Anger as firm set to drill for coal

“There are two main issues here:

One issue for local people is whether as JOEGH indicates, we are going to be faced with an application to extend the existing mine in a few years time. To get this mine going UK Coal agreed to completely restore the site after 5 years. We will have to wait and see whether they keep to this commitment.

The second issue concerns the local reputation of UK Coal. After placing three stories about being a 'Good Neighbour' in the Leicester Mercury, the Burton Mail and the Ashby Times extolling the role of the Minorca Surface Mine Liaison Committee in keeping local people informed of developments, UK Coal 'forgot' to tell them of their intentions. Is this the actions of a 'Good Neighbour'?”

“Verystormy: Still waiting for a link to the report you cited on renewable energy in the UK...”

“Goodbye to the enraged ill-informed :-)...”

“Your insistence to use ill-logical and emotive language which has obviously clouded your opinion, JOEGH, I see no reason in attempting to continue this discussion.

I have no axe to grind whatsoever as I am in no way connected to the coal industry. All I was trying to do was to understand why, no so long ago, when some reckoned Coal was 'King' and that it was a tragedy so many lost their jobs because of mine closures that now we think it such a bad idea to extract coal if it is possible to do so.

The rant about "morals, "ethics", "profit" and now "assassinations" is just baloney!!”

“Eastonian, it is morally and ethically wrong for UK Coal to have all but assassinated the nation's remaining deep-mine industry by incompetence and greed and then to expect people to accept this smash and grab of the environment to dig itself of a self-made hole. Nothing wrong with profit or return on investements, if the impact on those not benefitting is insignificant or they accept the mitigation and/or compensation. This is certainly not the case with 90% of English opencast sites; that is another reason why they are generally opposed, and the best people to judge the acceptability are those are those who live or will live with them, not the Jonson Cox's of this world.

"So, are we saying if the coal reserves are there and can be extracted work should not go ahead just because what some see it as an "environmental disaster" and because of the "carrying off of profits to the directors and shareholders"? Or are we saying no work should be carried out because coal is no longer considered by some as vitally important?"

In the case of opencast coal extraction in England, the answer is all of the above, and that's without bringing-in any climate change or unsustainabilty arguments.

If this country ever desperately needs the coal, as it did in WWII, those reserves remaining will be beyond reach as UKC will have sterilised them, and the emergency fall-back in terms of opencast reserves will have already gone up Ratcliffe power station's chimney.

Off to wash the dust from my van now from one of this company's other opencast mines 1km away and operating to "the highest possible environmental standards" (apparently)...”

“I understand on occasions like this emotive language seems to be the order of the day.

So, are we saying if the coal reserves are there and can be extracted work should not go ahead just because what some see it as an "environmental disaster" and because of the "carrying off of profits to the directors and shareholders"? Or are we saying no work should be carried out because coal is no longer considered by some as vitally important?

Any company expects to make a "profit" else there is little or no point being in business and secondly any investor, large or small expects a return on that investment else what is the point of making the investment in the first place.

I suggest your employer, JOEGH, thinks exactly the same way.”

“@Verystormy: "As for prog_rock. You may not be aware, but a detailed study was carried out by a series of experts a few years ago about the UK's ability to power itself with renewable energy..."

I'd like to read this study, Verystormy... do you have a link or other source?”

“Eastonian - what's changed is the transition from the once-nationally vital deep-mine industry to the specious smash and grab of small private companies with a view to transforming the shrinking Green Belt to land with development potential via opencast mining, employing next to no-one and carrying-off the profit to the directors and major shareholders who would never entertain living next to one of these environmental disasters...”

“Amazing how times change. Not so long ago masses of folk were up in arms that coalfields were being closed with the loss of thousands of jobs and miners and their trade unions leaders were berating the Government of the day saying there were still tonnes of coal still to be mined and how mines were still viable. What's change?!!”

“Verystormy - UK Coal already has sufficient data from previous NCB/BC drilling records and other data sets at this site to know with 99% certainty the availabity of reserves for potential extraction. The exploration licence is to add the flesh to the bones of that info' with respect to economic considerations, and to see just how much could be extracted whilst paying lip-service to planning considerations, i.e. how deep UKC can dig without piling the muck too high to make the planning officers wince. A planning application WILL follow. UKC is in no position to sanction exploration nor any other environmental study without it believing there will be a return from this.

Crouch's comments mirror those made when UKC was caught conducting "routine" environmental surveys at Shortwood Farm in Notts. Despite all the denials and platitudes, a planning application for application followed two-years later.

As for the objectors being responsible for the UK's financial malaise, well, I think you'll find that was actually the bankers and the politicians; I don't recall anybody opposing opencast being put in front of Parliamentary Commissions to explain their part in the economic implosion!

No single organisation has done more to put the nation's coal reserves beyond reach since privatisation, destroting jobs and communities than RJB and UKC - this through greed and incompetence. No wonder people object to opencast mining...”