Turned into Coal

[braeside]

This area of wetland and mixed woodland near my home is about to be 'transformed' into an opencast coal mine.
This is my interpretation of the burning of the coal under the ground.
I don't usually play around much in PP...

[KevinBarrett]

A very startling vision...I'm guessing you aren't a fan of this industrial endevor?

[braeside]

A very startling vision...I'm guessing you aren't a fan of this industrial endevor?

Not particularily

[jbtaylor]

It just occurred to me that I have no idea what purpose coal serves beyond providing life sustaining energy to the human race. Of course, they could turn it into a golf course.

[Javelin]

Depenmds .. mostly for heating. but theres diferent types of coal.. or rather coal in diferent states. beyond just burning it for heat it can be cooked into coke which they use for making steel. they can extract oul out of the tarry type of coal .. and i'm sure theres lots of other uses too.. none of it's pretty though.

It just occurred to me that I have no idea what purpose coal serves beyond providing life sustaining energy to the human race. Of course, they could turn it into a golf course.

[jbtaylor]

I think that the point I was making was that coal doesn't have much use if it stays under ground.
Thanks for the informative links.

[braeside]

The coal will be used for Electricity generation - however it is the impact on the local population that is my concern, this is not a coal mine, it is a giant hole in the ground operation with noise, dust, blasting within 300 m of people's homes. Anyway, enough of my griping.

[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.