MINORCA OPENCAST PROTEST GROUP's 67th Press Release


IT MIGHT ONLY NEED ONE DUMPER TRUCK JOURNEY TO IRRETREVABLY DAMAGE THE RIVER MEASE SPECIAL AREA OF CONSERVATION CLAIM OBJECTORS

Members and supporters of the Minorca Opencast Protest Group have opened up a new front in their battle to prevent UK Coal from gaining planning permission to opencast on the Minorca site between Swepstone and Measham in Leicestershire. They are now drawing attention to the inherent risks, posed in this proposal to Leicestershire’s only designated Special Area of Conservation, the River Mease SAC.

They have just published the latest in a series of Briefing Notes “The Minorca Application and the River Mease SAC” which can now be downloaded from :
 http://www.leicestershirevillages.com/measham/minorca-protest.html
website. This new briefing note outlines what a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and a Special Site of Scientific Investigation (SSSI) is, why these designations are applied to the River Mease Catchment Area and what the importance of the existence of the River Mease SAC is to the Minorca Application.

The Briefing Note points out that European Law states that

… a plan or project may be authorised only if a competent authority has made certain that the plan or project will not adversely affect the integrity of the site. ‘That is the case where no reasonable scientific doubt remains as to the absence of such effects’. Competent national authorities must be
“convinced” that there will not be an adverse effect and where doubt remains as to the absence of adverse effects, the plan or project must not be authorised, subject to the procedure outlined in Article 6(4) of the EC Habitats Directive regarding imperative reasons of overriding public interest”

Steve Leary from MOPG said

“ The proposed site is divided in two halves by the Gilwiskaw Brook and as you look north nearly all the soil and all the rock covering the coal seams on the left hand side of the site will have to be transported over the Gilliwiskaw Brook and then back again when the site is restored. One of our members has calculated that transporting such a huge volume of material will mean 1,000,000 dumper truck journeys. Only one of these journeys going wrong may be all that it takes for the River Mease SAC to be irretrievably damaged MOPG’s calculations show the probability of this event occuring . For this reason alone this application should be rejected”

It was this issue, the threat to the River Mease SAC which prompted the Counrtyfile team to send John Craven to Leicestershire on Tuesday 3rd August so that they could explore the degree of risk this inherent in this proposal. Their findings will be broadcast on August 15th ”

This application is again a ‘live’ issue since UK Coal plc re-submitted documents in support of their application in July. A decision is due to be made by the Development Control and Regulatory Board of Leicestershire County Council on September 16th.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS PRESS RELEASE CONTACT:
STEVE LEARY, SPOKESPERSON, MOPG

tel 05601 767981,
email  steve46leary@googlemail.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON MOPG PLEASE GO TO:
 http://www.mopg.co.uk or
 http://www.leicestershirevillages.com/measham/minorca-protest.html