The topic of this report will cover an environmental issue in the Douglas area which is located in Scotland. For about 20 years, the land has been a site of open coal mining, a method of extracting coal from the earth by first removing the overlying soil and rock, then extracting the underlying coal. During this procedure, large quantities of particulate matter such as small particles, of varying composition is lifted into the atmosphere. The result of opencast mining is a sheared-off hill and a large open pit. The location of these mines is near the villages of Douglas, Rigside and Coalburn where in 2009 there were more than four simultaneously operating mines with only one of them containing more than 4 million tons of coal. The main contributor to these actions was the largest coalmine excavator in Scotland, Scottish coal. The company went bankrupt in 2013, after causing many environmental issues such as land degradation, loss of biodiversity and many more. The mines are located nearby a small community of 1000 people, and their hospital lies not even 1000 m from the site of the mine. The local population was heavily affected by the excavations- the health level has dropped significantly due to particulate matter alongside the air pollution caused by the traffic transporting the coal. In a traffic survey, conducted in 2011, over 130 HGVs passed through the towns Douglas and Glespin in one day, although the local population was insured no traffic in relations to the company would be on a regular route through their town, which was clearly not the case. Over 700 letters of complains were sent by the locals but none had any effect, so speculations have occurred that corruption is present. Opponents argued that opposition was ignored in part because Scottish Coal paid a local Labour MP a 'retainer' of GBP 625 per month, which they considered a clear conflict of interest. As previously said, this kind of land degradation has many effects. In a health study performed in Douglasdale in the early 1988, a link between living near opencast coalmines and contracting a respiratory disease has been shown. Studies performed in the United States comparing the health of people living in proximity to opencast coalmines have demonstrated higher rates of cardiopulmonary disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, lung disease, and kidney disease. The most known activist group acting on the matter is Coal action network, which organised road blockades and sabotaging the machines needed for the process.  

Location

UK, Douglas Valley

https://www.google.si/maps/place/Douglas+Valley+Church/@55.581499,-3.9138939,1623m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x48881b2410f25b29:0xd7e85a5c9e392df7!8m2!3d55.5585302!4d-3.8443461?hl=sl

Environmental impact

• Air pollution
• Water pollution
• Land degradation (e.g. drought, soil contamination, erosion and desertification)
• Biodiversity loss – Ecosystem destruction
• Depletion of natural resources (fossil and mineral, forest, water, etc)
• Alteration of landscape aesthetics and built heritage

Ethical/ legal issues

• Life and personal security
• Health and well-being
• A clean and prosperous environment and a safe and pleasant habitat

Information sources & materials

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