Kia ora koutou,

Solid Energy have proposed another huge mine on Mt William on the South Island’s West Coast. Submissions close Monday 19th March.

We would really like as many people as possible to submit against the mine because of its climate change impacts (and any other impacts that you wish to cover). We are therefore making this request of all our supporters and urge you to pass it on to others who may be interested as well.

We have included the following information to make it as quick and easy as possible for you to complete a submission:
1. A simple template for the submission
2. Ideas for points to include.
3. Extra information from Lynley Hargreaves of West Coast ENT as well as their draft submission.

You can email your submission to the West Coast Regional Council (info@wcrc.govt.nz) and it also needs to be served on Solid Energy (info@solidenergy.co.nz attn Ruth Bartlett).

Thank you

Coal Action Network Aotearoa

1. Your submission can be very simple. It can just follow this template:

Submission to West Coast Regional Council and Buller District Council:
Mt William North Mining Project
Resource Consent numbers:
RC11181/1-RC11181/10
RC11/132A, RC11/132B

Submission by: [Insert name or organisation here]

Address for service:
[Actual address]
[Phone number/s]
[Email]

1. This submission opposes the whole of the application.

2. [Organisation name or “I”] contend that the proposal will adversely affect the environment in a way that is more than minor. [My /Our] specific concerns include:
– Climate change effects
[-Insert other concerns you have here, e.g. loss of ecosystem, water pollution]

3. [Include a paragraph or more outlining your concerns regarding coal and climate here, in your own words. You may wish to use information from: http://coalactionnetworkaotearoa.wordpress.com/ If you are short of time, you do not need to include this paragraph]

3. [I/We] seek the following decision from the consent authority:
: Decline the application in its entirety

4. We [wish / do not wish] to be heard in support of our submission. To reduce cost and inconvenience to all parties, we ask that the District and Regional council consent hearings be heard together.

[Name, signature, organisation]

2. You may like to include some of the following points:

  • Burning and mining coal is the most efficient and fastest way to bring about disastrous climate change
  • Carbon dioxide (CO2) represents the major portion climate changing greenhouse gases.
  • Coal emits 29% more CO2 per unit of energy than oil and 80% more than natural gas. The long term costs of coal seriously outweigh any short term economic benefits.
  • Coal mining has serious health implications for workers and locals, including respiratory illness from coal dust.
  • Environmental impacts include waterway contamination by toxic levels of heavy minerals such as mercury, aluminium, manganese and zinc, as well as propagation of sulphuric acid called Acid Mine Drainage. This severely degrades water quality and is toxic to aquatic life forms poisoning and smothering them with deposits of heavy minerals.
  • Coal mining cannot be seriously considered if New Zealand is to maintain its reputation as ‘clean and green’, nor its commitments to international climate change agreements.

3. Further information from West Coast ENT:

Hello everyone,

Submissions are due on Solid Energy’s proposed Mt William North mine at 5pm this Friday (since extended to Monday 19th). You can email your submission to the West Coast Regional Council (info@wcrc.govt.nz) and it also needs to be served on Solid Energy (info@solidenergy.co.nz attn Ruth Bartlett).

Your submission should state whether you oppose all or part of the resource consents that have been applied for, and whether or not you wish to be heard at the hearing. Usually you include your name, address, email and phone number.

The proposal is adjacent to the planned Happy Valley mine, covers 243ha, and involves about five million tonnes of coal. This is about the same size as the proposed Escarpment Mine on the Denniston Plateau to the south.

If you need more info you can download various documents at the West Coast Regional Council site http://www.wcrc.govt.nz/mtwilliam/application.html

All the best,
Lynley Hargreaves

The West Coast ENT draft submission is here [PDF file].