The first phase of 2 innovative projects to reduce metal
pollution from abandoned lead and zinc mines near
Middleton-in-Teesdale has recently been completed.
The new measures include building 300m of new riverbank walls and
sowing an array of grass and plant species on metal-contaminated
land. This will limit metals being washed out of mine waste
material and polluting Little Eggleshope and Great Eggleshope
becks, both tributaries of the River Tees.
While metal mines played a major part in Britain’s history, the
abandoned mines and waste they produce can now pollute our rivers
and harm aquatic life.
The 2 projects has funding totalling £268,000 from the Water and
Abandoned Metal Mines (WAMM) programme and The National Lottery
Heritage Fund. The projects are helping to improve water quality
and restore, expand and connect habitats in the North Pennines
National Landscape.
Great Eggleshope
At the former Wire Gill Mine, trial plots of vegetation and
grassland have been planted across 0.75 hectares of highly
metal-contaminated ore processing wastes.
This means vegetation is now growing over bare mine waste
material. This has numerous benefits for the environment
including reducing metals being washed out of the mine waste
material and increasing biodiversity through new grassland
habitats. It also captures carbon dioxide in the soil.
Through these trial plots, the project team is exploring which
combinations of vegetation and supportive material could work
best for supporting growth on mine waste. 25 different grass,
flower and herb species have been sown. Alongside a range of
different materials such as compost, biochar and rock dust to
help the plants grow and withstand different weather conditions.
Little Eggleshope
At the former California Mine, 900 tonnes of local stone has been
used to build up 300 metres of riverbank walls. This is to
prevent the beck from eroding highly metal-contaminated mine
waste material.
In addition to this, 100 metres of drains have been installed to
divert rainfall and river water away from the mine waste
material. Together, these measures will decrease pollution of
Little Eggleshope Beck by reducing the amount of metals like
cadmium, lead and zinc that are being washed out of the mine
waste material.
Dr Hugh Potter, the Environment Agency’s Water and Abandoned
Metal Mine lead, said:
These innovative projects in the North Pennines are already
boosting biodiversity and will help to improve water quality in
several kilometres of rivers that have been polluted since the
19th Century.
These 2 interventions will help us to achieve the new Environment
Act target to halve the length of rivers polluted by abandoned
metal mines.
Our continuing work, with a range of partners including the North
Pennines National Landscape team, is bringing real environmental
and economic benefits to the North East.
Water Minister said:
I am very pleased to see the first phase of this major
collaborative project coming to fruition, which will make a vital
difference – both environmentally and economically – to the
communities in the North Pennines.
Through this important programme, we are tackling water pollution
caused by historical metal mining, better protecting the natural
environment, boosting biodiversity, and improving England’s
waterways for generations to come.
Committed to improving water quality
Mandie Kirk, Project Manager at the Coal Authority,
added:
This work clearly demonstrates the commitment of the Coal
Authority and our partners to improving the water quality of
these rivers. We are also undertaking this work in a
nature-focussed way, to ensure that the biodiversity of the area
can be restored and improved for future generations.
Tim Longstaff, Project Manager at the Yorkshire Dales River
Trust, said:
The River Tees like so many of our rivers has many issues
effecting its ecological health. As Rivers Trusts, it has been
satisfying to work collaboratively with so many different
organisations and individuals to start to tackle the pollution
legacy left behind by the abandoned lead mining industry.
Richard Wearmouth, tenant farmer involved in the project,
added:
It has been an interesting project to be part of and I have
enjoyed working alongside the various organisations. We started
with barren ground and now have natural vegetation coming
through, something I found pleasing to be part of.
The work has been delivered by the Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust
and Tees River Trust and is jointly funded by the Water and
Abandoned Metal Mines (WAMM) programme and the North Pennines
National Landscape Tees-Swale: Naturally Connected programme.
The Water and Abandoned Metal Mines (WAMM) programme is a
partnership between the Environment Agency and Coal Authority to
tackle water pollution caused by historical metal mining across
England and is funded by Defra.
The Tees-Swale: Naturally Connected programme, led by the
North Pennies National Landscape team in collaboration with the
Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, aims to restore, expand
and connect habitats and is primarily funded by The National
Lottery Heritage Fund.
