CALLS have been made for Welsh Government to intervene to tell operators of Ffos y Fran opencast coal mine in Merthyr Tydfil to stop mining coal there.
Friends of the Earth Cymru have written to Julie James, the climate change minister, asking Welsh Government to use its powers to stop what it says is unlawful coaling at Ffos y Fran, an opencast mine on the outskirts of Merthyr Tydfil.
It wrote to both Welsh Government and Merthyr Tydfil Council requesting a stop notice be issued without delay.
Friends of the Earth Cymru said the council have not issued a stop notice to date and are now urging Welsh Ministers to do so as soon as possible.
Permission to mine coal ran out in September 2022 and Merthyr Tydfil Council planning committee unanimously rejected an application for an extension in April but despite this Friends of the Earth Cymru said that the mining continues to this day.
They said that photographic evidence taken by residents, and drone footage, demonstrates that coal is still being mined at Ffos y Fran, despite the mine operator, Merthyr (South Wales) Ltd, no longer having permission to do so.
They said an enforcement notice against the operator of Ffos-y-Fran was due to take effect on Tuesday, June 27 which would have given them 28 days to stop mining, but at the last minute the operator appealed the enforcement order.
In their letter they said: “it is imperative [Welsh Ministers] take this action immediately to stop any further extraction and to limit any further, irrevocable, harm to the climate. As you will know we are in a worsening climate emergency. The continued coaling will only add to this, to the detriment of current and future generations.”
Friends of the Earth Cymru said that Coal Action Network have calculated that over 1000 tonnes of coal is being taken from the ground every day, which is “the CO2 equivalent of burning 1.5 million litres of petrol.”
Friends of the Earth Cymru said that the appeal process could take many months – during which it is feared that mining will continue at the site if action is not taken.
In their letter, they state that if action is not taken it “will send a terrible signal that unlawful coaling is tolerated in Wales, despite your climate policies to the contrary.”
Haf Elgar, director of Friends of the Earth Cymru, said: “It is disgraceful that mining is being allowed to continue at Ffos y Fran, against the wishes of the local community and to the detriment of the planet.
“For Wales to be seen as a climate leader, Welsh Government must act now to stop the mining, and use their powers to stop the mining without delay.”
Magnus Gallie, a planning specialist from Friends of the Earth Cymru, said: “Unless Welsh Government ministers rise to the challenge and serve the stop notice it seems inevitable that the unlawful mining will continue over the coming months and even years.
“Ministers must act now to protect the climate and to demonstrate to other mineral operators that ‘gaming’ of the planning system will no longer be tolerated.”
Welsh Government and Merthyr (South Wales Ltd) did not wish to comment but confirmed an appeal had been lodged by the company.
Merthyr Tydfil Council has been contacted for comment.
