Utah Working to Close About 200 Abandoned Mines

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The state of Utah plans to seal off about 200 abandoned mines this spring as part of a decades-long quest to plug shafts that are part of the state's western legacy.

The Deseret News reports this year's closure effort targets an area near the Gold Hills mining district known as the Clinton Hills project. It's about 150 miles west of Salt Lake City near the Nevada border.

The project is one of the largest undertaken in the state.

Project manager Chris Rohrer of the state's Division of Oil, Gas and Mining says officials are working with property owners and will use masonry walls, metal grates or backfilling to seal the mine entrances.

The mines are hazardous to off-road vehicle users, hikers and others who explore the area.