Flood threatens mine's future

Workers have been sent home

The future of Scotland's last deep coal mine is in jeopardy after millions of gallons of water flooded the underground workings.

A spokesman for operator Mining Scotland said ventilation at the Longannet pit in Fife had been affected.

He said this meant that no-one could get into the complex, which employs more than 500 staff and contractors.

We are very concerned about the future for the mine

Professor Ross Harper
Mining Scotland

The workforce have been sent home for the rest of the week.

Mining Scotland's board will consider the position on Thursday.

In a statement, the company's chairman Professor Ross Harper said 17 million gallons of water had "cascaded" through the mine on Saturday night without any warning, cutting off the air supply.

"We are very concerned about the future for the mine," he admitted.

He said electricity had been cut and normal pumping could not take place.

Main face

"Our number one priority is safety," he added.

"If this unexpected flooding had taken place 24 hours earlier, there could have been serious loss of life."

A spokesman for the company said no workers had been in the area when the flooding took place away from the main working face.

Nicky Wilson, the president and general secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers in Scotland, is understood to have visited Longannet on Tuesday.

I fully understand the significance of the mine, both to the local communities and the Scottish economy

Brian Wilson
Energy Minister

Bill Speirs, the general secretary of the Scottish TUC, said the situation appeared to be very serious.

He said that given the amount of public money invested in the mine, every avenue must be explored in trying to keep it in production.

"We are talking about coal reserves that are extremely strategically important, not just for Scotland but for the UK as a whole," he told BBC Scotland.

"It would be an absolute nightmare if the legacy of Margaret Thatcher as she goes silent is that we see the last deep mine in Scotland close."

UK Energy Minister Brian Wilson is planning to meet the mine's directors on Friday to discuss the future of Longannet.

The coal is used by a neighbouring power plant

He said: "Like everyone else I am shocked by the extent of the flooding.

"The only saving grace is that there was no loss of life."

He said that the picture would be a lot clearer by Friday.

"This government has invested heavily in the future of Longannet and I fully understand the significance of the mine, both to the local communities and the Scottish economy," added Mr Wilson.

The pit's long-term future was thought to have been secured in December 2000 when it received a £17.7m cash injection from the government.

Power station

That financial help was followed by a major advertising campaign to recruit 130 miners.

However, in November last year management said 170 workers would be made redundant following a serious rock fall and the discovery of a major geological fault on one of the mine's faces.

The mine provides low sulphur fuel for its neighbouring power station on the banks of the Forth.

An estimated 30,000 tonnes of coal was due to be mined this week.

Production had been running at 50% above target rates as the result of new equipment.