§ Mr. PawseyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to consult on the contents of pre-abandonment notices which mine operators will be required to prepare when section 58 of the Environment Act 1995 is brought into force. [17910]
§ Mr. Robert B. JonesI have issued a consultation paper today, inviting comments on our proposals for regulations.
These proposals are designed to enhance the Environment Agency's ability to tackle water pollution from abandoned mines. They set out the precise contents
220Wof the notification, which mine operators will have to send to the agency at least six months in advance of any intended abandonment.
The notification will include a range of information including the operator's opinion as to the consequences of the proposed abandonment. Variations to the timing and information requirements of the notice will apply where abandonment follows an emergency, and in certain cases of insolvency.
The prior notification to the agency of any intended abandonment will allow measures to be identified and implemented at the appropriate time to prevent or reduce water pollution after abandonment. Where a phased programme of abandonment is planned, this could be notified at one time, so as to reduce the burden of notification on the operator.
The scale of the problem of discharges from abandoned mines had to be set in context. Some 200 km of river length is affected by discharges from abandoned coal mines and some 400 km by discharges from abandoned metal mines. This, though, only represents 0.5 per cent. and l per cent. respectively of total river length monitored by the Environment Agency. Pollution caused by abandoned mines is a rather specialised and local problem but, where it occurs, its impact on the aquatic environment can be serious.