ALTON, Ill. — Investigative drilling is underway at Gordon F. Moore Park, the next step in remediation efforts after a large sinkhole swallowed portions of soccer fields at the park two weeks ago.
Our news crews spoke with Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker Thursday during the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new public safety facility at East St. Louis's Emerson Metrolink station and asked about the sinkhole.
"We're working very hard to make sure that's not a problem going forward," he said. "Of course, we got the federal government involved. We're going to make sure we're doing everything we can. It's shocking, really. I'm so glad nobody was on the field when it happened. But, the question is why did it happen, and what is the federal government going to do to make sure it never happens again?"
Our newsroom has seen chatter online and reporting by other news outlets that the Alton sinkhole is growing.
Our reporter checked in with a representative for the New Frontier crews on the ground to verify this on Thursday. The company representative tells us the sinkhole itself hasn't grown in size since the initial collapse.
Still, the massive hole remains unfilled.
Alton Mayor David Goins said in a statement that as of Tuesday, the U.S. Mine Health Safety Administration granted permission for investigative drilling to begin under the park's access road.
City of Alton representatives tell 5 on Your Side work crews at the sinkhole sight and the mayor are expected to meet this week to share findings. We're told we'll hear an update on the investigation from Mayor David Goins and other officials on Tuesday at 10 a.m.
In a June 27 letter to United States Department of Labor's Office of Mine Safety and Health Administration, Governor Pritzker writes in part, "I offer my full support and assistance in this matter through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency’s professional experts and emergency personnel. I have asked Illinois Department of Natural Resources Director Natalie Finnie to coordinate our State’s role in this ongoing response. Through the public service professionals of the division of Mines and Minerals – experts in underground and surface subsidence – I know your team will be well-served as we seek to protect the Alton community and hasten their return to normalcy."
In a June 24 written statement, Governor Pritzker also said “The residents of Madison County deserve a thorough and well-communicated investigation into this incident to hasten their return to normalcy.”
Mine subsidence from an underground mine owned by New Frontier Materials caused the 100-feet wide, 30-feet deep sinkhole to open up June 26 on the park's soccer fields; surveillance footage caught the moment it swallowed bleachers and a light pole.
The 704-acre park has been closed to the public since the sinkhole opened, with little word on when it could be expected to reopen.
"We had a productive day of drilling, completing a little over half the initial area," a New Frontier Materials representative said in a statement included in the city's news release sent on July 9. The statement goes on to say, "We will continue drilling this week and plan to submit our findings to MSHA once all data is collected."
"Ensuring the safety of our residents and restoring Gordon Moore Park to its full capacity are my top priorities," Goins said. "We will continue to work diligently with all involved parties to achieve this goal."
A meeting was planned for later this week between Alton and New Frontier Materials to discuss progress and the next steps.
According to the Illinois State Geological Survey, more than 330,000 homes spread out across 201,000 acres in the state are in close proximity to active or old mine works.