125-660: Solid Energy was the largest coal mining company in New Zealand and is a state owned enterprise of the New Zealand Government . The company was formed from the former government department State Coal Mines. It was then established as a state owned enterprise called Coal Corporation in 1987 (known as Coalcorp), and renamed Solid Energy New Zealand Limited in 1997. In 2015, it had a turnover of NZ$ 369.8 million and produced 2.8 million tonnes of coal. The company mined extensively in New Zealand's Waikato and
250-456: A select committee into social services. He was made a parliamentary under-secretary in 1993, serving under the Minister of Health. In early 1996, English was elevated to cabinet by Prime Minister Jim Bolger , becoming the Minister for Crown Health Enterprises and Associate Minister of Education (to Wyatt Creech ). He was 34 at the time, becoming the cabinet's youngest member. After
375-415: A " pit head ". In Australia , "colliery" generally refers to an underground coal mine. Coal mining has had many developments in recent years, from the early days of men tunneling, digging, and manually extracting the coal on carts to large open-cut and longwall mines. Mining at this scale requires the use of draglines , trucks, conveyors , hydraulic jacks , and shearers. The coal mining industry has
500-705: A 70% increase over the 20 years since 1999. In 2018, the world production of brown coal (lignite) was 803.2 Mt, with Germany the world's largest producer at 166.3 Mt. China is most likely the second largest producer and consumer of lignite globally although specific lignite production data is not made available. Coal production has grown fastest in Asia, while Europe has declined. Since 2011, world coal production has been stable, with decreases in Europe and US offset by increases from China, Indonesia and Australia. The top coal mining nations are: Energy production from coal mining
625-773: A bachelor, in 1944. English was born in the maternity unit at Lumsden . English attended St Thomas's School in Winton , then boarded at St. Patrick's College in Upper Hutt , where he became head boy . He played in the first XV of the school's rugby team. English went on to study commerce at the University of Otago , where he was a resident at Selwyn College , and then completed an honours degree in English literature at Victoria University of Wellington . After finishing his studies, English returned to Dipton and farmed for
750-467: A coal seam occurring near the top of a ridge or hill, the entire top is removed in a series of parallel cuts. Overburden is deposited in nearby valleys and hollows. This method usually leaves the ridge and hilltops as flattened plateaus. The process is highly controversial for the drastic changes in topography, the practice of creating head-of-hollow-fills , or filling in valleys with mining debris, and for covering streams and disrupting ecosystems. Spoil
875-542: A commercial scale. In December 2010, Dr Jan Wright, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment , issued a report, "Lignite and climate change: The high cost of low grade coal", which criticised the lignite conversion proposals for their carbon intensity, their contribution to climate change and the likelihood that they would be eligible to receive a free allocation of carbon credits under
1000-660: A few years. From 1987 to 1989, he worked in Wellington as a policy analyst for the New Zealand Treasury , at a time when the free market policies favoured by Labour 's finance minister Roger Douglas (known collectively as " Rogernomics ") were being implemented. English joined the National Party in 1980, while at Victoria University. He served for a period as chairman of the Southland branch of
1125-405: A fourth of the world's energy. Coal extraction methods vary depending on whether the mine is an underground mine or a surface (also called an open cast) mine. Additionally, coal seam thickness and geology are factors in the selection of a mining method. The most economical method of coal extraction for surface mines is the electric shovel or drag line. The most economical form of underground mining
1250-403: A greater proportion of the coal deposit than underground methods, as more of the coal seams in the strata may be exploited. This equipment can include the following: Draglines which operate by removing the overburden, power shovels, large trucks in which transport overburden and coal, bucket wheel excavators, and conveyors. In this mining method, explosives are first used in order to break through
1375-440: A land use condition is not equal to the original use. Existing land uses (such as livestock grazing, crop and timber production) are temporarily eliminated in mining areas. High-value, intensive-land-use areas like urban and transportation systems are not usually affected by mining operations. If mineral values are sufficient, these improvements may be removed to an adjacent area. Strip mining eliminates existing vegetation, destroys
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#17327807861271500-440: A large dining-room table, but with hydraulic jacks for legs. After the large pillars of coal have been mined away, the mobile roof support's legs shorten and it is withdrawn to a safe area. The mine roof typically collapses once the mobile roof supports leave an area. There are six principal methods of underground mining: Coal is mined commercially in over 50 countries. 7,921 million metric tons (Mt) of coal were produced in 2019,
1625-610: A later review said that was at least $ 2 billion too high. A restructuring package in October 2013 gave the company an extra $ 100 million in equity, with 75% coming from banks and 25% from the New Zealand Government. Another $ 103 million of equity was supplied by the government in September 2014. On 13 August 2015 the company went into temporary voluntary administration, asking creditors to freeze most of its debt. If
1750-482: A living allowance for ministers, to live in his own NZ$ 1.2 million Wellington home. At the time, English also received $ 276,200 in his annual salary as deputy prime minister. It was also revealed other ministers with homes in the capital city were also claiming accommodation allowances. On 3 August 2009, Prime Minister John Key started a review of the housing allowances claimed by cabinet ministers. English subsequently paid back $ 12,000 and only claimed about $ 24,000
1875-559: A long history of significant negative environmental impacts on local ecosystems, health impacts on local communities and workers, and contributes heavily to the global environmental crises, such as poor air quality and climate change . For these reasons, coal has been one of the first fossil fuels to be phased out of various parts of the global energy economy . The major coal producing countries, though, such as China , Indonesia, India and Australia , have not reached peak production, with production increases replacing falls in Europe and
2000-447: A method that currently accounts for about 60 percent of world coal production. In deep mining, the room and pillar or bord and pillar method progresses along the seam, while pillars and timber are left standing to support the mine roof. Once room and pillar mines have been developed to a stopping point limited by geology, ventilation, or economics, a supplementary version of room and pillar mining, termed second mining or retreat mining ,
2125-488: A new coal mine. Bill English Sir Simon William English KNZM (born 30 December 1961) is a New Zealand former politician who served as the 39th prime minister of New Zealand from 2016 to 2017 and leader of the National Party from 2001 to 2003 and 2016 to 2018. He had previously served as the 17th deputy prime minister of New Zealand and minister of finance from 2008 to 2016 under John Key and
2250-495: A new leader. On 27 February, he was succeeded as party leader by Simon Bridges as the result of the leadership election held that day. In 2018, English joined the board of Australian conglomerate, Wesfarmers . English serves in Chairmanships of Mount Cook Alpine Salmon, Impact Lab Ltd and Manawanui Support Ltd. He is also a director of The Instillery, Centre for Independent Studies and The Todd Corporation Limited, and
2375-702: A plan for infrastructure projects and investments. He commissioned a government-wide spending review, with an aim to reducing government expenditure—with the exceptions of a two-year stimulus package and long-term increases on infrastructure spending. In April 2011, the Opposition criticised English for suggesting that New Zealand businesses could use New Zealand's low wages to help it compete with Australia. The National Government campaigned for re-election in 2011 on its economic record . The Government boasted growth for five consecutive quarters up to mid-2010, totalling 1.6% of real GDP . Strong growth resulted in
2500-503: A relative newcomer to politics, began to build up support to replace English. On 28 October, Brash gained sufficient backing in Caucus to defeat English in a leadership contest . On 2 November 2003, when Brash changed responsibilities for certain MPs, English became National's spokesman for education, ranked at fifth place in the party's parliamentary hierarchy. He remained in parliament after
2625-589: A result of occupational exposures is coined occupational hearing loss . To protect miners' hearing, the US Mine Safety and Health Administration 's (MSHA) guidelines for noise place a Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for noise at 90 dBA time-weighted over 8 hours. A lower cutoff, 85 dBA, is set for a worker to fall into the MSHA Action Level which dictates that workers be placed into hearing conservation programs. Noise exposures vary depending on
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#17327807861272750-412: A security firm employed by Solid Energy, used private individuals to spy on SHVC. A second spying episode was alleged involving Thompson and Clark attempting to employ another spy to obtain information from SHVC. Solid Energy claimed that they had no knowledge of that instance of an attempt by Thompson and Clark to employ a spy. Coal mining Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from
2875-523: A successful leadership run. National's leadership troubles were resolved in December 1997, when Bolger resigned and Shipley was elected to the leadership unopposed. English had been a supporter of Bolger as leader, but Shipley reappointed him Minister of Health in her new cabinet. English was promoted to Minister of Finance in a reshuffle in January 1999, a position which was at the time subordinate to
3000-410: A surplus of $ 473 million for the 2015/16 financial year, projected to rise to $ 8.5 billion by 2020/21. In his 2016 Economic and Fiscal Update address, English stated that reducing debt and tackling the costs of the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake were higher priorities than reducing rates of tax. In 2009, the media, including TVNZ and TV3 revealed that English was receiving about NZ$ 900 a week as part of
3125-553: A year in living allowances. The Auditor-General's office said in September 2009 that they were making "preliminary enquiries" into parliamentary housing expenses in response to a letter of complaint from Progressive party leader Jim Anderton . Two days later English stated that he would no longer take up any housing allowance and had paid back all the allowance he had received since the November 2008 election. John Key resigned on 12 December, and endorsed English as his successor in
3250-615: Is a member of the Impact Advisory Group of Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets. In mid December 2023, the National-led coalition government appointed English to lead an independent review into housing agency Kāinga Ora 's financial situation, procurement, and asset management. On 20 May 2024, English's review found that Kāinga Ora exploited its easy access to Government credit and excessively borrowed without exercising fiscal discipline. Defunct English
3375-566: Is a threat to anyone else's marriage". In 2009, English voted against the Misuse of Drugs (Medicinal Cannabis) Amendment Bill , a bill aimed at amending the Misuse of Drugs Act so that cannabis could be used for medical purposes. English met his future wife, Mary Scanlon, at university. She was studying medicine at the time, and became a general practitioner . Both her parents were immigrants, her father being Samoan and her mother Italian, born on
3500-575: Is accomplished by drilling holes into the overburden, filling the holes with explosives, and detonating the explosive. The overburden is then removed, using large earth-moving equipment, such as draglines , shovel and trucks, excavator and trucks, or bucket-wheels and conveyors. This overburden is put into the previously mined (and now empty) strip. When all the overburden is removed, the underlying coal seam will be exposed (a 'block' of coal). This block of coal may be drilled and blasted (if hard) or otherwise loaded onto trucks or conveyors for transport to
3625-427: Is commonly started. Miners remove the coal in the pillars, thereby recovering as much coal from the coal seam as possible. A work area involved in pillar extraction is called a pillar section. Modern pillar sections use remote-controlled equipment, including large hydraulic mobile roof-supports, which can prevent cave-ins until the miners and their equipment have left a work area. The mobile roof supports are similar to
3750-418: Is dedicated to mining activities until it can be reshaped and reclaimed. If mining is allowed, resident human populations must be resettled off the mine site; economic activities, such as agriculture or hunting and gathering food and medicinal plants are interrupted. What becomes of the land surface after mining is determined by the manner in which the mining is conducted. Usually reclamation of disturbed lands to
3875-516: Is highly concentrated in certain jurisdictions, which also concentrates much of the social and economic impacts of the industry to these regions. The industry directly employs over seven million workers worldwide, which, in turn, creates millions of indirect jobs. In several parts of the world, producers have reached peak coal as some economies shift away from fossil fuels to address climate change. A 2020 study found that renewables jobs could feasibly be created in these geographies to replace many of
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4000-484: Is mostly used to generate electricity, and 75% of annual coal production is exported, mostly to eastern Asia. In 2007, 428 million tonnes of coal was mined in Australia. In 2007, coal provided about 85% of Australia's electricity production. In the fiscal year 2008/09, 487 million tonnes of coal was mined, and 261 million tonnes was exported. In the fiscal year 2013/14, 430.9 million tonnes of coal
4125-417: Is partially economically recoverable. Coal refuse is distinct from the byproducts of burning coal, such as fly ash . Piles of coal refuse can have significant negative environmental consequences, including the leaching of iron, manganese, and aluminum residues into waterways and acid mine drainage . The runoff can create both surface and groundwater contamination. The piles also create a fire hazard, with
4250-593: Is placed at the head of a narrow, steep-sided valley or hollow. In preparation for filling this area, vegetation and soil are removed and a rock drain constructed down the middle of the area to be filled, where a natural drainage course previously existed. When the fill is completed, this underdrain will form a continuous water runoff system from the upper end of the valley to the lower end of the fill. Typical head-of-hollow fills are graded and terraced to create permanently stable slopes. Most coal seams are too deep underground for opencast mining and require underground mining,
4375-436: Is referred to as 'overburden' and is removed in long strips. The overburden from the first strip is deposited in an area outside the planned mining area and referred to as out-of-pit dumping. Overburden from subsequent strips is deposited in the void left from mining the coal and overburden from the previous strip. This is referred to as in-pit dumping. It is often necessary to fragment the overburden by use of explosives. This
4500-443: Is regarded as more socially conservative than his predecessor, John Key. He has stated his opposition to voluntary euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide , same-sex civil unions , and the decriminalisation of prostitution . As prime minister he opposed any "liberalisation" of abortion law . In 2004, English voted against a bill to establish civil unions for both same-sex and opposite-sex couples. In 2005, he voted for
4625-515: Is removed and overburden dumped to the side. Dust, vibration, and diesel exhaust odors are created (affecting sight, sound, and smell). Residents of local communities often find such impacts disturbing or unpleasant. In case of mountaintop removal , tops are removed from mountains or hills to expose thick coal seams underneath. The soil and rock removed is deposited in nearby valleys, hollows and depressions, resulting in blocked (and contaminated) waterways. Removal of soil and rock overburden covering
4750-712: Is still common, with 4,000 new cases of black lung every year in the US (4 percent of workers annually) and 10,000 new cases every year in China (0.2 percent of workers). The use of water sprays in mining equipment reduces the risk to miners' lungs. Build-ups of a hazardous gas are known as damps, possibly from the German word Dampf which means steam or vapor: Noise is also a contributing factor to potential adverse effects on coal miners' health. Exposure to excessive noise can lead to noise-induced hearing loss . Hearing loss developed as
4875-464: Is the long wall, which involves using two spinning drums with carbide bits that runs along sections of the coal seam. Many coals extracted from both surface and underground mines require washing in a coal preparation plant . Technical and economic feasibility are evaluated based on the following: regional geological conditions; overburden characteristics; coal seam continuity, thickness, structure, quality, and depth; strength of materials above and below
5000-435: Is used for both thermal and metallurgical coals . In New South Wales open casting for steam coal and anthracite is practiced. Surface mining accounts for around 80 percent of production in Australia, while in the US it is used for about 67 percent of production. Globally, about 40 percent of coal production involves surface mining. Strip mining exposes coal by removing earth above each coal seam. This earth to be removed
5125-406: The 1996 general election , the National Party was forced into a coalition with New Zealand First to retain government. In the resulting cabinet reshuffle, English emerged as Minister of Health . However, as a condition of the coalition agreement, NZ First's Neil Kirton (a first-term MP) was made Associate Minister of Health, effectively becoming English's deputy. This arrangement was described in
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5250-548: The 2005 election . In his new shadow education portfolio, English performed strongly, and remained a party favourite despite his election defeat as leader in 2002, eventually being returned to the finance portfolio in August 2004 as deputy spokesman (while still retaining responsibility for education). In November 2006, Brash resigned as leader. English was considered as a potential replacement leader (running against John Key ) or deputy leader (against incumbent Gerry Brownlee ) in
5375-651: The Fifth National Government . A farmer and public servant before entering politics, English was elected to the New Zealand Parliament in 1990 as the National Party's candidate in the Wallace electorate . He was elevated to Cabinet in 1996 and in 1999 was made minister of finance , although he served for less than a year due to his party's loss at the 1999 general election . In October 2001, English replaced Jenny Shipley as
5500-491: The Industrial Revolution , and coal provided the main source of primary energy for industry and transportation in industrial areas from the 18th century to the 1950s. Coal remains an important energy source. Coal is also mined today on a large scale by open pit methods wherever the coal strata strike the surface or are relatively shallow. Britain developed the main techniques of underground coal mining from
5625-534: The Marriage (Gender Clarification) Amendment Bill , which would have amended the Marriage Act to define marriage as only between a man and a woman. English voted against the Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill , a bill that legalised same-sex marriage in New Zealand . However, in December 2016 he stated, "I'd probably vote differently now on the gay marriage issue. I don't think that gay marriage
5750-668: The Māori Party if confidence and supply agreements were required to form a government following the election. In his second cabinet reshuffle on 24 April, English appointed Gerry Brownlee as his new Foreign Affairs Minister ; he also promoted Nikki Kaye to the portfolio of Education Minister , and moved Mark Mitchell into the cabinet to become Defence Minister . The reshuffle was perceived as an election preparation. On 13 February 2017, English welcomed Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull to Wellington. The two leaders reaffirmed their shared trade agenda, and discussed changes to
5875-647: The New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme . Wright said "it makes no sense that the emissions trading system (ETS) rules would lead to taxpayers subsidising, even at a modest level, new investment in outdated dirty technology". On 22 February 2013, the New Zealand Herald reported that the plans for converting the Southland lignite into diesel, fertiliser and burnable briquettes has been abandoned due to debts and low coal prices. Solid Energy had previously invested heavily in
6000-590: The Paparoa National Park , and a 45 km walkway, the Pike 29 Memorial Track from Blackball to Punakaikai through the park constructed as a memorial to the 29 miners lost in the disaster. In mid-August 2012, the chief executive, Don Elder , announced a decline in Solid Energy's revenue of $ 200 million and a review of its operations. On 25 October 2012, Solid Energy confirmed it was moth-balling
6125-589: The Pike River Mine disaster of 2010. The sale was completed in May. There has been criticism because Solid Energy decided in 2014 that it was too risky to re-enter the mine to recover any remains from the mine. The government subsequently purchased the 3580 ha of land around the Pike River Mine. The environment minister Nick Smith announced on 15 November 2015 that the 3580 ha of land is to be added to
6250-559: The Treasurer , Bill Birch . After a few months, the pair switched positions as part of Birch's transition to retirement, with English assuming the senior portfolio. In early interviews, he emphasised his wish to be seen as a pragmatist rather than an ideologue, and said that the initiatives of some of his predecessors ( Roger Douglas 's " Rogernomics " and Ruth Richardson 's " Ruthanasia ") had focused on "fruitless, theoretical debates" when "people just want to see problems solved". After
6375-632: The West Coast regions. Approximately half the coal mined was exported, as it was high value with little moisture, sulphur, or other impurities. Much of this was to China , India and Japan where it was used in the power generation and coke industries and for the manufacture of steel and other metals . Major domestic users included the Huntly Power Station and New Zealand Steel at Glenbrook . Solid Energy went into voluntary administration in August 2015. On 31 October 2016 it
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#17327807861276500-651: The Young Nationals , and became a member of the Wallace electorate committee. After moving to Wellington, he served for periods on the Island Bay and Miramar electorate committees, respectively. At the 1990 general election , English stood as the National candidate in Wallace, the former electorate of National's first full-time leader, Adam Hamilton . The incumbent, Derek Angus , was retiring. English
6625-535: The financial crisis . In response to New Zealand's rising debt, English made budget deficit -reduction his main priority. His first budget outlined three focuses in New Zealand's financial recovery: "improving the business environment and removing roadblocks to growth; investment in productive infrastructure; and improving the way government works". One of his first acts was creating the National Infrastructure Unit , charged with formulating
6750-479: The leader of the National Party (and consequently as Leader of the Opposition). He led the party to its worst defeat at the 2002 general election , and as a consequence, in October 2003 he was replaced as leader by Don Brash . In November 2006, after Brash's resignation, English became deputy leader under John Key . After National's victory at the 2008 general election , he became deputy prime minister and
6875-497: The Australian citizenship pathway which will affect permanent residents originating from New Zealand. On 19 June, it was reported that Todd Barclay , who succeeded English as MP for Clutha-Southland , had clandestinely recorded one of his employee's conversations the previous year, and that John Key's leaders' budget was used to pay a confidential settlement after the employee resigned. English admitted that he had been aware of
7000-646: The Labour Party . English initially continued on as Leader of the Opposition, but resigned as leader of the National Party on 27 February 2018 and left parliament two weeks later. English was born on 30 December 1961 at Lumsden Maternity Centre in Lumsden . He is the eleventh of twelve children of Mervyn English and Norah (née O'Brien) English. His parents purchased Rosedale , a mixed sheep and cropping farm in Dipton, Southland from Mervyn's uncle, Vincent English,
7125-432: The National Party after being told she no longer had the support of the party caucus. English was elected as her replacement unopposed (with Roger Sowry as his deputy), and consequently became Leader of the Opposition . However, he did not openly organise against Shipley, and according to The Southland Times "there was almost an element of 'aw, shucks, I'll do it then' about Mr English's ascension". Aged 39 when he
7250-464: The National Party lost the 1999 election to Helen Clark 's Labour Party, English continued on in the shadow cabinet as National's spokesperson for finance. He was elected deputy leader of the party in February 2001, following the resignation of Wyatt Creech , with Gerry Brownlee being his unsuccessful opponent. In October 2001, after months of speculation, Jenny Shipley resigned as leader of
7375-767: The Newvale opencast mine, located in the Waimumu coal field in Southland . The Newvale mine supplies lignite to the domestic market, including to Fonterra 's Edendale dairy plant. In December 2010 the Terrace mine near Reefton , which had closed in 2009, was sold to Crusader Coal. In October 2011 Solid Energy opened the small opencast Reddale Mine near Reefton on the West Coast. In March 2012, Solid Energy purchased Pike River Coal , which had gone into receivership after
7500-558: The Spring Creek Mine and that 220 miners would be made redundant. Solid Energy's annual report for the financial year ended June 2012 was released in November and showed a loss of $ 40 million, a decline of 146% from the profit for 2011. In December 2012, workers at mines owned by Solid Energy were repeatedly rejecting pay cuts and reductions in hours. Solid made 235 employees redundant at the Spring Creek mine, and reduced
7625-541: The Treaty of Waitangi. English had been invited to attend in an official capacity; his non-attendance was criticised by a Ngāpuhi elder and Opposition leader Andrew Little . In his first overseas trip as prime minister, English travelled to Europe to discuss trade ties, including a prospective New Zealand–European Union free trade agreement . He first travelled to London on 13 January 2017 to meet British prime minister Theresa May . Discussing trade relations, English said
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#17327807861277750-812: The U.S., Examples include the Sago Mine disaster of 2006, and the 2007 mine accident in Utah 's Crandall Canyon Mine , where nine miners were killed and six entombed. In the decade 2005–2014, US coal mining fatalities averaged 28 per year. The most fatalities during the 2005–2014 decade were 48 in 2010, the year of the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster in West Virginia, which killed 29 miners. Chronic lung diseases, such as pneumoconiosis (black lung) were once common in miners, leading to reduced life expectancy . In some mining countries black lung
7875-624: The US Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) show that between 1990 and 2004, the industry cut the rate of injuries by more than half and fatalities by two-thirds. But according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , even in 2006, mining remained the second most dangerous occupation in America, when measured by fatality rate . These numbers, however, include all mining activities, and oil and gas mining contribute to
8000-673: The United States and proposed mines under development. The coal mining industry employs almost 2.7 million workers. The History of coal mining goes back thousands of years, with early mines documented in ancient China, the Roman Empire and other early historical economies. It became important in the Industrial Revolution of the 19th and 20th centuries, when it was primarily used to power steam engines, heat buildings and generate electricity. Coal mining continues as an important economic activity today, but has begun to decline due to
8125-552: The United States' decision to withdraw from the agreement. He explained that Southeast Asian countries would now be treated as a priority in negotiations—he also asserted that the United States was ceding influence to China by its rejection of the trade pact. At a press conference at the Beehive on 1 February 2017, English announced that the 2017 general election would be held on 23 September. The Prime Minister later confirmed that his party would approach ACT , United Future and
8250-710: The West Coast. In 2006, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment proposed to undertake a review of the environmental performance of the company in 2008. Solid Energy has also been criticised by the Ngawakau Riverwatch group and environmental groups and organisations such as Greenpeace, Forest and Bird, The Buller Conservation Group and the Save Happy Valley Coalition. The criticisms include carbon emissions, environmental damage and greenwashing in respect of
8375-581: The coal mining jobs as part of a just transition ; however, renewable energy was not suitable in some of the geographies with high concentrations of miners, such as in China, which is far and away the leading coal-mining nation. Coal refuse (also described as coal waste, rock, slag, coal tailings, waste material, rock bank, culm, boney, or gob ) is the material left over from coal mining, usually as tailings piles or spoil tips . For every tonne of hard coal generated by mining, 400 kg (880 lb) of waste material remains, which includes some lost coal that
8500-497: The coal preparation (or wash) plant. Once this strip is empty of coal, the process is repeated with a new strip being created next to it. This method is most suitable for areas with flat terrain. Equipment to be used depends on geological conditions. For example, to remove overburden that is loose or unconsolidated, a bucket wheel excavator might be the most productive. The life of some area mines may be more than 50 years. The contour mining method consists of removing overburden from
8625-863: The coal resource may cause burial and loss of topsoil, exposes parent material, and creates large infertile wastelands. Soil disturbance and associated compaction result in conditions conducive to erosion. Soil removal from the area to be surface-mined alters or destroys many natural soil characteristics, and reduces its biodiversity and productivity for agriculture. Soil structure may be disturbed by pulverization or aggregate breakdown. Top 10 hard and brown coal producers in 2012 were (in million metric tons): China 3,621, United States 922, India 629, Australia 432, Indonesia 410, Russia 351, South Africa 261, Germany 196, Poland 144, and Kazakhstan 122. Coal has been mined in every state of Australia, but mainly in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. It
8750-486: The creditors agree, Solid Energy will sell its assets as going concerns so that it can pay the creditors. On 31 October 2016 the company announced it had concluded sale and purchase agreements for the majority of its mining assets. Agreements were signed with three different entities: The sales were completed in the first half of 2017. In 2010, Solid Energy was promoting a number of 'lignite conversion' projects. Solid Energy believed that its proposed projects "could unlock
8875-429: The developed world. Modern coal mining in the US has an average 23 deaths per year due to mine accidents (2001–2020). However, in lesser developed countries and some developing countries, many miners continue to die annually, either through direct accidents in coal mines or through adverse health consequences from working under poor conditions. China , in particular, has the highest number of coal mining related deaths in
9000-418: The development of renewable energy in New Zealand, but due to the retrenchment begun in mid-2012, significant restructuring occurred. The biodiesel business was divested and now exists as two separate business: Biodiesel New Zealand which manufactures biodiesel, and Pure Oil NZ which manages the agri-business operations. Switch, the wholesale distributor of wood pellet fires and Apricus solar hot water systems,
9125-455: The disruptive activities of blasting, ripping, and excavating coal. Stripping of overburden eliminates and destroys archeological and historic features, unless they are removed beforehand. The removal of vegetative cover and activities associated with the construction of haul roads, stockpiling of topsoil, displacement of overburden and hauling of soil and coal increase the quantity of dust around mining operations. Dust degrades air quality in
9250-465: The election, but by October its support had fallen to levels only slightly better than what it achieved in the last ballot. English also appeared in a boxing match for a charity against entertainer Ted Clarke . This did not boost his polling or that of the National party either, with suggestions that it devalued his image as a serious politician. Don Brash , former governor of the Reserve Bank and
9375-494: The ensuing leadership election . However, a contest was avoided when the MPs agreed a Key/English ticket would run unopposed in a display of party unity. English took over the deputy leadership and the finance portfolio in the Key shadow cabinet . At the 2008 election , English was re-elected by his electorate, winning by a margin of about 15,500 votes. He became Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand and Minister of Finance in
9500-571: The fatalities occurring in the first half of the 20th century. 3,242 died in 1907, the worst year ever; in 2020 there were five. Open cut hazards are principally mine wall failures and vehicle collisions; underground mining hazards include suffocation, gas poisoning, roof collapse, rock burst , outbursts , and gas explosions. Firedamp explosions can trigger the far more dangerous coal dust explosions, which can engulf an entire mine. Most of these risks are greatly reduced in modern mines, and multiple fatality incidents are now rare in most parts of
9625-474: The fertiliser company Ravensdown as partner. Solid Energy and Ravensdown initially co-operated over a joint concept study until August 2012 when Ravensdown stated it would no longer be involved. The other potential lignite-conversion project was to gasify lignite to produce liquid fuels. Solid Energy had an agreement with an Australian company, Ignite Energy Resources Pty Ltd, to develop a lignite-to-liquid plant. The technology involved had not been proved viable at
9750-468: The fifth National Government, being sworn into office on 19 November 2008 and continued to serve in those roles until becoming Prime Minister on 12 December 2016. He was also made Minister of Infrastructure in National's first term of government and Minister responsible for Housing New Zealand Corporation and minister responsible for the New Zealand flag consideration process in its third. He
9875-457: The genetic soil profile, displaces or destroys wildlife and habitat, alters current land uses, and to some extent permanently changes the general topography of the area mined. Adverse impacts on geological features of human interest may occur in a coal strip mine. Geomorphic and geophysical features and outstanding scenic resources may be sacrificed by indiscriminate mining. Paleontological, cultural, and other historic values may be endangered due to
10000-411: The government's reforms would bring. He also rejected the idea that public hospitals could be run as commercial enterprises, a view which some of his colleagues had previously promoted. By early 1997, as dissatisfaction with Bolger's leadership began to grow, English was being touted as a potential successor, along with Jenny Shipley and Doug Graham . His age (35) was viewed as the main impediment to
10125-490: The ground or from a mine. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United Kingdom and South Africa , a coal mine and its structures are a colliery , a coal mine is called a "pit", and above-ground mining structures are referred to as
10250-522: The illegal recording and the settlement, and thus implicated in the scandal. During the 2017 National campaign launch, English introduced a $ 379 million social investment package including digital learning academies for high school students, more resources for mathematics, and boosting support for teaching second languages in schools, and maintaining National Standards in the school curriculum. Prime Minister English also sought to defend National's financial management and economic track record and claimed that
10375-450: The immediate area, has an adverse impact on vegetative life, and constitutes health and safety hazards for mine workers and nearby residents. Surface mining disrupts virtually all aesthetic elements of the landscape. Alteration of land forms often imposes unfamiliar and discontinuous configurations. New linear patterns appear as material is extracted and waste piles are developed. Different colors and textures are exposed as vegetative cover
10500-542: The impacts of mining. Resource consents were granted to Solid Energy for the development and operation of the Cypress mine on land near Waimangaroa . This was opposed by the environmental group Save Happy Valley Campaign (SHVC). They claimed that the mine would contribute to acid mine drainage , climate change and the possible extinction of a species of Powelliphanta snail. On 27 May 2007, The Sunday Star-Times reported that Thompson and Clark Investigations Ltd,
10625-496: The interim CEO until a permanent CEO was appointed. On 22 February 2013, Solid Energy stated that its half-year result would include a further "significant loss" and that its debt had increased to $ 389 million. Finance Minister Bill English distanced the Government from the state-owned company's woes, saying it would no longer be paying out large bonuses to executives. In 2011, Solid Energy had valued itself at $ 3.5 billion, but
10750-520: The island of Stromboli . They have six children: a daughter and five sons. English is a practising Roman Catholic , but has stated that he considers his religious beliefs personal and thus separate from politics. In June 2002, English took part in TV3's Fight For Life , a celebrity boxing fundraiser to raise money for the Yellow Ribbon anti-youth-suicide campaign, influenced by the death of
10875-460: The late 18th century onward, with further progress being driven by 19th-century and early 20th-century progress. However, oil and gas were increasingly used as alternatives from the 1860s onward. By the late 20th century, coal was, for the most part, replaced in domestic as well as industrial and transportation usage by oil , natural gas or electricity produced from oil, gas, nuclear power or renewable energy sources. By 2010, coal produced over
11000-404: The majority of fatalities. Coal mining resulted in 47 fatalities that year. One study, though, has suggested that hazards of modern mining are now more accretive with workers facing long-term health impacts, such as sleep deprivation, that build up over time. Strip mining severely alters the landscape, which reduces the value of the natural environment in the surrounding land. The land surface
11125-461: The method of extraction. For example, a study has found that among surface coal mine operations, dragline equipment produced the loudest sound at a range of 88–112 dBA. Within longwall sections, stageloaders used to transport coal from the mining face and shearers used for extraction represent some of the highest noise exposures. Auxiliary fans (up to 120 dBA), continuous mining machines (up to 109 dBA), and roof bolters (up to 103 dBA) represent some of
11250-465: The mining workforce. in 2015 US coal mines had 65,971 employees, the lowest figure since EIA began collecting data in 1978. However, a 2016 study reported that a relatively minor investment would allow most coal workers to retrain for the solar energy industry. Coal mining has been a very dangerous activity and the list of historical coal mining disasters is long. In the U.S., 104,895 coal miners were killed in mine accidents since 1900, 90 percent of
11375-469: The noisiest equipment within continuous mining sections. Exposures to noise exceeding 90 dBA can lead to adverse effects on workers' hearing. The use of administrative controls and engineering controls can be used to reduce noise exposures. Improvements in mining methods (e.g. longwall mining), hazardous gas monitoring (such as safety-lamps or more modern electronic gas monitors), gas drainage, electrical equipment , and ventilation have reduced many of
11500-590: The open pit methods, due to thickness of the seam 20–25 metres (60–90 feet). Coals occurring below 90 m (300 ft) are usually deep mined. However, there are open pit mining operations working on coal seams up to 300–460 metres (1,000–1,500 feet) below ground level, for instance Tagebau Hambach in Germany. When coal seams are near the surface, it may be economical to extract the coal using open-cut , also referred to as open-cast, open-pit, mountaintop removal or strip, mining methods. Opencast coal mining recovers
11625-421: The operation reaches a predetermined stripping ratio (tons of overburden/tons of coal), it is not profitable to continue. Depending on the equipment available, it may not be technically feasible to exceed a certain height of highwall. At this point, it is possible to produce more coal with the augering method in which spiral drills bore tunnels into a highwall laterally from the bench to extract coal without removing
11750-536: The opposition Labour Party would raise taxes. Early opinion polling had forecast a poor showing in the election for the Labour Party, but in early August 37-year-old Jacinda Ardern took over as Labour leader and seemingly energised younger voters. At the 2017 general election , National won the largest share of the party vote (44.4%) and the largest number of seats (56) in the House of Representatives. However, National lacked enough seats to govern alone due to two of
11875-408: The overburden. Mountaintop coal mining is a surface mining practice involving removal of mountaintops to expose coal seams, and disposing of associated mining overburden in adjacent "valley fills." Valley fills occur in steep terrain where there are limited disposal alternatives. Mountaintop removal mining combines area and contour strip mining methods. In areas with rolling or steep terrain with
12000-476: The party's support partners, the Māori Party and United Future, losing their parliamentary seats. In response, English stated that the party would be entering into talks to form a coalition with New Zealand First . Following talks with the two largest parties, New Zealand First entered a coalition arrangement with the Labour Party. English was succeeded as prime minister by Jacinda Ardern on 26 October. English
12125-425: The potential to spontaneously ignite. Because most coal refuse harbors toxic components, it is not easily reclaimed by replanting with plants like beach grasses. The use of sophisticated sensing equipment to monitor air quality is common and has replaced the use of small animals such as canaries, often referred to as " miner's canaries ". In the United States, the increase in technology has significantly decreased
12250-463: The press as a " shotgun marriage ", and there were frequent differences of opinion between the two ministers. After their relationship became unworkable, Kirton was sacked from the role in August 1997, with the agreement of NZ First leader Winston Peters . As Minister of Health, English was responsible for continuing the reforms to the public health system that National had begun after the 1990 general election . The reforms were unpopular, and health
12375-407: The resulting leadership election . Following the drop-out of both Judith Collins and Jonathan Coleman from the leadership election, English was sworn in as the 39th Prime Minister of New Zealand on 12 December 2016. English appointed his first cabinet on 18 December. In a reshuffle , he appointed Steven Joyce to succeed him as finance minister, while most ministerial portfolios remained
12500-399: The risks of rock falls, explosions, and unhealthy air quality. Gases released during the mining process can be recovered to generate electricity and improve worker safety with gas engines . Another innovation in recent years is the use of closed circuit escape respirators , respirators that contain oxygen for situations where mine ventilation is compromised. Statistical analyses performed by
12625-626: The same. In February 2017, English did not attend Waitangi Day commemorations at the historic treaty grounds , reportedly in response to the Ngāpuhi iwi 's decision to stop the Prime Minister from speaking at the marae . Ngāpuhi have protested the Government's negotiation of the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), which the iwi believe infringes upon Māori sovereignty, and thus does not adhere to
12750-418: The seam for roof and floor conditions; topography, especially altitude and slope; climate; land ownership as it affects the availability of land for mining and access; surface drainage patterns; groundwater conditions; availability of labor and materials; coal purchaser requirements in terms of tonnage, quality, and destination; and capital investment requirements. Surface mining and deep underground mining are
12875-565: The seam in a pattern following the contours along a ridge or around the hillside. This method is most commonly used in areas with rolling to steep terrain. It was once common to deposit the spoil on the downslope side of the bench thus created, but this method of spoil disposal consumed much additional land and created severe landslide and erosion problems. To alleviate these problems, a variety of methods were devised to use freshly cut overburden to refill mined-out areas. These haul-back or lateral movement methods generally consist of an initial cut with
13000-432: The spoil deposited downslope or at some other site and spoil from the second cut refilling the first. A ridge of undisturbed natural material 15 to 20 ft (5 to 6 m) wide is often intentionally left at the outer edge of the mined area. This barrier adds stability to the reclaimed slope by preventing spoil from slumping or sliding downhill. The limitations of contour strip mining are both economic and technical. When
13125-556: The strong contribution coal plays in global warming and environmental issues, which result in decreasing demand and in some geographies, peak coal . Compared to wood fuels , coal yields a higher amount of energy per unit mass, specific energy or massic energy, and can often be obtained in areas where wood is not readily available. Though it was used historically as a domestic fuel, coal is now used mostly in industry, especially in smelting and alloy production, as well as electricity generation . Large-scale coal mining developed during
13250-476: The surface or overburden, of the mining area. The overburden is then removed by draglines or by shovel and truck. Once the coal seam is exposed, it is drilled, fractured and thoroughly mined in strips. The coal is then loaded onto large trucks or conveyors for transport to either the coal preparation plant or directly to where it will be used. Most open cast mines in the United States extract bituminous coal . In Canada, Australia, and South Africa, open cast mining
13375-524: The two basic methods of mining. The choice of mining method depends primarily on depth, density, overburden, and thickness of the coal seam; seams relatively close to the surface, at depths less than approximately 55 m (180 ft), are usually surface mined. Coal that occurs at depths of 55 to 90 m (180 to 300 ft) are usually deep mined, but in some cases surface mining techniques can be used. For example, some western U.S. coal that occur at depths in excess of 60 m (200 ft) are mined by
13500-543: The two nations were "natural partners" and would "continue to forge ties" after the UK's withdrawal from the EU . He also arranged to meet with London Mayor Sadiq Khan , Belgian prime minister Charles Michel and German Chancellor Angela Merkel . In a meeting with Merkel, English received crucial backing from Germany for a trade deal with the EU. On 16 January, English stated that his government would continue to promote TPPA, despite
13625-457: The vast potential of Southland’s multi-billion tonne lignite deposits by making them into high value products". In January 2011, Southland Chamber of Commerce chief executive Richard Hay predicted that the full lignite to briquette plant and the lignite to fertiliser plant might employ up to 2,300 people which would transform the fortunes of the town of Mataura . One of the projects was to make fuel briquettes from lignite. A pilot briquetting plant
13750-406: The vote. English described it as "the worst day of my political life". Both party insiders and the general public were split as to how much to blame him for the loss, but most of the party believed that English would be able to rebuild National's support. By late 2003, however, National's performance in opinion polls remained poor. The party had briefly increased its popularity in the year following
13875-634: The workforce at the Christchurch head office by 163 positions, as well as cutting 60 jobs at the Huntly East mine. In January 2013, workers at the Stockton Mine agreed to reduced hours and pay after months of negotiations with owners Solid Energy, who had dis-established several hundred jobs in the previous year. On 4 February 2013, board Chairman Mark Ford announced that Don Elder had resigned as Chief Executive and that Garry Diack would be
14000-441: The world, with official statistics claiming that 6,027 deaths occurred in 2004. To compare, 28 deaths were reported in the U.S. in the same year. Coal production in China is twice that in the US, while the number of coal miners is around 50 times that of the US, making deaths in coal mines in China 4 times as common per worker (108 times as common per unit output) as in the US. Mine disasters have still occurred in recent years in
14125-476: Was absorbed by Nature's Flame, a manufacturer of wood pellet fuel. Nature's Flame was restructured to be a stand-alone business, although was still an asset of Solid Energy. Nature's Flame produces wood pellets for home heating. The company claims that the wood pellets are a sustainable, renewable fuel that burns so efficiently it is virtually smokeless, and that it meets stringent new clean air standards. According to Solid Energy's 2008 Annual Report, Nature's Flame
14250-422: Was also made minister of finance for the second time. Under English's direction New Zealand's economy maintained steady growth during National's three terms of government. He became a list-only MP after stepping down as an electorate MP at the 2014 general election . John Key resigned as leader of the National Party and prime minister in December 2016. English won the resulting leadership election unopposed and
14375-619: Was announced that the company's assets had been sold to three separate buyers. On 16 March 2018 the company was put into liquidation. Solid Energy produced approximately 85% of New Zealand's coal annually. Each year it produced around 4 million tonnes, more than half of it for export. Solid Energy had proposed opening two further mines: the Cypress Mine and the Mt William North Mining Project . In 2006, Solid Energy bought Newvale Coal Co Limited and acquired
14500-587: Was comfortably re-elected in Clutha-Southland in the 2011 election but opted to run as a party-list candidate in 2014 . The pairing of John Key as leader of the National Party and English as his deputy has been compared to that of Bob Hawke and Paul Keating (in Australia) and Tony Blair and Gordon Brown (in the UK). English acceded to the role of finance minister in the continuing wake of
14625-443: Was elected with a large majority amid that year's National landslide. He would hold this seat, renamed Clutha-Southland in 1996, until 2014. He and three other newly elected National MPs ( Tony Ryall , Nick Smith , and Roger Sowry ) were soon identified as rising stars in New Zealand politics, and at various points were dubbed the "brat pack", the "gang of four", and the "young Turks". In his first term in parliament, English chaired
14750-447: Was elected, English became the second-youngest leader in the National Party's history, after Jim McLay (who was 38 when elected in 1984). He also became only the third Southlander to lead a major New Zealand political party, after Joseph Ward and Adam Hamilton . However, English failed to improve the party's performance. In the 2002 election , National suffered its worst electoral defeat ever, gaining barely more than twenty percent of
14875-463: Was expected to process 148,000 tonnes of low-grade lignite from the New Vale mine into 90,000 tonnes of higher-quality briquettes for fuel. The plant would have had a boiler likely to burn 15,000 tonnes of lignite a year. The other potential lignite-conversion project was to gasify lignite to produce urea-based fertiliser. Solid Energy was considering the viability of a lignite-to-urea plant with
15000-531: Was mined, and 375.1 million tonnes was exported. In 2013/14, coal provided about 69% of Australia's electricity production. In 2013, Australia was the world's fifth-largest coal producer, after China, the United States, India, and Indonesia. However, in terms of proportion of production exported, Australia is the world's second largest coal exporter, as it exports roughly 73% of its coal production. Indonesia exports about 87% of its coal production. A court in Australia has cited climate change in ruling against
15125-418: Was perceived as one of the government's weaknesses, with the health portfolio consequently being viewed as a challenge. English believed that the unpopularity of the reforms was in part due to a failure in messaging, and encouraged his National colleagues to avoid bureaucratic and money-focused language (such as references to "balance sheets" and "user charges") and instead talk about the improvements to services
15250-462: Was planned for either the former Mataura Mine site, or the former Mataura Paper Mill . In July 2010, Solid Energy reported it had run a successful trial of briquettes with US partner GTL Energy. In June 2011, Gore District Council approved resource consents for the Mataura briquetting plant. By June 2012, construction was under way at a site by State Highway 1, south of Mataura. The briquetting plant
15375-468: Was re-elected as National Party leader on 24 October 2017. At the time of his re-election, English announced his intention to stay on as leader until the next general election . On 13 February 2018, however, he stood down as National Party leader for personal reasons, and instructed the party to put into motion the processes to elect a new leader. He also retired from Parliament. English's resignation followed weeks of speculation that he would step aside for
15500-408: Was sworn in as prime minister on 12 December 2016. His tenure was only ten months, and included a three-month election campaign. In the 2017 general election , National won the largest number of seats but fell short of a majority. The parties holding the balance of power declined to support the existing government, and English was subsequently replaced as prime minister by Jacinda Ardern , leader of
15625-472: Was the largest manufacturer of wood pellets in the Southern Hemisphere. Nature's Flame began in 2003, when Solid Energy purchased a small wood pellet company based at Rolleston . Solid Energy applied for a resource consent for a hydro-electric power station at its Stockton Mine . Concerns were raised about the environmental performance of Solid Energy particularly at the Stockton Mine on
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