Dawn and Scott Wilson can’t figure out why a state mining engineer decided the cracks in the basement of a home they own in North Belle Vernon were caused by dry soil rather than mine subsidence.

They also were told the cracks existed before they purchased mine subsidence insurance, thus preventing repairs from being covered. Those repairs could cost as much as $30,000.

Cracks in the foundation of the Fell Street house started to occur a day after 6-inch bore holes were drilled on a neighbor’s property in late September, the Wilsons contend.

The holes were in preparation for a cement grout mixture to be pumped into mine voids to stabilize the ground under the house, Dawn Wilson said.

“They came to inspect after the damage was begun and claimed it wasn’t their fault. The (Department of Environmental Protection) mine subsidence insurance representative came and said it was “dry soil displacement” and it was our problem.

“We are at a loss. We have cracks everywhere in the walls and floor.”

The Wilsons live in Fallowfield, Washington County, but own the home on Fell Street, where their son and grandchildren live.

A DEP mining engineer last month had determined the cracks in the the foundation of the 75-year-old house were there before they purchased mine subsidence insurance in late August, Wilson said.

That contradicted their contention that none of the subsidence problems existed before they bought insurance and before the bore holes were drilled in late September.

James Armstrong, vice president of operations for Armstrong Drilling Co. of New Alexandria, the drillers on the project, could not be reached for comment.

The DEP does not comment on active investigations, said Laina Acquiline, a spokeswoman for the DEP in Pittsburgh. In general, the department investigates all mine subsidence insurance claims to determine if the claimed damages are covered under the mine subsidence insurance agreement, Aquiline said.

The mining engineer’s decision that dry soil caused the sinking seems implausible, since the house was built in 1949 and has endured dry spells in the past, Wilson said.

The southwest corner of the house has sunk ½ to 1 inch since last month, as well as the back wall, Wilson said.

One crack inside the basement is wide enough to stick a finger in. Scott Wilson had to trim off some of the bottom of a basement door to get it to close because of the subsidence.

The drilling and subsequent pumping of the grout mixture into the mine voids is part of an estimated $11.8 million mine subsidence prevention project to stabilize the ground under about 140 homes in a 50-block area in North Belle Vernon.

The DEP is overseeing the project, which is funded by the federal Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act and is free to the homeowners. The work may continue into 2027.

North Belle Vernon Mayor Craig Ambrose said he has not heard from any other residents about property damage from subsidence since the project started. Ambrose said he spoke with drillers who told him they were not aware of any problems caused by the drilling of the 6-inch holes into the mine void.

When the DEP was seeking to register homeowners in November, Eugne Trio, a DEP mining engineer consultant, said that of the thousands of houses subject to a mine subsidence stabilization project, problems have occurred in only five.

The house, like so many properties in North Belle Vernon and Belle Vernon, sits above abandoned mines. Mine maps show that beneath the Wilson’s property was a path for a railcar that would transport miners to where the coal was extracted. A hole drilled in the backyard hit a coal pillar, so the grout could not be pumped through that bore hole, she said.

The Wilsons said they are aware they can appeal the decision by the mine inspector but understand they would need to hire an attorney to fight the state in a legal battle that could take years and cost thousands of dollars.

“The house will break long before any of that gets settled,” Dawn Wilson said.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)