US Mine Safety and Health Administration spokesperson Amy Louviere told ILN Wednesday afternoon that no problems were reported from any mines in the earthquake zone, which included much of the Appalachian region.
Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy spokesperson Mike Abbott added Thursday that it, too, had received no reports from coal mines this week.
The epicenter of the earthquake was in Mineral, just outside of Richmond in the central area of the state.
“Our agency also contacted some of the larger companies [and] mines and no problems were reported,” he said.
“Our inspectors have been checking coal mine related impoundments for damage and have found none.”
West Virginia’s mining operations also were spared any damage or underground events following the earthquake, according to state Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training spokesperson Leslie Fitzwater.
“Thankfully, we have received no reports of any issues in West Virginia mines,” she told ILN.
“After the event, our agency contacted every mine in the state to make them aware that an earthquake had occurred and to warn them that aftershocks could take place.
“We have also notified all our agency inspectors to be more observant as it pertains to roof conditions and have them discuss with operators and miners.”
According to the US Geological Survey, a magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck the area at about 1.51pm local time Tuesday. As of Thursday no casualties had been reported to the agency as a result of the event.
Considered shallow – experts estimated it to have occurred from approximately 3.7 miles underground – the quake caused moderate shaking and even structure damage from as north as New England and as west as Michigan as well as throughout the Appalachian region.
There were also several aftershocks, though none reached the same magnitude as the initial event.
The earthquake occurred in the Central Virginia Seismic Zone, which has produced earthquakes in the past, according to USGS officials.
In fact, the earthquake was almost as strong as the strongest recorded earthquake in Virginia, a magnitude 5.9, which occurred in May 1897 in Giles County.
