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Ffos-y-Fran from the air

Welcome to the

Residents Against Ffos-y-Fran (R.A.F.F.)

Home Page

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THIS FIGHT IS NOT OVER - NOT BY A LONG CHALK

WE WILL GET JUSTICE FOR MERTHYR

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u UPDATE: 10/06/2008 - Links Links Added Radio 4 - File on Four with Julian O'Haloran, and Looking at our flawed energy policy and the new coal age sites ç Interview with our Alyson Austin of the RAFF Group...oh, and some members of the cabinet!

u UPDATE: 09/06/2008 - Links Links Added The Coal Hole, and Coal is Clean/Coal is Dirty sites ç Take a look and get the facts about burning fossil fuel

u UPDATE: 21/04/2008 - Complain CONTACT NUMBER WAS INCORRECT NUMBER CORRECTED ç 0800 9888444

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u UPDATE: 01/04/2008 - Picture Gallery Video: 'What it's Like to Live next to an Opencast Coal Mine' added

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Who we are

As a group, and under various names, we have been fighting against the opencast mining of Ffos-y-Fran for 4-5 years now, with several members of the group opposing opencast mining in Merthyr Tydfil for decades before us. This opencast mine is a massive scheme that will blight our lives for at least the next 17 years, and it's only 37 Metres from the nearest housing estate!

Our Predicament

Merthyr Tydfil is surrounded by coal deposits, and has always been an irresistable attraction to speculators who want to make vast profits for minimum outlay. Miller-Argent Mining are just the latest protagonists. The biggest problem is that this time they have the backing of Westminster, the Welsh Assembly Government, and Merthyr Tydfil Council. This has come about because of Labours lack of an energy policy and Wales' reliance on the Aberthaw coal fired power station. They want as much coal as they can get as cheaply as they can source it - and damn the impact on the people of Merthyr!

Merthyr Tydfil is densely populated (approximately 60-70,000 residents) all living extremely closely to the coal seams. It is also situated in a valley 'bowl', with much of the coal in elevated positions which loom over the populace. You can now appreciate the conflict; money versus the impact on the community.

Add to that the fact that this is Wales, Englands dumping ground, and Merthyr Tydfil is Wales's dumping ground, and you can see how damned we are!

We have people living up to only 37 Metres (40yds/120ft) from this huge mining operation, with absolutely no protection from noise or fallout. The Welsh Assembly Government will not agree to a buffer zone of any sort, and no compensation or re-location has been offered.

The working hours are from 07:00 to 23:00. The droning noise of the machinery is unceasing filling our every waking hour. We are allowed 8 Hrs sleep, as long as it is after 11:00 pm and your up before 07:00! (So they do care about us after all...!)

A Health Impact Study was commissioned and produced (against great opposition) by a highly qualified team from Cardiff University. It was headed up by Dr Goldby and the conclusions were damning. Merthyr Tydfil already has the second highest occurrence of chest complaints in Britain so you can imagine what constant dust, dirt, noise and diesel fumes will do.

Merthyr Tydfil Council, The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) and the mining company (Miller-Argent) all refuse to acknowledge or accept the validity of this report...(even though it was funded by the WAG, they distanced themeselves from it when they could see it wasn't going their way!).

The operation is initialy planned to last 17 years, but we have been told that there are plans to take this to 25 and 40 years. I will be dead before it finishes and my children will be the same age I am now!!!

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© The Residents Against Ffos-y-Fran Group, 2008 | The Home Page | Last Updated: 9th June 2008 || Design by: The Masked Avenger