Pennsylvania’s coal mining industry has more active mines than five years ago but is causing less damage to water supplies and surface structures a new report on the industry shows.

The report, which covers the years 2013 to 2018, is required by the Bituminous Mine Subsidence and Land Conservation Act to be compiled every five years by the state Department of Environmental Protection.

The most recent report was prepared by the University of Pittsburgh by gathering data from mine permit applications, monitoring reports and enforcement actions by DEP.

“This report is a good reminder of the effects of mining, and the need to mitigate those effects to ensure that underground mining can coexist with neighbors on the surface,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “This is also a good reminder to residents to check to see if their homes could be at risk of subsidence related to historic coal mining activity.”

During the period studied, 49 underground bituminous coal mines were in operation, affecting a surface area of 28,854 acres, according to the report. The longwall, room-and-pillar and pillar-recovery mines represented a 7% drop in surface acreage from the previous five-year period, despite the fact that more mines were in operation, DEP said.

The report found that mining operations were responsible, and the companies liable, for 192 affected water supplies from 2013 to 2018. That is down from 371 for the previous reporting period, DEP said.

The time to resolve operator-liable water supply issues dropped from 415 days in the 2008-2013 report to 302 days in the latest report. DEP said it has been working with the mining industry to improve response times.

A 1994 amendment to the state law, known as Act 54, included provisions for protection and restoration of water supplies affected by mining and additional remedies for structural damage. As a result, underground mine operators must demonstrate that their activities are designed to prevent damage to aquifers and perennial streams.

Cracked foundations, collapsed walls and homes sinking into the ground are all possible impacts of underground mine subsidence, which is not typically covered by homeowner’s insurance policies, DEP said.

In 2018, DEP launched a newly-revamped website to help homeowners identify the risks and insure their property from underground mine subsidence.

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