Ive heard on the grapevine that the Welsh assembly or government or whatever is planning to clean up and or remediate the various lead mines in mid wales because of pollution. This worries me a tad. Will they close them off to our adventures after the dozers have been in?
Has anyone any knowledge on this matter? Ill of course post what i find.

Any EU grant money involved?

This has been discussed before.
There is a wide ranging project between the Coal Authority and (in U.K.) the environment agency.
They are studying metal polution in streams and the effect old mine sites have.
This is intended (although little funding is in place) to develop treatment methods and improve water quality.
After that life is too short to discuss all the fine details. :smartass:

(although little funding is in place) to develop treatment methods and improve water quality.

At least one member on here 😉 has just been offered (and declined) a position in this very sector, as there is now a considerable amount of money about to be released....

http://jnbentley-news.co.uk/ 

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There was a study a few years ago by the EA identifying the top 50 metal mines in terms of impact and the document is still on line. It contains the usual suspects, but is deeply flawed. The original project was started by the NRA (pre-EA) it involved sending out requests/forms to landowners. If they had a reply (even if there was no real information) it was given a score, if no reply, then no score (you can see the problem as a reply about trial would boost it above a non reply from a productive mine). Add o this a desk study by someone without a great knowledge led to initial proposals of including mines like North Van (a trial in Llawr y Glyn) because of a confusion with Van.

The work with the Coal Authority involved a different project.

IIRC The EA did do work with Cwm Brwyno a few years ago, it did damage to surface features, but the adits were left intact.

In my experience access was always more under threat from forest harvesting operations.

The forestry have got a lot to answer for

In Shropshire we had a meeting with the EA about some of their findings. They were looking at mainly zinc in some streams.

Their results were questioned by some people with a chemical background at their total projected zinc figures were huge.
The spokesperson talked about the raised metal levels and that there were less fish in the upper reaches than "average"

Then mentioned "by the way" there are also several weirs on the stream which prevent fish migration. 😢

see Hard Level thread just bumped-up. seems to be a connection here - and I'm not talking through-trips :(

regards,

MARK

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Yes there is a link, I do believe that it is legislation that requires pollution to be cleared up...

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I notice that the proliferation of universities, degrees and finally, students researching and doing projects upon all kinds of environmental stuff is resulting in a whole lot more chat and drive behind these issues.

A good chum of mine was looking at lead in the Tamar Valley as a part of his MSc. I imagine quite a lot of this research finds alarming levels of everything everywhere. Seek and ye shall find. There is a massive gravytrain opportunity here for the EU to be doing the right thing and dishing out millions all in the name of "what's best". Furthermore, all that money injected into things like universities, research, local environmental consultancies, leisure groups and things like the lesser spotted dogger all get a look in. It's a really good thing which empowers communities, celebrates diversity and is very much on message.

I imagine it's the case that a particular tail has made the main beast act in the way which will benefit the greater good. ie:- the EU gets to have it's bloody banner up, all the yoghurt weavers get some funding and carry on doing vital research and the public are empowered and can carry out healthy activities like cycling in the woods safely, on the designated paths like good little euro-comrades.

The whole setup is a wonderful cow to be milked.

Hi Stu
I like the good old "yogurt weavers" being back and agree with most of what you say. There are indeed to may tails wagging the dog, some may have missed your point there.

Only thing is old mate, can we please leave party politics off aditnow?

Once it starts............................

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Agree with Roy. As part of the team that in 1993 stopped Cwmrheidol No.9 from blowing out and killing everything in the river, I get really bored (and I'm being polite here) with this "yoghourt-weavers" stuff from people who seem to be pretty clueless as to the importance of a healthy environment and as to Man's ability to mess it up. Clue: the environment provides us with food, water and air. The more screwed it gets the more degraded all three become. Some people seem to be incapable of connecting these two things that in combination are essential to human life.

I don't think that Cwmrheidol was exactly what he had in mind John. No disrespect, but you are not agreeing with me. main point is party politics. That, Climate Change, Religion, and Mineral Collecting are divisive issues that I, and I am sure many others, like to see kept of this website.

We are all united on here with a common interest, go into certain areas and that will be what divides us.

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I suspect Tony Blair's post is not about anti environmental improvement, perhaps he's more concerned with the expensive gravy train by means of which improvements are delivered?

Hmm - given the latest gravy-train story emerging about UKIP then isn't that a bit, er...?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/ukip/11485155/Ukip-MEP-Janice-Atkinson-fraud-claim-investigated-by-police.html 

I agree with both John and Roy. Unusual for me to agree with that many people at the same time!

Hmm - given the latest gravy-train story emerging about UKIP then isn't that a bit, er...?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/ukip/11485155/Ukip-MEP-Janice-Atkinson-fraud-claim-investigated-by-police.html 

It would appear at least UKIP take action where malfeasance is detected, puts the 'others' to shame.

EDIT
Sorry replying to Morlock, posts interleaved

Absolutely
Nail on the head.

My perception is that an issue arises which may be some cause for concern. Press pick up on it and hype it up out of all proportion. From then on it generates a life all of its own, government needs to act.
Act = Throw money at it
EU needs to act
Act = Throw money at it

Err, hm, its actually all our money

From then on the the opportunists, carpet baggers, party goers all want in on the act.

Things do generate a life of their own.

John Mason does make good points, a healthy environment, yes, mans ability to mess it up, yes, but how far does it go

Example occurs, recycling. Absolute sense, but collecting religiously every bit of paper?
Paper is cellulose, same stuff as drops of trees, leaves branches etc. Round our way gardeners compost old newspapers.

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Paper is full of china clay. Send it back where it came from.

Paper is full of china clay. Send it back where it came from.

Trees?
:lol:

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