SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) – The state is getting an additional $75 million from the federal government to help address the dangers associated with abandoned mine lands. Leaders with the U.S. Department of the Interior toured one of those sites Thursday: Lutheran High School’s Washington Street campus.

“These funds will support vitally needed jobs, funding all types of reclamation projects in coal communities,” Steve Feldgus, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management at the Department of the Interior, said. “And once these sites are cleaned up, they also become part of the foundation for new economic opportunities.”

The building is set to be demolished after damage from mine subsidence created safety concerns.

“It just kind of happened over a weekend in the summer of 2022 and went from there,” Zack Klug, the school’s principal, said. “[It] started with a water main break on the east side of the campus and then seeing the aspects of it in the building as well, with the floors dropping, cracks in the building.”

Mine subsidence happens when there’s a void underground created by mining coal and other materials. Then, it starts to collapse and the surface sinks in.

Because of the subsidence, the floors at the school buckled and dropped, and cracks formed in the walls.

“After investigation, IDNR experts believe the subsidence could continue for several more years so an alternate location was secured for learning to continue, and students and staff have made the best of a very difficult situation,” Natalie Phelps Finnie, the director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), said.

Klug said they are currently looking for a permanent home for the school but sports teams are still using the athletic fields.

When officials began to notice signs of mine subsidence, they moved the campus to a temporary location. School wasn’t in session at the time so it didn’t impact students, but Klug said they had to quickly figure out the next steps for the upcoming school year.

“It was stressful,” Klug said. “It was July 2 when they told us we needed to start thinking about moving out and the school year started a month and a half later.”

The additional $75.8 million from the federal government is meant to create jobs to tackle problems with abandoned mine lands like Lutheran High School.

“This funding is a lifeline,” Phelps Finnie said. “First, it will help the state of Illinois do the reclamation work that’s needed to protect public health, safety and our precious environment. Then, it will allow local communities to make plans and find purpose for this restored land.”

Phelps Finnie said IDNR plans to finish 81 projects over the next five years. They estimate it will cost about $68 million.

Illinois also got $75 million last fiscal year and that same amount of money will be paid to the state each year over the next 15 years.

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