Alton leased land for mining for decades before it collapsed, making huge profits

St. Louis, Missouri (First Alert 4) – For the first time since that massive hole opened up in Alton nearly three weeks ago, officials will hold a press conference to address serious questions about the fate of the park and the mining operations beneath it.

The press conference is scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday, but senior investigative reporter Lauren Trager has obtained new documents that show how much money the city has made from the mine and how much it now stands to lose.

Gordon Moore Community Park is closed indefinitely as the federal investigation into the incidents continues. First Alert 4 Investigates has obtained documents showing that the City of Alton long ago allowed the mining company to dig beneath its public park and has reaped large profits since then.

“The city received assurances that this would not happen – and it did happen,” said former Alton Mayor Brant Walker, one of several city leaders who signed the leases allowing New Frontier Materials and others to mine in Gordon Moore Community Park.

“Up to this point, there were no problems with the owners. They were good, civic-conscious people,” Walker said.

In fact, the city has had a mining lease with various companies since 1990. Documents made publicly available upon request show that Mayor David Goins recently extended the lease through 2030. Upon our request, the city provided documents showing just some of the profits from the mining operation.

Since the beginning of 2021, the City of Alton has generated nearly $1.75 million in revenue from mining operations.

Walker told First Alert 4 Investigates that serious discussions needed to be held about continuing the agreement.

“Alton is not a particularly wealthy community. Our coffers are not prepared to absorb a blow like this, so there has to be a discussion about the safety of what is happening underground,” Walker said.

Meanwhile, First Alert 4 Investigates also learned that federal authorities have raised safety concerns about mining operations in recent months. According to our research, many of these concerns were technical in nature, such as improper storage of flammable materials.

The last fatal accident occurred in 2020 when a pipe fell on a worker. Investigators said the mine was to blame “because the mine operator had failed to ensure that the equipment was secured against dangerous movements.”

However, further questions remain about what happened and whether the park can be used safely again.

“There are a lot of things that people loved besides sports that are no longer there,” Walker said.

It is unclear whether the lease makes the city or the mining company financially liable in the event of such a large collapse. Walker hopes the mining company will pay for the damage, but wonders who will ultimately bear the long-term economic consequences for the region.

First Alert 4 Investigates reached out to the current mayor’s administration today but received no response.

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