, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Restoration of opencast mining sites - evidence session 4
Yes, thank you very much. Thank you, Janet. Can I just ask, then, a couple of questions from me, just to conclude? There is, of course, legislation being developed by the Government around coal tip safety. Do you not believe that maybe elements of this…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Restoration of opencast mining sites - evidence session 4
Thank you.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Restoration of opencast mining sites - evidence session 4
Sue.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Restoration of opencast mining sites - evidence session 4
'All of the above', I think, is the answer to that.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Restoration of opencast mining sites - evidence session 4
Well, indeed, yes, and that's something for us to recommend to the Government. Janet, back to you, I think.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Restoration of opencast mining sites - evidence session 4
Thank you very much. There we are. Carolyn.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Restoration of opencast mining sites - evidence session 4
We've got to move on. Maybe we can come back to that. Joyce. Thank you.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Restoration of opencast mining sites - evidence session 4
Yes.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Restoration of opencast mining sites - evidence session 4
Okay. Well, we are hearing from a number of different groups and organisations and individuals over the course of this work. Some have agreed to appear before us, others have not. Listening to what you are saying today, I would invite them again to reconsider…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Restoration of opencast mining sites - evidence session 4
Yes. Fine. Janet.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Restoration of opencast mining sites - evidence session 4
We can pursue some of that—. Very briefly, Carolyn.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Restoration of opencast mining sites - evidence session 4
One word answers are fine. There's no problem at all with that. We are aware of the arrangement, of course, that Merthyr have with Carmarthenshire, and Carmarthenshire will be before us next.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Restoration of opencast mining sites - evidence session 4
Thank you. We take everything you say on board and we take it seriously. I'm just conscious that we have 20 minutes left and there are a number of areas that we wish to cover, which, no doubt, you'll share your thoughts on. So, Janet, briefly, can we come to…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Restoration of opencast mining sites - evidence session 4
We're running out of time, I'm afraid, Mr Jordan.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Restoration of opencast mining sites - evidence session 4
Thank you very much. Thank you.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Restoration of opencast mining sites - evidence session 4
Very briefly, Chris, if you don't mind.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Restoration of opencast mining sites - evidence session 4
And we've seen recent photographs of what it looked like before and what it looks like now, which is quite a striking difference, really.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Restoration of opencast mining sites - evidence session 4
Okay. That's an important point. Julie, yes, please.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Restoration of opencast mining sites - evidence session 4
Which is concerning in itself.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Restoration of opencast mining sites - evidence session 4
It is. It is. But what they're saying is it's within consent limits that have been set by Natural Resources Wales, so they're not saying NRW are doing the work.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Restoration of opencast mining sites - evidence session 4
Okay. Because they do tell us in a note that there are daily checks on the water quality to ensure that discharges are within consent limits set by Natural Resources Wales. They go on to say that ground water levels are being monitored as well, and after one…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Restoration of opencast mining sites - evidence session 4
Do you mind if I just interject briefly? We've had a note from Merthyr South Wales Ltd. Are you not being updated at all in terms of the water—?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Restoration of opencast mining sites - evidence session 4
Thank you. Delyth.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Restoration of opencast mining sites - evidence session 4
Sue.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Restoration of opencast mining sites - evidence session 4
Yes. And a matter of scale as well is, I suppose, an incentive.
