We have received a letter via Tim Farron MP which reveals the startling fact that the investigations into the reasons behind the pollution in Whitehaven Harbour “is being led personally by Mike Starkie, the Mayor of Copeland.” The Mayor of Copeland has been the most aggressive supporter of West Cumbria Mining from the off, telling people including Tim Farron MP to butt out : “In West Cumbria we are fed up with people from outside the area telling us what is best for us. The mine project is potentially transformational and will significantly improve lives and prospects of the community in West Cumbria.” Mayor Mike Starkie.
It is more than likely that the Mayor in his role “personally leading investigations” would divert investigations away from WCM’s exploration boreholes as a catalyst for the release of historic mine water previously held in place.
We have sent a further letter to the Coal Authority today via Tim Farron MP:
Dear Tim
Thank you for the reply from the Coal Authority to our letter.
The reply is as you say disappointing.
There are three issues and a request we would be very grateful for answers to:
- The Coal Authority have not addressed our urgent request that West Cumbria Mining are not granted a new conditional licence for the Onshore Area (Coal Authority ref: CA11/UND/0177/N). West Cumbria Mining require this grant of licence from the Coal Authority in order to carry out exploration/exploitation of the onshore area by September 2023 under 2 miles from Whitehaven Harbour. During West Cumbria Mining’s exploration of the Irish Sea off St Bees their contractors Priority Drilling from Ireland, caused a methane gas leak necessitating the call out of emergency services. It is therefore not unlikely that WCM’s explorations onshore, even nearer to Whitehaven, have also had unwitting impacts. We would like to see evidence from the Coal Authority why they think this is not the case.
- The coal mine if given a new licence to drill will cause further damage to the integrity of already compromised historic mines. This was acknowledged by the Planning Inspector in his admission that “earthquakes cannot be ruled out.” At the planning inquiry West Cumbria Mining blocked calls for a Traffic Light System to be put in place similar to that required for the fracking industry despite the proximity to Sellafield, existing mines and the liklihood of ground movements due to earthquake, subsidence and routine drilling. Who will be (or is) ultimately responsible for damage resulting from West Cumbria Mining’s activities?
- The Coal Authority ‘reassure’ us that the Mayor of Copeland, Mike Starkie is “personally leading investigations” by the CA, Environment Agency, Harbour Commissioners and others into the cause of the mine water pollution in the harbour. This is hugely concerning. The Mayor has a conflict of interest due to his aggressive promotion of West Cumbria Mining over several years. There is legitimate concern that the Mayor will as “lead investigator” do everything within his powers to direct investigations away from the role of WCM’s onshore (and/or offshore) exploratory boreholes, in being a catalyst releasing previously held in place mine water from the honeycomb of mines, coal, iron ore, hematite etc along the Whitehaven coast which is now a Marine Conservation Zone.
We ask, if necessary under Environment Information Regulations, for full disclosure of the laboratory tests and their results, carried out on the polluted water in Whitehaven Harbour since December 7th 2022
Many Thanks for all your help on this
Marianne
Radiation Free Lakeland (Keep Cumbrian Coal in the Hole campaign)
refs
Priority Drilling contracted by WCM https://www.whitehavennews.co.uk/news/17121033.the-hunt-to-find-coal-at-st-bees/
Methane leak caused by drilling https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/16750209.mining-crews-hit-gas-pocket-off-cumbrian-coast/
Planning Inquiry into WCM’s new coal mine
Traffic Light System similar to fracking – rebutted by WCM
Earthquakes “cannot be ruled out” said Planning Inspector
MP Tim Farron told to ‘butt out’ of West Cumbria by Copeland mayor Mike Starkie
10th April 2019. Tim Farron MP told to “butt out of West Cumbria” by Copeland Mayor “
“In West Cumbria we are fed up with people from outside the area telling us what is best for us. The mine project is potentially transformational and will significantly improve lives and prospects of the community in West Cumbria.”
“coal mining related events could have accounted for at least ~33% of all detected onshore UK seismic events in 1985” (Anthropogenic earthquakes in the UK: A national baseline prior to shale exploitation 2014). As coal mining has decreased so have anthropological earthquakes including in Cumbria. Anthropomorphic Earthquakes in the UK https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283186824_Anthropogenic_earthquakes_in_the_UK_A_national_baseline_prior_to_shale_exploitation
Letter from the Coal Authority to Tim Farron MP who wrote to them on our behalf – our reply is above
Keep Cumbrian Coal in the Hole 
Reblogged this on RADIATION FREE LAKELAND and commented:
Gotham City Mayor eat your heart out. Mayor of Copeland Mike Starkie is “personally leading investigations” into cause of Whitehaven Harbour pollution #KeepCumbrianCoalintheHole
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