This is the best summary I could come up with:
In recent weeks, residents have raised the alarm over rising water levels at Ffos-y-Fran and are worried it will not be fully restored as promised.The giant surface mine, granted permission by the Welsh government in 2005, was officially classed as a "land reclamation scheme".That meant the site - the size of 400 football pitches and 656ft (200m) deep in places - was to be turned back to green hillside for the community's benefit after the coal was dug out.
Mining stopped in November 2023, more than a year after the deadline stipulated on planning permission, with 115 staff made redundant.The company in charge - Merthyr (South Wales) Ltd - has warned of "insufficient funds" to carry out the original restoration plan.£15m had been paid into an account held by the council as a back-up in case the company went bust, but estimated clean up costs are between £120m and £175m.
Merthyr Tydfil council's paper also elaborated a little on the revised restoration proposal being considered by the mining firm.The biggest cost in the original plan was moving the mountains of waste earth that had piled up as coal was extracted over the years back into the giant pit.
The UK Coal Authority - whose chief executive criticised Merthyr council's grip on the situation in a leaked letter to the Welsh government last year - will appear in front of the committee on Wednesday.Campaigners from the Coal Action Network (CAN), Friends of the Earth Cymru, Extinction Rebellion and Climate Cymru groups will also take part.In its paper, CAN argued the Welsh government had a "historic responsibility" to step in and take control, given that it originally approved the scheme, and deliver the restoration plan promised in 2007.
"Anything less would amount to a betrayal after 16 years of suffering air and noise pollution from the mine," it said.The committee's work on the issue will ultimately lead to a report with recommendations for the Welsh government and public authorities involved.The Welsh government said it was closely monitoring the situation at Ffos-y-Fran and had been "clear that the safeguarding of the site is our main objective and that we expect to see a full restoration in line with planning permission".Merthyr (South Wales) Ltd has said discussions are ongoing with the local council and other stakeholders over a revised restoration plan.
The firm told BBC Wales formal agreement had been reached on an "interim" programme of works which was due to start "within a matter of weeks".
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