The pitfalls of mining

Fuelled by UK Coal’s plan to open a mine in Measham, the small town where my Dad lives, Dad has made himself a world expert on open cast mines.

And he’s done pretty well. Through MOPG (the protest group he’s spearheading) he’s written three reports on the mining industry, been interviewed on 5 Live and featured on Countryfile. But it’s his latest campaign that has the potential to have the biggest impact.

Through close collaboration with MOPG, a Leicestershire MP has tabled a private members' bill to propose 500-metre buffer zones around mine sites, meaning coal can't be quarried within close distance of people’s homes. This would align England with Wales and Scotland, where the negative community and environmental impact was formally recognised years ago.

The bill gets its second reading on the 11^th of February. Good luck Dad!