Wales' opencast pits facing Armageddon

This week’s announcement of downgrading Aberthaw power station means that every opencast pit in Wales is now facing Armageddon, according to Friends of the Earth Cymru. The environmental campaigners revealed in a report published this year that the fate of Aberthaw power station and opencast in Wales is inextricably linked.

Concerns are now being raised that insufficient funds will be available for restoration of these sites when they cease operations - which could happen within weeks or months.

Director of Friends of the Earth Cymru, Gareth Clubb, said:

“This is the doomsday scenario for opencast coal mines in Wales. Aberthaw’s commitment to use much less coal, and to source a greater proportion of that from overseas, means that opencast operators here have a business model that is just about to collapse. That means that this dirty, polluting industry is now facing Armageddon.  

“With such bleak prospects for the opencast industry, we anticipate a wave of bankruptcies and companies entering into administration - probably within a matter of weeks and months.

“We know from case law - to the misery of the residents of Margam - that it isn’t unlawful to strip the assets from these mines, offshore the profits and leave next to nothing in the restoration funds. So it’s absolutely imperative that the Welsh Government ensures that the funds necessary for complete restoration of these sites are locked down in public authorities”.