BIG LAUREL — Residents along Greasy Creek are asking the federal Office of Surface Mining to investigate what is causing cracks in the foundations and walls of their homes.

        Rhoda Freeman believes the damage has been caused by mine shafts dug beneath the homes, even though residents have never given permission to anyone to mine the coal.

        Now, Ms. Freeman and other residents are calling on OSM to drill on the property to see whether they are are right.

        “Our houses are falling apart, and our land is sinking,” Ms. Freeman said. “It's a real mess.”

        Residents hired the Lexington engineering firm GECOH Exploration to test the property for underground mines by essentially X-raying the strata below. Company President Rene Rodriguez, a former University of Kentucky geophysics professor, said voids were identified beneath the property that appear to be abandoned mine shafts.

        A previous study, commissioned by OSM, found no such evidence. Mr. Rodriguez contends findings from that study were erroneous.

        Damage to homes was first reported more than a decade ago at Big Laurel along the border of Harlan and Leslie counties. In addition, Ms. Freeman said, many of the wells where residents got their water have gone dry. Others, she said, now produce foul-tasting water.

        “It just doesn't seem like we can get any help in getting anything done,” Ms. Freeman said.

        The problems date at least to 1988, when OSM first investigated the residents' claims.

        At that time, OSM found that Shamrock Mining Co., now owned by James River Coal Services Co., Richmond, Va., had violated federal water-supply regulations.

        The company was not deemed responsible for structural damage to homes because investigators said some of the damage occurred before it began mining in the area.

        Officials at James River Coal could not be reached for comment.

        Mr. Rodriguez said homes are likely to continue suffering damage because of shifts in the rock strata as mine shafts collapse.

        Residents want to prove that coal has been mined on their property so they can seek reimbursement from the responsible company.

        Residents have submitted GECOH Exploration's findings to OSM, along with a request for a more extensive government study, including core drilling to determine whether coal mining caused the voids.

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