... So we thought we would!
Volunteers from Neath Port Talbot Friends of the Earth have given out flyers in Glynneath to start conversations and direct people towards this information about the mine expansion, and about how you can take action as people living near Aberpergwm.
Aberpergwm has permission to extract over 40 million tonnes of coal over 18 years: 2.33 million per year. The mine is set to expand under Seven Sisters , Treforgan and Crynant and up to Varteg Hill to the West.
According to legal advice received by the Coal Action Network, the Welsh Government should have intervened to stop the mine AND the Coal Authority could have taken the mine's climate change impacts into account before granting it permission. As a result the mine is up for debate in court.
Allowing the mine contradicts both the UK and Wales' climate commitments, the Wales Future Generations Act and the Welsh Planning Policy Framework
This increase would mean:
 
There are no plans to increase the number of jobs.
Jobs that are promised are precarious because...
 
 
 
No.
The company paint a picture of an expanding global market for their coal for water filtration, securing jobs into the future.
But the quality of the coal in this seam makes it unsuitable for water filtration as the company claim [8]. The nine foot coal seam in this area has a lower carbon content than that needed for water filtration [9]. So only a tiny percentage of the coal, if anything, can be used for this.
Instead Aberpergwm is predicated on the future of coal in steel production, which is not at all secure [10]
Steelworks using coal are some of the UK's biggest polluters; Tata Neath Port Talbot is by far the biggest single site source of greenhouse gas emissions in Wales [11] and Aberpergwm proposes to continue contributing to that for another 20 years
Meanwhile, scientists agree that no new coal can be extracted anywhere in the world if we are to stay below 1.5 degrees of warming [13] which is considered the safe limit for life on the planet.[14].
Furthermore, the coal in the mine is anthracite, which results in a high-methane producing operation. The 1.17 million tonnes of methane that would be released if this coal is to be mined would act quickly on the atmosphere, as methane is 80 times more powerful than CO2.[12]
Flooding events like those seen in the Neath Valley, and other catastrophic climate events globally are set to become more frequent if current levels of methane and greenhouse gas emissions are maintained
Local residents told The Guardian that the mine is "Not the future we should be going for".
Couldn't there be a long-term and green source of jobs for Glynneath, Cwmgwrach, Blaengwrach and the Neath Valley?
Blaengwrach resident Emma Eynons told CAN:
The communities in my local area have been suffering for many years with a lack of investment by the Welsh Government.
 
We live in an area of outstanding beauty, and of scientific interest, with so much wildlife and natural resource all around us. We would love to share our beautiful home with the rest of the world and establish a thriving community.
 
We want tourism, small business growth, regeneration plans which will mean real jobs with futures as we move forward. A community transport scheme would alleviate the social problems faced by our isolated residents
 
As a traditional mining community, of course we should celebrate our proud history of mining achievements. However, I would ask the Welsh Government to consider what the future of our communities should be.
It's really easy to write to Lee Waters MP: Wales' Deputy Minister for Climate Change. The Welsh Government needs to hear personal letters from local residents and people in South Wales.
You don't have to say very much, you just need to show you care, and pick one or two facts or themes from this page in your own words. Three sentences are enough!
Steps to write to Lee Waters MP:
Please send any replies you recieve to info@coalaction.org.uk
For the case against the mine to succeed we have to fund it! Please share our crowdfunder page
1Planning Application P2014/0729 Mining Zones Map (Neath Port Talbot Council planning portal)
[2]Coal Authority production statistics: 25666 (2019) 16957 (2020) 19690 (2021) tonnes was produced. Average 20,771 tonnes of coal.
[5]Planning Permission document P2014/0729 (7)
[6] Channel 4 News: https://www.channel4.com/news/are-cop26-promises-on-coal-being-broken (04.02.22)
[7] Wales carbon budgets/targets March 2021: https://gov.wales/climate-change-targets-and-carbon-budgets
[8] Core samples show 88.3% fixed carbon content https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/115771/1/Zagorscak%20and%20Thomas%20(2018).pdf (126)
[9] In excess of 95% fixed carbon content: https://mineralmilling.com/anthracite-filter-media/
[10] Coal in Steel : Problems & Solutions (Coal Action Network)
[11] Wales carbon budgets/targets March 2021: https://gov.wales/climate-change-targets-and-carbon-budgets
[12]Channel 4 News report, research provided by Global Energy Monitor https://www.channel4.com/news/are-cop26-promises-on-coal-being-broken (04.02.22)
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