Metal Mine Strategy for Wales •1291EAW|mms report mono {am} 14/08/2002 4:25 pm Page 1 CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2 1.0 INTRODUCTION 5 5.0 FUTURE ACTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 22 1.1 Objectives 5 5.1 Groups 1 and 2 Actions 22 1.2 Who are the Stakeholders? 5 1.3 Who Should Use this Strategy? 5 5.2 Group 3A Actions 22 2.0 BACKGROUND AND DRIVERS 6 5.3 Group 3B Actions 22 2.1 History 6 2.2 Impact 6 5.4 Group 4 Actions 22 2.2.1 Aquatic Environment 7 5.5 Overarching Actions 23 2.2.2 Human Health 7 5.6 Timetable of Actions 23 2.2.3 Cost of Remediation 8 6.0 REFERENCES 24 2.3 The Environment Agency’s Role and Regulations 8 2.3.1 Water Quality- The Water 8 Resources Act 1991 and the APPENDIX A: Environment Act 1995 8 TABLE OF THE ENVIRONMENT AGENCY’S TOP 50 2.3.2 Land- Part IIA of the Environment METAL MINE SITES IN WALES 26 Protection Act 1990. 8 APPENDIX B: 2.4 Links with other Strategies GLOSSARY 28 and Initiatives 9 2.4.1 Water Framework Directive 9 APPENDIX C: 2.4.2 Diffuse Pollution Strategy 9 DETAILED MINE INFORMATION 31 2.4.3 Objective One 9 2.4.4 Habitats Directive 9 2.4.5 Salmon Action Plans 9 2.4.6 Ceredigion Local Plan 10 2.4.7 Local Initiatives 10 2.5 Stakeholder Drivers and Values 10 3.0 PROJECT SCOPE 13 3.1 Task 1: Key Agency Sites 13 3.2 Task 2: Engage the Stakeholders and Seek Comments 13 3.3 Task 3: Compile the Comments and Interpret the Results 13 4.0 KEY FINDINGS 15 4.1 Summary of General Information 15 4.1.1 Archaeological 15 4.1.2 Mineralogical 15 4.1.3 Biological 16 4.1.4 Other 16 4.2 Stakeholder Comments Regarding Remediation 16 4.2.1 Archaeological 17 4.2.2 Mineralogical 17 4.2.3 Biological 17 4.2.4 Other 18 4.3 Data Interpretation 19 4.3.1 Mine Groups 19 4.3.2 WDA Ranking 20 4.3.3 Stakeholder Matrix 21 4.4 Summary of Mine Groups 20 JUNE 2002 Metal Mine Strategy for Wales •1291EAW|mms report mono {am} 14/08/2002 4:25 pm Page 2 Executive Summary INTRODUCTION respective issues and concerns regarding mine site management. The Agency wishes to thank these 20 organisations, and the individuals involved for their Non-ferrous metal mining has taken place across Wales valuable and essential contributions towards the production over the last four thousand years. The economic, social and of this strategy. cultural benefits of this activity have been vast. Following the post-industrial revolution decline and the eventual Stakeholders were asked what were their issues of interest closure of metal mines in Wales, attention has turned at each site and what concerns they may have for a towards the legacy now left by such activities. potential remediation scheme. In many cases the stakeholders also made recommendations on the best Metal mine sites present significant sources of land approach to safeguard the interests they represent from contamination, water and sometimes air pollution. being damaged. The information they provided was Consequently habitats are effected, valuable fishing rivers characterised into four areas: are loaded with toxic metals and there have been instances of the metal rich dusts from old spoil heaps presenting a • Archaeological or historical risk to human health through inhalation and ingestion by • Mineralogical local populations. In terms of water quality approximately • Biological and a fifth of all river quality objective failures in Wales can • Other issues (e.g. aesthetic landscape) be attributed to the impacts of mine pollution, with three-quarters of these mine pollution failures due to By drawing on the data held by numerous other diffuse pollution from land contaminated. This equates to organisations this strategy for the first time presents a 108 kilometres of rivers failing due to the impacts from realistic picture of the potential issues/concerns/views at mine sites. the top 50 polluting metal mine sites in Wales that the Agency would wish to see addressed. A breakdown of One of the principal roles of the Environment Agency (the the full responses received from stakeholders for each Agency) is to ensure the protection of the aquatic mine is contained within the main report. environment, therefore to better understand the scale of the impact from metal mines a database of sites was SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS commissioned in 1996. This database consists of 1,311 The Agency recognises the need for a pragmatic approach known non-ferrous metal mine sites in Wales and describes when developing a solution to the problem of metal mine the extent of environmental information currently available. pollution. During the analysis of the collected data it It also ranked 204 of the most problematic sites by their became apparent that the top 50 list of mines could be level of aquatic and environmental impact. sub-divided into five groups. As such the process of interpreting the collected information and sub-dividing The legacy of metal mining has also created valuable and the sites into the following five groups, allows that in some instances internationally important archaeological, pragmatism to be followed and greatly assists in the mineralogical and biological features. The Agency continued prioritisation of resources and the development recognises the need to consider all the differing views and of solutions. issues of the various stakeholders at these sites when proceeding with any remedial scheme required to deal • Group1 (No diverging issues) - It appears that there are with the pollution of rivers and streams. no diverging issues at this site, the Agency could therefore pursue the remediation relatively easily. OBJECTIVES This strategy document for the first time brings together • Group 2 (Converging issues) - It appears that the these sometimes differing views on the Agency’s top 50 Agency and one or more stakeholders have a shared sites recognised as having the greatest environmental interest in the remediation of the site and therefore it impact. A total of 50 sites were selected for this strategy may be possible to develop a collaborative project. For in order to maintain a workable and manageable number example, there could be a combined interest to install a of sites for the planned time-scales. The strategy is water clean-up scheme at the same time as the designed to explore common ground, identify potential development of the site as a tourist attraction or the site constraints, enable a clear assessment of all the issues water remediation scheme could be extended to address at each site and to develop future site management issues of public health and safety. options. • Group 3A (Diverging issues) - It appears that the The specific objectives of this piece of work were to: Agency and the views of one or more stakeholders diverge at this site, however, it is considered that the differences • Bring together the site specific views of various could be resolved subject to careful negotiations and stakeholders in one document; sympathetic design. • Identify sites with differing stakeholder views or concerns; • Group 3B (Diverging issues) - It appears that the • Revisit the Agency’s priority list such that better Agency and the views of one or more stakeholders diverge informed decisions can be made regarding the at this site, it is considered that the differences are so great prioritisation of sites. that it would be extremely difficult to progress any remediation scheme. For example sites extensively APPROACH TAKEN designated as SSSI. This strategy has been completed with the close co-operation and assistance of various stakeholders who hold an interest at these sites. Twenty organisations have provided both general and site specific details of their Metal Mine Strategy for Wales 2 1291EAW|mms report 04/07/2002 1:18 pm Page 3 • Group 4 (Further information) - During the review In summary a total of 31 out of the 50 mine sites fall within of data it appears that these sites may not be presenting Groups 1, 2 or 3A. Therefore, clearly evident from the such an impact to the water environment as previously findings is the potential to achieve a consensus of opinion, understood or data on sites outside the top 50 has come on the best environmental course of action, for the to light that indicates that they should be included within majority of the fifty sites. the top 50. Further monitoring and data review required. The group to which a site has been assigned in this A summary of the sites and their associated grouping strategy is by no means definitive and it is anticipated that is presented in the following table: as further detailed investigations ensue some sites may move between groups. It is also important to note that Site Name Grouping for all sites there will be the requirement to undertake site specific work including desk studies, site investigation and Abbey Consols 3A appropriate surveys to assist in the design of the most Grogwynion 3B suitable remedial scheme. Aberdaunant 4 Gwynfynydd 4 RECOMMENDATIONS Alltycrib 3A It is recommended that the following actions be undertaken Hafan 3A at each of the Agency’s top 50 sites based on the group to Bog 2 which they are assigned. Henfwlch 3A Bronfloyd 3A Group 1 and Group 2 sites where there are no diverging Level Fawr 3A issues (Group 1) and converging issues (Group 2) the Brynyrafr 4 actions are: Llanfair 1 Bwlchgwyn 3B • Further prioritisation of these sites based on their Llanfyrnach 3A environmental impact; Caegynon 2 • For Group 2 sites begin dialogue with all stakeholders Llwynteify 3B regarding converging interests; Castell 3A • Identify possible collaborative projects and potential Llywernogq 2 sources of funding to secure remediation.