A group held a ceremony outside the offices to give out awards such as 'worst conflict of interest' to people wearing masks of the individuals they accuse of putting Scottish Coal before the interests of their constituents. These include local Councillor Daniel Meikle, the Earl of Home, Karen Gillon MSP and Jim Hood MP.


Marty Sheal from Douglas said, “The council have consistently put the profit of Scottish Coal and the companies they work with before the health of the people of Douglasdale. Some councillors have apparent conflicts of interest, which some people believe may have been behind these decisions.”


The Camp for Climate Action Scotland has also released a dossier of the health impacts of open casting entitled Adverse Effects of Opencast Mining which paints an alrming picture of a whole host of effects from cancers, to asthma and depression caused not just by the coal dust, but by noise and increases in heavy goods traffic. Burning coal has also been responsible for most of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that is pushing us towards runaway climate change, In climate terms it is also the dirtiest fuel by far.


Anna Craig of The Camp for Climate Action Scotland added, “Coal means misery and death, not just for the thousands of people seriously affected by mining in South Lanarkshire but also in other disadvantaged communities around the world who are being hit first and hardest by climate change – the death toll is already at 300,000 people every year.”


Campaigners are particularly angry at local Councillor Daniel Meikle, and are concerned about conflicts of interest presented by his family business, Meikle Construction, and his position in the council, which, for many years included being chair of the planning committee. Cllr Meikle represents the area where Scottish Coal and Lord Home's plans to create a new opencast mine are being frustrated by a coalition of local people and the Mainshill Solidarity Camp.


Earlier today there was an unsuccessful attempt by media activists to confront him with question being asked by the local community with three people being detained.