some friends were sharing this link last night discussing the mines

https://www.techspot.com/news/102377-two-mines-north-carolin...

it does seem like the mines in question are all open pit mines immediately adjacent to the north toe river, with facilities on the riverbank and toxic waste pools nearby.

i expect they've flooded to some extent. pit mine volume can be incredibly large so the worst case may be quite bad.

Which is why we try to set these things up in arizona where the only natural problem is heat.