A new authority for tackling dangerous abandoned coal tips has been proposed by the Welsh government in an effort to prevent future disasters as seen in Aberfan in the 1960s.
The Disused Tips Authority for Wales would be established under legislation introduced on Monday by the deputy first minister, Huw Irranca-Davies.
The authority would become a Welsh government-sponsored body and seek to ensure disused tips do not threaten human welfare as a result of instability and would take responsibility for the assessment, registration, monitoring and management of disused tips.
The move comes after a major landslide of a disused tip in Tylorstown during Storm Dennis in 2020, which caused more than 60,000 tonnes of debris to fall into the Rhondda Fach River.
Last month, during Storm Bert, a similar landslide occurred in the village of Cwmtillery near Abertillery.
The events triggered painful memories of the Aberfan disaster, where a coal tip slipped down a hillside killing 116 children and 28 adults in 1966.
Irranca-Davies was in Tylorstown on Monday as the disused mine and quarry tips (Wales) bill was introduced.
He said: “Wales has a proud mining heritage, and it is imperative that we have a structured approach to managing disused coal and non-coal tips to ensure they are safe and not a threat to our communities.
“In February 2020, following storms Ciara and Dennis, a series of coal tip landslides occurred in Wales, including a major landslide of a disused tip in Tylorstown.
“These landslides, as well as the recent incident at Cwmtillery, illustrate the potential risks and concerns that disused tips present to the people living in their shadow.
“This bill is about keeping communities safe and is part of a wider programme of work to improve the safety of disused coal tips.
“I look forward to working with MSs and stakeholders on the bill’s proposals in the coming months.”
There are 2,573 disused coal tips in Wales, and it is estimated there are more than 20,000 other disused tips across the country.
The Welsh government also asked the Law Commission to evaluate existing legislation relating to disused coal tips. Its report concluded current law no longer provides an effective management framework for disused coal tips and reform was recommended.
Plaid Cymru said the bill was an “important step” but called again on the UK government to pay the full £600m estimated cost of remediating coal tips over the next decade to protect communities and prevent future disasters.
The UK government announced £25m to tackle the issue in the most recent budget.
Plaid Cymru’s spokesperson for climate change, Delyth Jewell, said: “The disused mine and quarry tips (Wales) bill is an important step towards addressing the urgent safety risks posed by Wales’ disused coal tips.
“But legislation alone is not enough. With hundreds of high-risk tips and thousands more across the country, we cannot underestimate the urgency of the need to secure the full £600m from Westminster to remediate coal tips in Wales and prevent future disasters.
“Given the increasingly extreme weather we are experiencing, there is a heightened risk of landslides and tip instability. The £25m requested so far by the Welsh government for coal tip clearance isn’t going to get us very far.”
