Opencast coal mining is planned for Coalville, Measham and surrounding areas, ruining the quality of life for local residents.
We oppose this. The mining will be lossmaking. So who is subsidising it ?
Prof Paul Reynolds has supplied data to local groups on the serious health problems and asthma diseases linked to open cast coal mining in residential areas.
Initial calculations show that such mining is not economically viable on the scale proposed, at current coal prices. This raises suspicions that the real scale planned is much larger than the public is being told. Prices are not stable either, so that devastating development can be planned and the project halted mid way through.
There are other problems arising from economic difficulties. Normally, it is planned that developers ‘restore’ the site back to its original state. But due to bankruptcies, it has happened in the UK that at the end of the open cast mining in a rural area, there are insufficient funds to pay for the restoration of the land, and the devastation can remain for years and years.
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These developments should be opposed. The local authority has said that it takes advice from government health experts on the negative effects of such mining on air quality and respiratory problems, especially among children, but often the data being used by government official is out of date or biased in favour of the coal industry.
In the particular case of Measham, Coalville and surrounding areas, the negative aspects of the mining very clearly outweigh any benefits. Liberal Democrats will continue to press for these developments to be turned down. |
