Regarding Brian's posting I think it is true to say that the Coal Authority
would like to cease pumping in order to reduce their costs. Indeed British
Coal wanted to do just that when the last coastal pit closed. A report
commissioned by the Environment Agency and produced by their consultants
showed that the pumps in the Bishop Auckalnd area were crucial in protecting
the River Wear from pollution by rebounding minewater. However certain
adjustments to the pumping regime may be acceptable. Reference to the
Minewater Update page of CA's website tells us about proposals for two of
these pumping stations at Vinovium and Page Bank.
Taking the final paragraph of the posting the Coal Authority may well be
correct - but how long is it for this to happen? It has been suggested
that it will take several decades for the pollutants to be washed out. I
seem to remember that at one stage British Coal indicated that there would
not be a problem when all the pumps were switched off as the minewater would
just flow out to sea!
In regard to the query in the 'PS' clues to the answer may lie in the
records of borings that were carried out off the north-east coast by
contractors to the National Coal Board in the 1960s.
Alan.
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