Dealing with underground legacy of the pit closures
This year marks 40 years since the beginning of the 1984-1985 miners’ strike, a dispute that changed the face of coalfield communities throughout Britain forever. With this important anniversary falling on March 6, the Post has been examining the impact o
IT may be decades since most of Nottinghamshire’s pits produced their last coal, yet these caverns of history are still capable of causing an ecological disaster that could cost billions to rectify and harm the health of millions.
Lying hundreds of metres underground, these old industrial sites are places which are out of sight and out of mind for some of the younger generation in their day-to-day lives.
Many of Nottinghamshire’s pits have now been transformed into country parks, housing developments and business spaces.
Yet the colossal volume of nationbuilding output from these pits inevitably means that they cannot simply be forgotten. In many cases, to do so would be highly dangerous.
One of the potential hazards has led to major schemes being established and the coming years will see an expansion into many areas of Nottinghamshire.
One of the many consequences of a coal mine’s closure is that the pumps once used to keep water out of them are switched off and removed. That water level therefore recovers over time, picking up naturally occurring minerals such as iron along the way. The potential therefore exists for this polluted water to enter our rivers, destroying wildlife and contaminating our drinking water.
It is this danger which has led to the creation of more than 80 mine water treatment schemes across Britain, now handling and treating over 122 billion litres of mine water every year.
Just over the border in Alfreton, one such scheme protects one of the most important sources of drinking water in the Midlands.
The project takes water from the former Blackwell “A” Winning Colliery – transporting it from the pit, across a brook and then on to a cascade, which oxygenates it, It then flows into two lagoons, allowing time for the iron to settle at the bottom.
The remaining iron particles are then filtered out when the water passes through reed beds, eventually resulting in crystal clear water flowing into the adjacent Normanton Brook.
One of those responsible for the scheme is Rachael Langfield, head of projects delivery in the environment team at the Coal Authority.
Discussing the other effects of the project, she said: “We’re dealing with a long-term legacy created by mining and we’re putting something sustainable into those areas which were impacted by the closure of the mines.
“I imagine sometimes what this area would have been like if we hadn’t created the reed bed, which is really helpful for nature and is even attracting kingfishers. It’s not just about treating the water, we’re really investing in these communities.”
The Coal Authority came into being in 1994, taking on many of the functions of British Coal after the closure of most pits. Headquartered in Mansfield, the authority is responsible for many aspects of maintaining the former collieries.
First sunk in 1871 by the Blackwell
Colliery Company, the “A” Winning pit had a recorded manpower of 1,342 at its peak in the 1950s, with a highest recorded output of nearly 580,000 tonnes in 1957. Although the colliery closed in 1969, the unique geology of the area meant pumping continued for many years to prevent Bentinck Colliery in Ashfield being flooded, until it then closed in 1999.
It is Nottinghamshire which is now set to be the scene of increased activity as water treatment schemes expand. The county’s mines are much deeper, hence the time it has taken for water treatment work to begin.
Boreholing has already started in areas such as Hucknall and Blidworth to allow for initial observations, with increased work set to be seen over the next five to seven years. Laura Elliott, principal contracts manager, said the lifespan of a water treatment project depends on whether there are any geological changes underground which may render it unnecessary or in need of alteration, but she added: “On the whole, once we have started, we assume that it doesn’t really stop.”
As well as the water treatment aspect, the ‘A’ Winning site is part of a wider regeneration project which has opened up access via country paths and encouraged wildlife to the
It’s not just about treating the water, we’re really investing in these communities Rachael Langfield, Coal Authority
area.
Rachael Langfield added: “People said to me when I came to work for the Coal Authority, ‘there isn’t any mining anymore’ – but this is just the next phase of that and dealing with what was left behind.”