The Department of Environmental Protection is inviting homeowners to a special open house in Allegheny County to learn more about state-sponsored mine subsidence insurance.

Pennsylvania has thousands of abandoned underground mines that can collapse without warning, leaving homeowners with catastrophic damage.More than 1 million Pennsylvania homes sit above abandoned mines and most homeowner policies do not cover damage caused by mine subsidence.

Pennsylvania's mine subsidence insurance program is a non-profit fund administered by DEP that can provide coverage of up to $250,000 for residential structures and up to $250,000 for non-residential unattached structures like garages in the event of subsidence from abandoned mines.

Senior citizen rates are available for persons 65 and over.

The mine subsidence insurance fund paid more than $1.3 million for 41 claims in 2007 and has settled more than $23 million in claims since the fund was created in 1961.

Theopen house will be held from 2 p.m. – 7 p.m. on October 29, at the William E. Anderson Library, 1037 Stotler Road, Penn Hills, to answer questions about Pennsylvania's mine subsidence insurance program.

Residents will have the opportunity to find out if a property is located above an abandoned underground mine.

For more information and to see if your home is above an abandoned mine, visit the Mine Subsidence Insurance websiteor call 800-922-1678.

10/24/2008