The discovery of the bodies of teenagers Breezy Otteson and Riley Powell from an abandoned mine outside of Eureka underscored a long-lingering danger in many parts of Utah — abandoned mines that haven’t been closed or otherwise secured.

About a century after their chapter in Utah’s history closed, thousands of abandoned mines remain uncapped. They are leaving open the potential for people and animals to come to harm. Beyond accidentally falling into a vertical shaft that could be more than a 1,000-feet deep, other potential hazards include unstable roofs, toxic air and old explosives, according to the state Division of Oil, Gas and Mining.

According to today’s report from Daily Herald staff writer Katie England, only about 30 percent of the estimated 20,000 abandoned mines in the state have been closed. Utah County has a better record as nearly two-thirds of the 476 identified mine openings have been closed.

The abandoned mines are relics older than most Utahns, dating back before state laws were enacted in the 1970s barring miners from simply walking away from a claim and abandoning their work.

Considering that most of these abandoned mines have been open for nearly 100 years, someone may question whether there should be a sense of urgency on securing these shafts. It seems inevitable that there will be more interaction between these open mines and a curiosity seeking public as Utah’s exploding population sprawls toward these sites.

We are heartened by the work done by the state’s Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program which works with contractors to secure open mines throughout the state. It’s heartening to learn that part of the revenue from active coal mining goes to help remedy the problems from previous mining eras.

Unfortunately, because most of the revenue comes from coal mining, the state’s focus is on securing coal mines instead of hard-rock mines, like those in the Tintic Mining District around Eureka. The state does manage to provide a small amount of funding to address open, hard-rock mines.

Moving forward, we would like to see lawmakers consider dedicating more resources toward closing the remaining 14,000 abandoned mines. It’s taken about 30 years for the state to close about 6,000 mines. It seems unreasonable to have to wait more than 60 years to close the rest.

Another concern is the fact that the funding for closing mines comes from coal mining. While we certainly appreciate the contributions of mining to Utah, the ongoing decline of coal in the energy world may mean declining tax revenue to address this decades-long issue. Lawmakers should look at where the money’s coming from and, if necessary, find a new source of money.

When it comes to open mines on private land, we appreciate that the state works to secure permission from the landowners before performing work. No one should force a landowner to secure abandoned mines, but we hope they realize that the $3,000 average cost to secure a site is likely far less than any potential claim following a fall, injury or death.

While it’s important to recognize and celebrate the importance of mining in Utah’s history, we should not let open mines create future tragedies. Steps must be taken by both private landowners and lawmakers to address these abandoned mines.