Waste plan at UK's largest opencast mine Ffos-y-Fran 'dangerous'

Waste plan at UK's largest opencast mine Ffos-y-Fran 'dangerous'

Concerns have emerged regarding the stability and safety of three large spoil tips left near Merthyr Tydfil following the closure of the UK’s largest opencast coal mine, Ffos-y-Fran. A geotechnical report commissioned by the local council points to a “significant risk of slope instability” from these spoil heaps, raising alarms among community members and campaigners who describe the ongoing plans to retain the tips as “staggering.” In response, the Welsh government is reportedly contemplating intervening to assume control over the final planning decisions surrounding the site.

Mining company Merthyr South Wales Ltd (MSW), which operated the mine, has rejected comparisons between the new engineered spoil tips and historical coal tips, labeling such claims as “incorrect and misleading.” The mine’s over

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