Published: Monday, 4th August, 2008 14:50
Coal objections are easily countered
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BRIAN MacFarlane is, of course, entitled to express his opposition to reviving our underground mining industry (Press, 31st July).
However, it is reasonable to expect him to offer a better informed argument and to ask him to consider the consequences arising from his anti-coal stance.
His objections are easily countered. If (as he implies) no-one will be prepared to work underground, then it will be impossible to secure finance for any deep-mining project. And if (as he states as a fact) there is inherently uneconomic geological faulting in almost every Scottish coal seam, then potential investors will not accept that an underground coal mine is a viable business proposition.
Fortunately, he is patently wrong on both counts; Central Scotland is awash with skilled mineworkers longing to get back to work they know and enjoy. And there is nothing inherently uneconomic, about the geology of Scotland’s coalfields.
If he must use pompous sounding phrases, he should understand what they mean. In Scotland (as in any other mining country), a viable project simply doesn’t try to mine in coal (not inherent) areas of hostile geology.
However, perhaps more important than his apparent lack of specific knowledge, if he is against a long term coal industry, then he must be in favour of expanding nuclear power stations.
Again, he is entitled to that view, but given all risks and vast expenditure associated with operating and de-commissioning our current fission technology, then it is not outrageous to suggest that anyone who advocates more of this obscenity is quite simply, a traitor to future generations.
Jim Parker,
(Scottish Mineworkers, Consortium),
9 Banchory Green, Collydean, Glenrothes.
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