	Problem: The State of Wyoming needed to mitigate the public and wildlife safety hazard associated with an abandoned underground coal mine sites northwest of Saratoga, Wyoming. Wildlife considerations included scheduling construction activities outside of known bald and golden eagle nesting periods and the construction of a bat culvert.
	Objective: The purpose of the project was to evaluate and eliminate the public safety hazards associated with two abandoned underground coal mine sites located northwest of Saratoga, Wyoming, while preserving the historical significance of the individual sites, structures and adjacent man camps.
	PHC Solutions: PHC-REC identified existing and potential safety and environmental concerns pertaining to open portals, exposed adit workings, vertical openings, subsidence features and geomorphic instability. Responsibilities included site investigation and evaluation, consents and clearances, site eligibility research, mine permit research, mineral claim research, limited surveying, mapping, hazard assessment, conceptual design and construction specification preparation, costing, construction bidding and construction management.

All hazards associated with the twenty five abandoned coal mines were successfully mitigated and construction activities were completed by October 2002. A bat culvert bulkhead was constructed in one of the open mine adits located adjacent to the North Platte River. Cultural resource studies conducted for the project found that four of the coal mines were eligible for nomination of the National Register of Historic Places.