Left to right- NAAMLP Vice President Don Newton; AMRP Program Manager Steve Fluke; AMRP Project Manager Davey Jones; Project contractor Brierley Associates representatives Ike Isaacson, Melissa Bautz, and Josh Zimmerman receiving the award at the annual conference.

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining’s Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program (AMRP) has received the prestigious 2025 National Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Award from the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement.

The award recognizes the AMRP for its Kenilworth Mine Fire Emergency Abatement Project in Carbon County, which exemplified excellence in reclamation by successfully eliminating health, safety, and environmental hazards that threatened the nearby community. The award was presented earlier this month during the National Association of Abandoned Mine Land Program (NAAMLP) conference in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

The Kenilworth project was critical because the century-old mine fire, long considered a low-grade hazard, had recently become an urgent threat to residents. AMRP staff had been monitoring the site since 2021. Still, when a new vent began emitting large volumes of toxic smoke directly over the community, the resulting air contamination demanded immediate, decisive action to protect public health.

To cut off oxygen and slow the underground combustion, contractors used innovative techniques, applying a specialized fire-retardant foam that expands up to 30 times its original volume. This approach safely and effectively sealed mine openings and vents. Due to the site’s steep and unstable terrain, helicopters were required to transport workers and equipment to the site. Crews received specialized safety training for the high-risk closure work.

Kenilworth mine vent emitting large volumes of toxic smoke directly over the community of Kenilworth

Brierley Associates managed the engineering, including compiling historic records, ventilation data, and mine maps, and conducted project-specific remote sensing to gain a better understanding of the site. The 5 Seventeen Company completed the construction. The federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funded the project.

“This project demonstrates the core mission of our program—protecting the public from the dangers of abandoned mines,” said AMRP Manager Steve Fluke. “The Kenilworth fire presented complex challenges, but through strong collaboration, innovation, and community support, we were able to eliminate a serious threat and make the area safer for residents.”

The Kenilworth area has documented coal seam fires dating back to 1906, when early mining records described workers encountering burning seams underground. While the precise cause of the current fire remains unclear, it was likely triggered by spontaneous combustion—a common phenomenon in coal mines that can allow fires to smolder and persist for decades.