Sunday, September 04, 2005
Deja Vue -- Oh no! Not again!
We have read with some scepticism in the newspapers about Corus and Abbey mine Ltd. competing for a licence to develop a mine in Margam ( August 25th).We can only hope their intentions are strictly for a deep mine proposal. This news sounds oh so familiar to us. Why is it that when we are in the throes of a controversial opencast extension proposal, the Margam deep pit project raised its profile once again?When Celtic Energy applied for the last extension to the opencast site at Park Slip/ Margam, they applied for it in order to sink a deep /drift mine. The present phase was promised to be the last phase. All workings were supposed to cease in 2004. The public believed them and, with the promise of many hundreds of jobs, there was little opposition. This was the main reason that planning permission was granted. As soon as the company had permission, it later became apparent that they had no intention of going ahead with the deep/drift mine, and so the opencast continued, providing few jobs in the closest communities to the site. They betrayed us. Are we experiencing the same scenario again? We are not so naïve and gullible this time. We do not want this obscenity on our doorstep any more!Although this area is steeped in mining history, quarrying by private opencast companies was never part of that history. The industry have betrayed, disregarded and shown contempt of the local communities by even applying for this extension.In theory, we at PACT would not oppose a deep or drift mine, providing it was in the right location E.g. on the Corus side of the A48, welcoming the employment and revenue it would bring to Wales as a whole. However, we do oppose any opencast, in whatever location, as :-“Opencast mining is one of the most environmentally destructive processes being carried out in the U.K. The sites are among the most ugly examples of the ravages of industrial exploitation”House of Commons Energy Select Committee(1987 Para. 4)We are concerned that before a decision is made on Celtic Energy’s proposed controversial extension, applications have been made on the Western side of the site for a mining licence also. The only mining we support in our locality is out of the green wedge valley and nearer the steel works itself. This would eliminate the devastation to the valley, amenities, local businesses, leisure and tourism and also eliminate transport problems, whilst helping Corneli’s problems with lorries coming through their village as they do now, as the primary use of the railway line and it’s low bridge is for transportation of coal from the opencast site.We should not be lulled into a false sense of hopefulness at this licence application, as it is still early days, and we cannot be sure that it is good news for us until we see the final planning application proposals. But it goes without saying that in the right location a deep mine would be acceptable and would eliminate, once and for all, fears of any future opencast developers trying to get at the Margam coal reserves.
Sunday 6 January 2008
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OUR STORY
We’ve had opencast mining in our community for almost 60 years. The most recent work started six years ago. In spring 2005, an application to extend the site by 51 hectares to the west was put forward by the mining company, Celtic Energy Ltd. This would have been through parts of ancient woodland and could have had an effect on biodiversity.The existing mine looks absolutely horrific. It’s a huge, black hole which looks like a moonscape. The mine is in the valley so you can see it from all directions - from the motorway to the sand dunes.It is also really close to the community. This means the noise and dust created can have a big impact, which makes our area a unique case.Strong public feeling
When Celtic Energy submitted the application there was a meeting in Bridgend. The public were allowed to attend but not to comment. That’s where I met other residents who were against the plan and together we set up PACT – Protecting and Conserving Together.The strength of public feeling against the mine is incredible. Now hundreds of people are involved, but it’s still down to a few of us to do all the organising. Unhealthy situationPACT approached the Cardiff Institute of Society of Health and Ethics to carry out a health impact assessment of the proposed extension on people living in the area. Their research came to the conclusion that the negative aspects of expansion would outweigh the positive. The report said; “The loss of amenity, visual impact, nuisance dust, noise and pollution are strong arguments against further open casting close to this community.”But health is not an issue that has to be taken into account in planning at the moment. This needs to change because, the way things are, councils can just pick and choose what they want to take out of something like a health impact assessment.
I don’t think there is a balance between industry and the needs of the people. Legislation on dust and noise is all geared up to help the industry. This means it doesn’t matter how much residents complain, because whenever noise or dust levels are measured they seem to be deemed OK. That’s why we’re calling for tighter legislation.Last month Celtic Energy withdrew their expansion plans. But we weren’t celebrating because that’s not the end of it. They have also put in an application for a time extension of another year for the existing site. No time extension has ever been refused.
When Celtic Energy submitted the application there was a meeting in Bridgend. The public were allowed to attend but not to comment. That’s where I met other residents who were against the plan and together we set up PACT – Protecting and Conserving Together.The strength of public feeling against the mine is incredible. Now hundreds of people are involved, but it’s still down to a few of us to do all the organising. Unhealthy situationPACT approached the Cardiff Institute of Society of Health and Ethics to carry out a health impact assessment of the proposed extension on people living in the area. Their research came to the conclusion that the negative aspects of expansion would outweigh the positive. The report said; “The loss of amenity, visual impact, nuisance dust, noise and pollution are strong arguments against further open casting close to this community.”But health is not an issue that has to be taken into account in planning at the moment. This needs to change because, the way things are, councils can just pick and choose what they want to take out of something like a health impact assessment.
I don’t think there is a balance between industry and the needs of the people. Legislation on dust and noise is all geared up to help the industry. This means it doesn’t matter how much residents complain, because whenever noise or dust levels are measured they seem to be deemed OK. That’s why we’re calling for tighter legislation.Last month Celtic Energy withdrew their expansion plans. But we weren’t celebrating because that’s not the end of it. They have also put in an application for a time extension of another year for the existing site. No time extension has ever been refused.
About Me
- KENFIGPACT
- The ‘Protecting and Conserving Together’ group (PACT) exists for the benefit and protection of the environment within the local area and is particularly concerned with preventing the expansion of opencast mining. PACT draws its membership mainly from the local communities representing truly local knowledge and concerns that are fundamental to the planning process. The group has many members and many more supporters representing a broad cross-section of society both locally and elsewhere. Its membership and supporters include MPs, AMs, clergy, environmentalists, professionals, economists, wildlife experts and scientists. The opencast impacts upon these three County Boroughs: Cefn Cribwr and Aberbaiden (Ogmore Constituency) Kenfig Hill and Pyle (Bridgend Constituency) Pen-Y-Bryn, Bryndu and Margam ( Margam, Neath/Port Talbot Constituency)
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