4th March 2014 http://www.scotlink.org/files/documents/LINK-coal-consultation-response.pdf
Scottish Environment LINK welcomes the Scottish Government consultation on the effective regulation of opencast coal. The liquidation of two of the major mining industry operators in 2013 highlighted a massive regulatory and market failure, one of the worst seen in Scotland in recent times. There needs to be an urgent and significant move away from the exisitng culture of light touch regulation towards a more robust and precautionary regulation of this highly damaging industry, which is in decline.