Minerals

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Opencast coal-mining
2009 was the tenth anniversary of environmental considerations being enshrined in official minerals policy – something the Campaign to Protect Rural England had sought for over 30 years. We marked the date by asking the Government to leave England’s untapped coal reserves in the ground until proven Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology is working at our coal fired power stations.

Unfortunately, the last Government failed this test of their environmental credentials last October by approving the proposal for a new opencast mine near Telford, Shropshire. The mine will allow almost a million extra tonnes of coal to be burned - pumping more and more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere before any CCS infrastructure is in place.

Not only do opencast mines deface some of our finest landscapes and wreck tranquillity, they have a devastating effect on nearby communities and wildlife, while hindering efforts to reduce CO2 emissions. An increase in opencasting would mean that carbon emissions from coal will continue to contribute to climate change. Future investment in new unabated coal would contradict targets for an 80% cut in emissions enshrined in the Climate Change Act, and threaten the coalition’s aspiration to be the ‘greenest Government ever’. 

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