Britain is endowed with plenty of mineral resources. There are numerous environmental problems associated with mining, mostly due to coal mining such as subsidence in the mines which causes serious damage to property, waste tip stability and environmental pollution. Moreover, the problem of rising Acid Mine Water is also growing as more mines are closed. Under the Town and Country Planning Act, 1990 Mine waste is referred to as 'mineral working deposit' and has been defined as 'any deposit of material remaining after minerals have been extracted from land or otherwise deriving from the carrying out of operations for the winning and working of minerals, in on or under the land'. The Mineral Workings Act 1951 was passed following the report of the Kennet Committee, which was set up in 1938, and the Waters Committee in 1946 and it was the first serious effort to control the environmental consequences of mining, besides the local initiatives to control a specific nuisance. The Opencast Coal Act 1958 is concerned with authorising the activity of opencast coal working, including the rights of surface owners, compensation for loss of land and rights of way. The Town and Country Planning Act 1962 has authorised the Department of the Environment to make the planning decision regarding opencast coal operations. The Aberfan disaster of 1966 led to the enactment of the Mines and Quarries (Tips) Act 1969 with an aim to make further provision in relation to tips associated with mines and quarries; to prevent disused tips constituting a danger to members of the public; and for purposes connected with those matters. The Mines and Quarries (Tips) Regulations, 1971 contain the detailed requirements to implement and comply with the 1969 Act.
