Coal Authority celebrates first year as Category 2 responder

The Coal Authority has achieved a significant milestone as it marked a year since obtaining Category 2 responder status in February. Established in 1994 to manage the mining legacy of England, Scotland, and Wales, it has consistently supported emergency services in handling major incidents related to historical mining.

Following a comprehensive review prompted by an incident in South Wales in 2021, the Coal Authority formalised its incident response procedures. This involved creating an Emergency Response team, implementing 24/7 on-call procedures, and enhancing staff training for the on-call team.

In addition to these changes, the Coal Authority actively raised awareness of risks associated with historical mine workings. They collaborated with Local Resilience Forums and key partners to mitigate, respond, and recover from incidents. These efforts resulted in the grant of Category 2 Responder status in February 2023.

“Protecting the public and environment on the coalfield is a key responsibility for the Coal Authority. Our dedicated workforce collaborates 24/7 with customers and partners to safeguard life, drinking water, and the environment from the challenges of Great Britain’s mining legacy.”

Jim Repp, Head of Resilience, The Coal Authority.

Now in its nearly 30th year, the Coal Authority manages safety issues arising from coal mining, addressing water pollution and providing mining reports. It actively responds to planning consultation requests and licenses coal mining in Britain.

Commonly assisting in incidents like ground collapses, water or gas releases, subsidence-related land drainage, coal tip slips, and spontaneous combustion on the coalfield, the Coal Authority conducted 10,476 mine entry inspections and investigated 770 mining hazards and subsidence claims in 2022-2023. They also built the capacity to treat 220 billion liters of mine water annually.

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