The Cypress Mine is a proposed extension to the open cast

coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as stratum, rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen ...

mine the

Stockton Mine Stockton Mine, on the Stockton Coal Field, is New Zealand's largest opencast mining operation. The entrance to the mine is at the former settlement of Stockton. Extent The coal field is situated between 5 and 10 kilometres linear distance so ...

’s operational area, to the east into the Upper Waimangaroa Mining Permit area, on the West Coast of

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 List of islands of New Zealand, smaller islands. It is the ...

. In 2005,

Solid Energy 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 owne ...

, a state owned enterprise owned by the New Zealand government, was granted

resource consent A resource consent is the authorisation given to certain activities or uses of natural and physical resources required under the New Zealand Resource Management Act (the "RMA"). Some activities may either be specifically authorised by the RMA or b ...

for the mine after an unsuccessful appeal to the

Environment Court The Environment Court of New Zealand ( mi, Te Kōti Taiao o Aotearoa) is a specialist court for plans, resource consents and environmental issues. It mainly deals with issues arising under the Resource Management Act, meaning that it covers a w ...

Save Happy Valley Coalition The Save Happy Valley Coalition (SHVC) is an environmental activist movement formed with the express purpose of preventing the Cypress mine, an open cast coal mine on the West Coast of New Zealand, from proceeding. The Coalition is a member of ...

(SHVC), an environmental organisation, opposed the mine and occupied land adjacent to the proposed mine site for two years. SHVC say that the mine will cause

acid mine drainage Acid mine drainage, acid and metalliferous drainage (AMD), or acid rock drainage (ARD) is the outflow of acidic water from metal mines or coal mines. Acid rock drainage occurs naturally within some environments as part of the rock weathering ...

, destruction of habitat of endangered species and result in 12 to 14 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions, contributing to climate change. Solid Energy's ''Environmental Report 2007'' stated that the mine is planned to start in 2008. Solid Energy has stated that the mine will be developed in 2010 and that the first coal is expected to be taken in late 2011. In October 2012 Solid Energy announced that work on the mine would be delayed. On 12 June 2013, The Biodiversity Defence Society filed proceedings with the Environment Court, arguing that Solid Energy no longer holds resource consents for its Cypress Mine, due to the expiry of the allocated time period of the consent.

References

{{coord, -41.7015, 171.8885, region:NZ-WTC_type:landmark, display=title

External links

Solid EnergySave Happy Valley Coalition
Coal mines in New Zealand Environmental issues in New Zealand Surface mines in New Zealand Environmental protests in New Zealand