West Fork No 3 Mine

Coal (Bituminous) abandoned · Wise County, Virginia

AbandonedCoal (Bituminous)UndergroundMSHA

Section

What kind of site this is
SHAFTROOMS AND PILLARSSEAM · COAL (BITUMINOUS)SECTION · ILLUSTRATIVE

Drawn as an underground mine, reached by a shaft or tunnel and worked along the ore. The ore color stands for coal (bituminous). Federal records note the kind of operation and its status, not its depth or layout, so this is a typical example rather than a survey of this site.

Location

StateVirginia
CountyWise
Nearest TownAppalachia
Coordinates36.91500, -82.83610

Commodities

PrimaryCoal (Bituminous)

Mine Details

StatusAbandoned
TypeUnderground
OperatorWestmoreland Coal Company
Data SourceMSHA
Source ID4406733
This siteNearby records

Search within 10 miles of here Open in Google Maps

Nearest Recorded Sites

SiteDistanceCommodityStatus
#2 Washer1.0 miCoal (Bituminous)Abandoned
Mine No. 41.0 miCoal (Bituminous)Abandoned and Sealed
#21.0 miCoal (Bituminous)Abandoned and Sealed
No 21.1 miCoal (Bituminous)Abandoned and Sealed
Derby Strip #91.1 miCoal (Bituminous)NonProducing
Highwall Miner #11.1 miCoal (Bituminous)NonProducing
Looney Creek Taggart Mine1.2 miCoal (Bituminous)Abandoned and Sealed
Mine No. 51.3 miCoal (Bituminous)Abandoned and Sealed
Wilson #31.4 miCoal (Bituminous)Abandoned
Looney Creek1.4 miCoal (Bituminous)Abandoned
Derby Wilson Mine1.7 miCoal (Bituminous)Abandoned and Sealed
Strip #131.7 miCoal (Bituminous)Abandoned

What This Means

This mine is listed as abandoned or sealed in federal records. Abandoned mines can pose safety and environmental risks, including unstable ground, toxic gas accumulation, flooded shafts, and potential groundwater contamination from heavy metals or acid mine drainage. Never enter an abandoned mine. If you live near this site, consider checking with your state environmental agency about any ongoing remediation or monitoring programs.

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