The Penn State Schuylkill campus in Schuylkill Haven will host a September 26 program on the Centralia Mine Fire - Social Conflict and the Death Of A Pennsylvania Community starting at 7:00 p.m. in the Morgan Auditorium.

When a coal mine fire was discovered in the community of Centralia, Columbia County in 1962, there were more than 1,000 residents. Today, there are 10. Well before the buildings were razed and most residents were relocated, the social community had been destroyed by rancorous social conflict.

Join us for this insightful presentation on why this happened and how studying Centralia led to the discovery of a new type of disaster which, if left unchecked, results in social and individual trauma greater than that found with hurricanes and tornadoes.

Stephen Couch is a professor of sociology at Penn State Schuylkill. He researches disasters and popular culture, and the sociology of fear’s relationship to our divisive political culture. He is co-author of "The Real Disaster Is Above Ground: A Mine Fire and Social Conflict."

This presentation is part of the Penn State Schuylkill 85th Anniversary Speaker Series.

Click Here for more information on the program.  Click Here for more on Centralia.

To learn more about state and federal actions to respond to the underground mine fire, visit DEP’s Centralia Mine Fire Resources webpage.

Related Article:

EPCAMR Seeking Volunteers For Annual Centralia Cleanup Day Oct. 19, Columbia County

NewsClip:

Avondale Mine Disaster of 1869: Accident Or Arson?

[Posted: August 30, 2019]

9/2/2019