The Proposed Mine
In December, 2003, Solid Energy submitted resource consent applications for an opencast coal mine at Happy Valley. These resource consents were granted in June, 2004. The intended site is on public land, predominantly vested in Land Information NZ.
The mine would comprise of two opencast pits covering 105ha of a total 256ha site. The pits would be up to 95m in depth.
Solid Energy would extract 500,000 tonnes of coal from the mine each year for 10 years, mostly for export. This would require the removal of 29 million cubic metres of overburden (the rock and soil covering the coal), approximately half of which would be potentially acid-forming.
Solid Energy has said that the mine would take about $16 million to develop and lately CEO Don Elder has said there will be no net increase in jobs.
Mine Impact
The mine will cause damage in a variety of different ways. At the very least, it will be making a huge, ugly, hole in the ground, which will destroy a beautiful, wild and untouched place. This will involve the removal of vegetation and habitat and changes to the hydrology of the area.
Solid Energy has clearly stated that its objective is rehabilitation, not restoration and that it is not possible to restore the valley to its original state. Even allowing for this, it may not even return to a comparable state within 100 years.
Happy Valley in the foreground, which Solid Energy plans to mine up to 96m deep, and its Stockton Mine on the horizon.
The building of roads, as well as other mining practices, along with the increased presence of humans, will involve the creation of noise, light and dust, and will also allow the invasion of the area by weeds (probably gorse and Juncus squarrosus, an exotic rush species) and browsing animals such as possums and hares.
The main impact on terrestrial fauna will be loss of habitat over the 256 ha mine site.
Mining will directly affect the ten kiwi currently inhabiting the mine site, and will disturb the others (about 20) living nearby. It will also make about 105 ha of habitat unsuitable for occupation by kiwi for at least 40 years. The return of kiwi to the rehabilitated area is likely to be slow and gradual.
The proposed mine will destroy approximately 10% of the total habitat of the Powelliphanta “patrickensis” snails and about 10% of the total population of the snails, unless they can be found and moved, which will be a difficult process, given their size.
In addition, “The opening up of the large mine site may favour colonization of the area by song thrush which is known to be a predator of Powelliphanta snails and is associated with canopy gaps and disturbed open areas.” – Fred Overmars.
“The removal of the soil at the mine site will also remove the native worms and slugs that inhabit the area, and which Powelliphanta “patrickensis” feeds off. There is a large degree of uncertainty regarding the time required for them to return to the area and allow recolonisation by the snails. The mine area will be made unusable for 60-100 years, if not forever.” – Kath Walker
If an area had 10% of the national population of a more recognised endangered species – one that was more cute and cuddly – there would be no question of the mine going ahead. Likewise, there shouldn’t be a question of it going ahead in this situation.
There has been no other reported Environment Court decision in which a ‘greenfields’ development proposal seeking resource consent would result in the loss of 10% of the population or habitat of a nationally endangered and totally protected species.
Acid mine drainage from the proposed mine is a strong concern, as it is for any coal mines. The acid generating potential of the disrupted rocks will last forever, and will be susceptible to being exposed by both earthquakes and erosion.
Ground water pollution may only become visible after decades. Acid mine drainage can be an ecological time bomb that deserves comparison with nuclear waste.
It is hard to believe that the mine project could be economically feasible if Solid Energy actually accounted for the costs of looking after the mined area in perpetuity.
