150 NEW OPENCAST MINES ON THE CARDS FOR THE UK BETWEEN NOW AND 2025 CLAIMS NEW REPORT FROM THE MINORCA OPENCAST PROTEST GROUP

To meet Britain’s energy needs between now and 2025 a new study undertaken for the Minorca Opencast Protest Group argues that they are unlikely to be the only locality in the UK to experience the prospect of an opencast mine on their doorstep. This new report “Opencast / Surface Mining: It’s Role in Providing UK Energy Security”  suggests that ten new opencast sites a year will need to gain planning permission between now and 2025, making 150 sites in all, if targets to ensure Britain’s Energy Security are to be met. Using Government and Coal Industry data the report highlights the following:

·         Most British coal is already produced by opencast methods.

·         In future, of an expected 20m tonne British coal production, 10 -12m tonnes initially is expected to be from current and   future opencast mines, possibly rising to a 100% opencast production in the 2020’s.

·         However there are no current projections for the need for coal if CCS technology does not prove itself to be viable practically   or commercially.

·         Nor do current estimates for the demand for coal take account of the possibility of developing new technologies that use coal   such as Underground Coal Gasification.

·         Only seven deep mine are left working in England.

·         No new deep mine is likely without a public subsidy.

·         Unless new investment is undertaken the existing deep mines have a limited life and all could be closed by the end of the next   decade.

·         To ensure energy security, a mix of energy sources including predominately opencast British coal is needed according to the            Government.

·         In the future Energy Security issues will be used to justify granting planning permission for new opencast mines so that UK   coal producers can assure generating companies that they will be able to provide indigenous coal for up to 5 years in the   future. This demonstrates the interdependence between Planning Policy and Energy Policy

·         What was an aspiration target of producing 20m tonnes of indigenous coal proposed by the Coal Forum is rapidly gaining the          reputation of being an official government target, locking in the need for a predominantly opencast based indigenous coal   industry for the foreseeable future.

·         Those opposing opencast mining applications will be in a ‘Catch 22’ situation where the new ‘Need for Coal’ arguments could    be wheeled out to justify every new application. Thus objectors will be ‘holed below the waterline’ before they even lodge an    objection

·         That the Coal Authority, responsible for promoting and safeguarding coal, argued in 2006 that to ensure energy security, 10    new ‘low impact’ opencast mines would be needed a year for the foreseeable future.

·         In the opinion of those opposed to opencast mining, by increasingly relying on opencast coal to provide energy security for   the UK the Government are condoning the creation of new coal supplies by methods which are not only extremely   environmentally destructive but will blight the lives of thousands of people over the next 15 years. Coal produced by such   methods. ‘Clean’ coal? It is hardly that.

·         Numerous areas of the UK are at risk of being the victims of opencast mining in the future, 9 counties in England, 10 in   Scotland, 3 in   Wales and 1 in Northern Ireland. In addition 21 unitary authorities across England Scotland and Wales could    also be affected.

This, the second of MOPG’s Research Reports reaches these conclusions after undertaking extensive research and analysing the results. It claims to be the first report of its kind on Britain’s Energy Policy written from the perspective of those who oppose opencast mining.

Steve Leary, the Report’s author and MOPG Spokesperson said

“This report demonstrates that those opposing the Minorca application in Leicestershire are not just engaged in a ‘Nimby’ issue. Opposing the Minorca application raises significant questions about the future energy policy the Government is being locked into – a growing reliance on opencast coal production. MOPG is to ask the House of Commons Select Committee on Energy and Climate Change to enquire further on the findings of this report and to ask questions about whether current policy is worth the desecration of 10 new opencast sites a year for the foreseeable future. We urge other groups and interested parties to do the same”

This 32 page report can be downloaded from the following web page:

http://www.leicestershirevilla…..ports.html

It will be available on the MOPG web site shortly at this site address

http://mopg.co.uk/MOPG-Researc…..eports.php