Latest News
RESIDENTS FEEL WESTERN UNITED MINES UNDERGROUND BLASTING. May 2009
Anxious to keep the local community informed about mining progress, to answer individual questions and allay fears, an Information Evening is to be held at the Camborne Community Centre, South Terrace, Camborne, on Wednesday, May 27 between 4.30pm and 7pm.
Since December, underground work at the mine has been progressing with a new tunnel running in a southwesterly direction. That tunnel is due to pass beneath Church View Road, Camborne in the next few months.
Although there has been regular blasting at the mine since 2004 and blast monitoring is continuously carried out, some residents have recently contacted the mine to say that they can feel some impact from the underground explosions in their homes.
Chief Executive Alan Shoesmith explained that the company follows strict blasting regulations and guidelines which are designed to reduce impacts.
He said: "Most residents are aware of South Crofty's operations up until 1998 and the effects of the large blasts it did then. The blasts permitted now are very much more controlled and have less impact above ground, but we have taken the residents' concerns seriously.
"Blasting is part of mining and as we prepare for the next, major, period of development at South Crofty it is increasingly necessary, but the tunnel under construction is now going deeper so the effects will become much less noticeable.
"We are concerned some local residents have been disrupted by underground developments and have responded to their enquiries as soon as they contacted us. We are keen to minimise any impact this work might have and have therefore been testing modifications to blasting technique, which should help."
All those concerned are invited to the information evening drop-in session between 4.30pm and 6pm when the mine operations team will be on hand to answer questions. There will then be a formal presentation and question and answer session at 6pm, chaired by Alan Shoesmith. The event will close at 7pm.
