ft. N 6th & Phila. Sts. 1579659.912 ft. E 472883.539 ft. N 6th & Maple Sts. 1579698.912 ft. E 469554.859 ft. N PAMAP Imagery, Indiana, PA 2006

Result: A Web-Accessible, Searchable, Geographically-referenced Database of Mine Maps Mine Safety, Emergency response Implications (Ex. Quecreek) Mine permitting, subsidence insurance programs Cooperative development with PADEP Improvement of mine safety regimes Utility to the private sector (coal, gas) New mining, remining, gas wells

Benefits of the Institute for Mine Mapping, Archival Procedures, and Safety (IMAPS) at IUP Almost real-time accessibility to a web-based, searchable, locationally-accurate mine map database Improved mine safety and permitting processes An invaluable resource for emergency response In-demand technology education for Pennsylvania students (Geospatial/GIS) A beneficial and valuable resource to the private sector A national model for dealing with mine maps Myriad future applications (3-D, modeling)

IMAPS Funding Sources – To Date, Jan. 2008 US OSM, PADEP, IUP (including match) = $148,000 PADEP Bureau Mine Safety = $124,690 US Congress (Sen. Spector) = $100,000 Consol Energy/Rosebud Mining = $55,277 PA Dept. of Community & Econ. Dev. = $26,000 IUP Additional Match = $56,778 PA Geological Survey = $7,200 TOTAL = $510,745