Stay Out Stay Alive

Mines and Quarries are not Playgrounds

Every year, dozens of people are injured or killed at active and abandoned mine sites. Fortunately, there have been no fatalities from citizens entering these sites in 2017 and 2018. However, one person died while trespassing and swimming in an abandoned Pennsylvania quarry in 2016 and two people died in 2015. In 2014, 5 people died in the U.S. while trespassing at mines and quarries and one of those fatalities was in Pennsylvania. Every single one of these tragedies could have been avoided.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has partnered with the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration, other state agencies and the active mining industry to promote the Stay Out Stay Alive campaign. The goal of this nationwide effort is to educate the public, particularly young people, about the dangers of abandoned and active mines. DEP is visiting schools and community groups to discuss the dangers of these sites.

Contact Information

To report the location of an abandoned mine or schedule a Stay Out/Stay Alive presentation for your school or community organization, please contact DEP's Bureau of Mine Safety at:

(724) 925-5500 - New Stanton

(570) 621-3139 – Pottsville

Educational Information

MSHA

Mine Safety Health Administration Stay Out Stay Alive Web Site