CAMERON, W.Va. — As mine subsidence issues continue to be a concern for Cameron residents, local officials are preparing for worst-case scenarios.

After mining company American Consolidated Natural Resource was approved by the DEP to mine below three Upper Grave Creek dams in Green Valley, residents are worried about mining hitting their water valves.

“The water line was perfectly fine, and now it’s in an area where the ground has fallen, or here it’s lifted, and the water line is compromised,” resident Dave Evans said.

Evans fears that sewer lines are compromised and a line break that could cause a loss of drinking water.

EMA Director Tom Hart says Marshall County officials have been meeting once a month to prepare for what could come if one of the dams breaks or a water line breaks.

“We just met by putting in place some special contingency plans in case one of the dams, or all of them, could be compromised and just trying to improve what we already have in place,” Hart said. But more tactical for those areas that are affected.”

Some impact is already being seen as houses see more cracks and tears as time goes on. Hart says they have added state partners to these meetings and hope to add more in the interest of the community.

“For us, it’s a life safety issue, property second, and we want to make sure we’re just trying to put things back together should something happen.”

Evans says she has spoken with local and state officials, but has yet to hear back from ACNR about the damage to her home.

NEWS9 reached out to the ACNR and did not hear back.

Evans says he just wants their voices to be heard before things get worse.

“It’s just a terrible situation,” Evans said. “There are going to be a lot of people who are going to be affected by this. Many of these people are elderly. And I can tell you right now that they are very stressed. Their houses are destroyed and they have nowhere to go “Some of these people are 70 to 80 years old and what are they going to do?

“Why should they put up with these kinds of problems? The coal company could have collapsed elsewhere than it did.”