Surface Mining

Q. What is surface mining?
A. Surface mining is an operation which involves the winning of shallow coal deposits from the ground through the removal of overlying rock by excavators and dumptrucks.
 
Q. How are surface mines worked?
A. The first part of the process is to strip the soils. The sub soil and top soil is segregated,  removed and placed in mounds around the site acting as a visual and noise barrier to the work to being undertaken on the site.  

Our mining engineers carefully design sites to ensure maximum coal recovery with minimum disruption, which means that our sites are worked in a phased way ensuring the whole site area is not all open at any one time.  An area is worked and refilled with the materials removed before moving on to the next area.  The material between the coal seams is known as overburden and consists of rock and soils.

Materials from the first area that is excavated is placed in to a mound, called the overburden mound, and will be used to fill the void left by the final excavation area.

The soils are then replaced on to the site and restoration is undertaken.  Banks provides a five year aftercare period for any site that we have mined to ensure continued maintenance of the area.

Q. If you are taking out thousands/millions of tonnes of coal, surely there will be a big whole left?
A. Typically for every tonne of coal won from a site up to 20 tonnes of overburden (rock) needs to be moved. In the process of moving the overburden it fragments. In effect it expands and occupies a larger volume – a process known as bulking. After the coal is removed from a particular area the rock is then placed back in the ground. In most cases the additional volume occupied by the rock is roughly equal to the volume of coal removed and the land is thus restored to a level similar to its original formation. On occasions minor amendments can be made to improve the landform if this is deemed necessary.

Q. How do you find surface mining sites?
A. We have dedicated development surveyors and geologists in our coal team who use geological maps, past mining records and drilling information to find sites.  Even when potential sites are found, they do not necessarily fit with our strict standards and must meet the requirements for us to be able to work the sites in an environmentally acceptable way.

There must also be sufficient coal in the site to warrant the expensive and timely process required to recover it.  Importantly, the coal must also meet the quality standards required by the customer.

We have our own drilling rig which will help provide this sort of information to our geologists and development surveyors as well as our own marketing and laboratory services which will assess the quality and viability of the coal.

Q. Why do we need coal?
A. Coal stills provides 30% of the energy required to meet the electricity needs of the UK.  We believe that while there is still a need for coal, and there are coal resources available to recover in the UK in a viable and environmentally acceptable way, they should be used as source of energy.  If we stopped mining this indigenous source of energy we would need to import coal from countries such as Russia and Columbia.  This is not a reliable, cost effective or stable way for the UK to meet its energy needs.

Q. Why have many deep mines closed if there is still coal available?
A. Geological conditions within the UK mean that underground coal is often difficult and expensive to recover. Shallow deposits of coal can be won by surface mining methods at a lower cost.

Q. Is there much coal left in the UK?
A. Whilst most recent estimates suggest that we are still sitting on 300 years worth of coal in the UK, not all this coal is of a good enough quality, is available to excavate due to buildings or roads or can be recovered in an environmentally acceptable way due to its location.

Banks is still promoting a number of sites which do meet these requirements and will continue to look for new sites.  Unfortunately increasingly strict planning legislation, confusion about the UK’s energy needs and the outdated perception of surface mining are putting huge barriers in the way of developing sites to use this indigenous energy resource.

Q. Isn’t mining very noisy and dusty?
A. No, not if a site is properly designed and has the correct environmental controls in place.  The mining industry has moved on over the last 15 years developing new technology and recognising the need to design and operate sites in a more environmentally acceptable way.

As a company we are recognised as a leader in the innovation of environmental controls, recently receiving two environmental excellence awards from the government’s mining industry body, the Coal Authority, for our existing surface mines in Northumberland.  Our in-house engineers have pioneered world first technology for controlling the noise of site plant and designed new dust suppression techniques ensuring dust is dealt with at source.

By treating dust at source on site we aim to ensure that any dust created by operations stay within the site boundary.  We have successfully worked close to schools, local businesses, manufacturing plants, stables and residential properties.

The Noise Abatement Society has recognised our achievements in lowering the volume of sound emitted from our site plant awarding us the John Connell award for Innovation in 2004 and an Environmental Pioneer award in 2005.

We have also adopted an Environmental Policy, which we apply to all our sites to ensure high standards of working at all times.  Environmental monitoring and regular audits ensure that these standards are met.  To confirm our commitment to these standards all environmental monitoring results are shown to the site liaison committee and the local authorities and the local community are invited to take part in the audits.   

Q. Does mining destroy wildlife habitats?
A. Full ecological surveys are carried out on proposed sites during the planning process to identify any sensitive wildlife habitats.  Sites are then designed taking these in to account.  

The restoration of sites also often involves the creation or improvement of wildlife habitats on the site and within the wildlife corridors around it.

Q. Does mining have a negative effect on the landscape?
A. On all our sites mining operations are hidden behind mounds of soil (much of it the sub soil and top soil from the site) or a raised permanent landform which is grass seeded to ensure it fits with the surroundings.  You should not be able to see what is happening behind the grassed mounds.

Q. What is fireclay?
A. Some of our sites contain fireclay as well as coal.  Fireclay is used in the production of bricks and can often be found below the coal seams; therefore it is only recovered during surface mining operations.  Banks is a major supplier of fireclay and brickshale to the brick industry in the UK.
 
Q. Who decides how a site will be restored after mining?
A. Our landscape architects work with the landowner, the local community, the local wildlife trust and the Landscape officers at local authorities to design a landscape which improves what was there before mining operations.

Restoration design can often provide benefits to local residents and existing and new wildlife habitats.  See our landscape section for examples of restoration schemes we have undertaken.

Q. Does mining still create employment?
A. Yes, the mining industry in the UK directly employs around 6,000 people.  Mining companies like Banks also employ a great deal of people; Banks employ over 300 people.