PHOTOS BY DAVID GALLENSTEIN
SPRINGDALE | Buried beneath the lush green hillside in the former community of Springdale is the Carmeuse Lime and Stone mine. In addition to the mine, there is a plant situated along the banks of the Ohio River and Cabin Creek that turns the stone into lime.
The mine and plant have been in Mason County since early 1974, when it was owned by Dravo. It was purchased by Carmeuse, a Belguim company in 1997. In 37 years of mining, more than 100 million tons of stone have been mined from the site.
During the weekend of May 18 and 19, an open house was hosted by employees and management of Carmeuse. Saturday’s open house was for employee family members and Sunday’s was attended by the general public. Approximately 800 people visited and toured the mine and plant.
We were all given hard hats, safety glasses and a flashlight for a two and half hour tour that would take us 960 feet underground and then later, walk us past the massive kilns that turn the stone into lime.
Going down into the mine itself was something else. We were instructed on how to use a self-rescuer, which employees must have on them when working underground; we were told how the tag-in/tag-out system works to make sure every employee is accounted for at all times; and then we were loaded onto an elevator for the descent underground.
Arriving underground, which is 250 feet below sea level, we were met by Carmeuse employees to begin the tour through the cavernous room and pillar mine. There are offices just off the elevator, and later you pass a power station. At this point, the height of the mine back, or roof was more than 20 feet and we were surrounded by huge limestone pillars, or ribs.
Although the main entry and exit into the mine is the elevator, there is also a slope car into the mine. The slope car travels at an 18 percent grade and 2,800 feet to the surface from the interior. In case of an emergency evacuation, the slope car can hold 16 to 20 people.
So I was wondering how in the world it’s possible to get heavy equipment like front loaders, drills, highback scalers, and diesel and water trucks into a mine. The answer: the equipment is taken apart, the pieces are loaded on the slope car and reassembled and maintained in the shop area, thus creating an underground city where all that equipment is driven around the ribs and rooms of the mine just like a person would find at a mining or construction site on the surface.
We were told the back (roof) of the mine is 70 feet tall on average with some areas reaching 100 feet, but hearing that and then seeing it were two different things. As we crossed into the giant cavern, we couldn’t help but look up and be a bit stunned by the sheer size of the area. Flashlights were quickly turned on so we could explore our surroundings. The interior of the mine is lit only by the headlights on the equipment and hardhat lights; there is no overhead lighting. At one point, all lights were extinguished and you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face.
Although production was shut down for the tours, equipment was staged throughout to illustrate how the stone is mined, drilled, scraped and hauled to the surface. The blasting process was explained and we traveled past only a small section of the 8-mile belt line that moves crushed stone to the surface. We learned the mine is two stories and the roof is supported with six foot bolts drilled into the rock in five foot patterns. We learned the ventilation system situated in a cavern next to the elevator shaft provides a constant flow of fresh air into the mine.Â
While underground, we only got to see a small portion of the mine: currently 1,300 acres are mined out. Carmeuse officials said the mine has another 75 years of production and the Maysville operation produces more than any other Carmeuse plant in the United States. Ninety-eight percent of the product goes to coal-fired power plants, which is what the operation was developed for.
The employees who escorted us provided all kinds of information about safety regulations, environmental regulations and the different size of finished stone produced. They explained it takes two tons of kiln feed to produce one ton of lime, which is processed through four massive kilns that burn at temperatures of 2,000 degrees. We also learned 43 percent of lime produced in the United States goes to the steel industry and the fine white powder coating found on bubble gum wrappers is lime powder.
We also learned that safety is the number one priority at the mine and plant, and there is great pride in the mine rescue teams from both the Carmeuse Maysville operation and the Black River Mine in Pendleton County. As the banner greeting their guests said, Carmeuse is “committed to sending everyone home the way they came to work.”
This unidentified boy wears his hardhat and safety glasses as required to go into the underground mine.
Visitors are briefed on safety measures before descending 960 feet underground to tour Carmeuse’s limestone mine during the company’s open house weekend.
Mine Maintenance Manager Roger Botkins demonstrates how to use a self-rescuer unit. The unit provides oxygen to miners in case of an emergency.
Safety is priority at the Carmeuse facility. This banner lets employees and visitors know the company is “committed to sending everyone home the way they came to work.” Visitors were asked to sign the banner.
In this 2013 file photo, Carmeuse Electrical Supervisor Gary Galloway leads a tour around the Maysville Carmeuse plant.
Heavy equipment like this highback scaler is used throughout the Carmeuse mine. The back, or roof of the mine reaches heights of 100 feet.
Carmeuse employee Jack Stafford and his family in front of a front loader during Saturday’s open house for family members.
Over a two day period, approximately 800 people visited the Carmeuse Lime and Stone facility as part of the company’s open house for employee family members and the community.
Employee Jeremy Bretz and his son during Carmeuse’s open house.
