MENACING METHANE | | Former
coal mines are now posing threats to locals |
The dangers of Britain's pit closure
programme are exposed as Yorkshire and Lincolnshire's Inside Out team
discovers a possible time bomb posing a threat to locals. Ever since the 18th Century coal mining has been a large
part of Northern England's history. One of the UK's major mines, Kiveton pit in South Yorkshire,
opened in the area in 1866 but nearby pits have been active since around
1700. By 1900 well over a million coal miners were employed
in the UK with around 250 million tonnes of coal being produced, compared
to around 42 million tonnes in the mid 1990s. But those involved wouldn't have foreseen the potential
dangers faced by future generations in the area. Harmless emissions | | Coal absorbs
methane gas naturally underground |
Coal absorbs methane gas naturally and when surrounding
pressures are released, as they are during mining, the methane escapes.
When coal is being extracted, the highly flammable methane
gas is pumped out of the mine on a constant basis. Experts now say that neither the Government nor the former
National Coal Board foresaw the problems of shutting the collieries, which
are now filling with methane gas that can't escape. Explosive mixtures| Methane - The Facts | A methane molecule is composed of one carbon atom
and four hydrogen atoms
It is the principle component of natural gas
Methane is colourless and odourless
Methane is combustible, and mixtures of about 5 to 15% in air are
explosive
Burning one molecule of methane in the presence of oxygen releases
one molecule of CO2 (carbon dioxide) and two molecules of H2O (water)
Methane results from the decomposition of certain organic matters
in the absence of oxygen
During the past 200 years, the concentration of methane in the atmosphere
has doubled
Methane is a greenhouse gas so emissions
contribute to global warming |
As Inside Out reveals, one disused shaft at Bolsover
in Derbyshire contains 35% methane gas, 15% of which is considered explosive.
After the shaft had been filled in with rubble, the gas
was still escaping into a nearby warehouse. Although the shaft has now been vented to prevent any
further incidents, nearby residents are becoming alarmed. Damaging EffectsResidents of Barnsley are already concerned at the effect of methane gas
from the former Monk Bretton Colliery. Barnsley resident, Anne Booth, says she is left with
an effectively worthless house as a result of the gas emissions and has
even gone to the lengths of getting a gas monitoring alarm fitted in her
home. "I think you actually have to live with it to know
what it's like. "It's affected me greatly," she said. "How can I sell my house with a gas monitor in it
and with a view across the road of boarded up houses. "Who in hell is going to buy a house like that?"  | | Boarded up
houses will put buyers off |
Although residents are aware of the potential risks,
new homes are currently being built at the bottom of Anne's garden. Anne is worried that potential buyers may be unaware
of any problems. Bolsover and Barnsley are not the only areas to be affected
by methane. Houses near Wakefield and Rotherham have also been affected. New theoriesTo this date, no one has been injured by mine gas on
the earth's surface, although thousands were killed in underground explosions
before the invention of the "Davy Lamp". | Davy Lamp Facts | Invented by Sir Humphrey Davy, the
Davy Lamp was an invention that would save the lives of thousands
of miners.
Whilst underground, miners used to wear candles in their helmets
enabling them to see.
Gas built up in the mine could be sparked off by the flame, which
caused lethal fires and explosions.
The Davy Lamp prevented the risk of fires by using a metal gauze
to distribute the heat, thus stopping the flame reaching ignition
temperature. |
However, Inside Out reveals a theory that suggests gas
may have played a major part in Nottinghamshire's Loscoe blast in 1986. The blast demolished a house and injured three people.
It has been discovered that a shaft running under the
village contains large amounts of methane, which could be lethal. Property boomWith Britain's continuing property boom, developers are
increasingly using former colliery areas to build homes, shops and offices.
Methane expert Cameron Davies
- head of the trade organisation representing companies using methane
for power generation - says he would be wary at living on a former mine
site.
 | | Houses on former
mining sites could contain methane gas |
"If a house contains an explosive mixture of methane
and someone switched on a light, there will be an explosion," he
warned. "Back in the early 1990s the Department of Trade
and Industry suggested there were no methane abandoned coal mines because
British Coal had said so back in the 1980s." Mr Davies said this was clearly wrong. He says that in fact new scientific evidence suggests
that mines are producing more methane than anyone had predicted. More informationFormer coal mines can be found around
many areas in Northern England including - Leeds
- Barnsley
- Sheffield
- Doncaster
- Rotherham
- Chesterfield
If you think you may be in a former mining area
and are worried about methane gas please contact the Coal Authority's Corporate Affairs Manager, John Delaney.
e-mail: thecoalauthority@coal.gov.uk | 
