HARVIE WELCOMES OVERTURN OF COAL RULING
Green MSP Patrick Harvie is welcoming today's ruling by the Court of Session overturning an earlier decision to allow liquidators for Scottish Coal to abandon their environmental obligations at former opencast mines.
The ruling says the liquidators do not have the power to abandon the sites or their statutory licenses.
Patrick Harvie, Green MSP for Glasgow, recently raised the issue with the Auditor General, prompting her to launch an investigation.
Mr Harvie said:
"Today's ruling is a welcome injection of common sense, and I commend SEPA for bringing the appeal. The coal industry must face up to its legacy and fulfil its obligations to maintain and restore the environment that it has wrecked.
"While ministers continue to block a public inquiry, I hope today's ruling underlines the need for an urgent look into the wider financial mess that is coal mine restoration. The public has a right to know what went wrong."