Turned into Coal

[jbtaylor]

I wondered about that. My hope was that your were upwind. The roads will take a beating as well. It's these soft costs to the business, but hard costs to the bystanders that pure capitalism has difficulty with. Usually, local governments make up for that in the permitting process. Either way, your world will be changing.

[ruthless]

If they are mining wetlands what are the plans for remediation e.g are they going to put in wetlands at another location to make up for the destruction of that one? Can you post the original picture, I want to see the vegitation in its natural state.

[braeside]

Original views of the area http://homepage.mac.com/braeside/opencast/index.html

It will be restored after the mining is completed (takes over 5 years though).

[aster]

Hi David,

That's a fine piece of land. I suppose the officials figured the coal beneath the surface is worth the trouble economically. But isn't opencast mining hazardous to human health while also driving any wild life away from the region? I think for the next five years there'll be an element of fine coal dust in the air which probably be carried by wind towards where humans live. Not good as this may increase the level of effected respiratory systems and other forms of sensitivities may arise too...

I hope it doesn't come to that but you all need better health insurance coverage by the government which would be a sign of a little respect for the living at least...

Yildiz

[braeside]

Yildiz,

Yes that was precisely the basis of many objectors to the scheme. However we were up against a big English mining conglomerate who have much influence and even though they are not usually permitted to carry out opencast within 1Km of any community, the definition of a community is so loose that they claimed our houses were not a community. Incidentally one of the resident's children has severe respiratory problems already and still they granted permission. Councillors were scared to object against it because in the past where they have objected to such operations, and it has been taken to higher authority on appeal by the applicant, they have charged the council a lot of money for unsound legal objections to the proposals.

The objectors have no right of appeal.

[peterottaway]

I am surprised that they were permitted to mine so close to houses without being required to purchase any homes within the safety exclusion zone where the locals want to sell. And at pre mine plan prices.

Coal is still an essential product but it is only fair that the costs of the energy production is borne by all those who benefit.

Do have to declare a certain personal interest in this as a grandmother was one of six brothers and sisters who migrated to Australia from Scotland just before and after WW 1. They were raised by their grandparents as her father who was a coal miner died of "miners lung" aged barely 30 and her mother died to TB before she turned 35.

[aster]

Yildiz,

Yes that was precisely the basis of many objectors to the scheme. However we were up against a big English mining conglomerate who have much influence and even though they are not usually permitted to carry out opencast within 1Km of any community, the definition of a community is so loose that they claimed our houses were not a community. Incidentally one of the resident's children has severe respiratory problems already and still they granted permission. Councillors were scared to object against it because in the past where they have objected to such operations, and it has been taken to higher authority on appeal by the applicant, they have charged the council a lot of money for unsound legal objections to the proposals.

The objectors have no right of appeal.

That's one of the oddest things I've heard on such important life/health matters: the objectors can no longer appeal!
In fact, they should be backed up for continous appeal rights. Even the loss of one life after/during the minning process is reason to go to court. We have similar problems in Turkey, where the government granted permission to some companies to search for valuable minerals under native/endemic forest grounds but the forest villagers and the environmentalists protest all the time. Appeal or no appeal allowed. They throw themselves in front of the excavators if necessary, to halt the company's work. And they are still fighting for their land and environment beause they certainly don't want cancer/disease inflicted grandchildren...
I guess we need to fight this globally...

Peterottaway, sorry to hear of your ancestors' loss. Things haven't changed much on the health-issue side of coal minning since the times of your grandmother in spite of all the technological progress industry made in other areas. Coal comes at the expense of many dear lives still..

Yildiz

[peterottaway]

Thank you Yildiz, it's one of those things that you hope does improve with each generation. And it is disappointing when the same old excuses get run out yet again, especially in countries that can actually afford to do much better and who are always prepared to lecture others.

I am more of an advocate of the nuisance factor rather than too much direct action, except in the most important cases. If the mine only has a life of 5 years then I don't expect it to be extremely profitable, and as they have all ready used dodgy legal tactics then they may be tempted to keep on interpreting their continuing legal obligations the same way. Make them explain, justify and record everything they do - the more expensively the better, the more openly the better.

At the same time it does appear that the local situation may be lost,but that doesn't mean that the lax legal situation can't be tightened up for the future. Such companies are relying on having the legal and financial resources and political influence to overcome local opposition time after time.

[paulmurphy]

Local people seem to have little say over things these days.

They are going to open cast very near to us also (despite 2,500 signature petition and local council blocking it - national goverment over-ruled them), but at least we will get a 300mm long naked lady from the scraped off soil to look at when we are up in our helicopters (see the link)

http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east ... -20182330/

There are real concerns over air quality, but apparently open-cast mines don't produce vast quantites of dust, and the hundreds of lorries used to transport the coal wont affect it either (according to national politicians who live no-where near the place).

Sunset/sunrise shots over the areas will be interesting as excess dust in the air will be emphasied by the low angle light - we should compare some pics in a couple of years time.

Cheers

Murph

[braeside]

Yes Murph I saw about that development near you on a recent 'Panorama' TV report on opencast coal mining.
It all comes down to energy needs, we don't want to be totally dependent on foreign Gas and Coal, won't build many Nuclear Power Stations, and are desecrating what country we have left with Opencast mining and windfarms which are a total waste of space.

BTW just up the road from the OpenCast is a proposed windfarm which will tower over the landscape. The landowners are all in favour of it because they get land rental, the resident near to it are not so enamoured by the thought of the sight and noise. It is all government subsidised too.

http://www.westfifevillages.co.uk/WElay ... %203rd.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[David Kilpatrick]

I'm in favour of wind turbines strategically placed on the high points of Northumberlandia, or whatever her name is

David

[Javelin]

I live in the middle of a windfarm. and I concur this is a total waste of space. they use up whatever energy they produce in maintenance and just the cost f th units.. free enrgy is awefully expensive. they were counting on the continued rise in energy costs to make them profitable and it's just not going to happen witi the life of these units. Folks build nuclear ! it's the only way.

Yes Murph I saw about that development near you on a recent 'Panorama' TV report on opencast coal mining.
It all comes down to energy needs, we don't want to be totally dependent on foreign Gas and Coal, won't build many Nuclear Power Stations, and are desecrating what country we have left with Opencast mining and windfarms which are a total waste of space.

BTW just up the road from the OpenCast is a proposed windfarm which will tower over the landscape. The landowners are all in favour of it because they get land rental, the resident near to it are not so enamoured by the thought of the sight and noise. It is all government subsidised too.

http://www.westfifevillages.co.uk/WElay ... %203rd.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;