Ex-worker provides eyewitness account of illegal toxic waste dumping at mine

Martin Shipton

A former worker at Wales’ biggest opencast coal mine has provided an eyewitness report of illegal toxic waste dumping at the site.

There are serious concerns about the failure to restore the land at Ffos-y-fran, near Merthyr Tydfil, despite many millions of pounds in revenue from the coal extracted.

It is believed that the owner, businessman David Lewis, is trying to avoid paying for the restoration, the cost of which is estimated at more than £100m.

Earlier this year Mr Lewis was given a police caution after an unprovoked assault on a solicitor in his 70s. He also has a conviction for defrauding a bank of more than £88,000, despite which he was awarded an MBE.

‘Epic mismanagement’

Last year the Senedd’s Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee published a report that described the “epic mismanagement” of the mine, saying nothing similar must be allowed to happen in any community in Wales.

The licence to extract coal from Ffos-y-Fran expired in September 2022 but local residents reported that the mine was still operating – illegally – many months after this before the mine was closed in November 2023.

Now a former worker at the site has given Nation.Cymru a statement in which he testifies to having witnessed illegal tipping at the site.

Lorries

The worker states: “I worked at the Ffos y Fran opencast coal mine at Merthyr Tydfil from 2016 to 2023.

“However, between 2020 and 2023 lorries belonging to SL recycling (owned by Stacey Lewis – son of David Lewis) and lorries belonging to Darren Lewis Transport ( Owned by Darren Lewis son of David Lewis) regularly visited the site fully loaded and departed empty.

“I have been excluded from the mine since 2023 but during the period mentioned I saw the movement of these lorries and even arriving and departing after midnight.

“SL Recycling had reason for its lorries to be seen in the vicinity as there is an authorised tipping facility operated by Biffa just a mile and a half from the mine.

“SL Recycling runs a scrap yard from the old Rechem site in Cwmbran.

“I am aware that SL Recycling had a disposal contract with a battery plant in Cwmbran.

“SL Recycling’s lorries would deposit their load in an area of ground at the top of the mine at the rear of a barrel coal wash plant. This waste was later moved to the restoration area of the mine on large dump trucks.

“The dumping area was subsequently covered with overburden material to completely cover the dumped waste.

“I can identify the area of dumping on a map.

“Darren Lewis directed all day-to-day operations at the mine

“In 2023 I recall looking at an area at the rear of a barrel coal wash plant. The ground was bubbling and full of fumes and I was told by the operations manager, Chris Barber, that this was battery acid. He also told me that the recycling lorries from SL recycling lorries were dumping this toxic waste and he was in no position to prevent this.

“This area of ground was later cleared and the waste buried in the restoration area and covered with overburden.

“I saw this occur on more than a few occasions.

“I was also told of the late night tipping by David Jones, a senior councillor at Merthyr Council.

“I make this statement but do not want my name to be released as I am concerned for my safety.

“David Lewis is likely to harm me if he realises I have exposed his activities.”

Questions

We sent Mr Lewis five questions:

Do you know that illegal dumping of waste, especially toxic waste and prohibited material, is a criminal offence?

Did you allow lorries owned by Stacey Lewis (SL Recycling), Darren Lewis (Darren Lewis Transport) Bob Morris, Jim Davies, Leighton Williams to regularly visit the site to off-load waste and toxic material for burying for over five years?

Did you instruct the staff on the site to turn a blind eye to the lorries bringing in waste and toxic material?

Do you or any company you are connected to own the Rechem site in Pontypool?

If so, are you following all the environmental regulatory requirements at the Rechem site following on from the court orders of the previous environmental disaster at that site?

Operations manager

We also sent questions to Chris Barber, operations manager at the site:

Are you the operations manager at Ffos-y-fran mine owned by David Lewis?

Do you know that illegal dumping of waste, especially toxic waste and prohibited material, is a criminal offence?

Do you admit that over the last five years lorries owned by Stacey Lewis (SL Recycling), Darren Lewis (Darren Lewis Transport) Bob Morris, Jim Davies, Leighton Williams have regularly visited the site to off-load waste and toxic material for burying?

Do you admit that toxic battery acid was regularly dumped in an area of ground at the top of the mine at the rear of a barrel coal wash plant. This waste was later moved to the restoration area of the mine on large dump trucks and buried and covered with overburden?

Do you admit that you knew about this activity but were not able to prevent it as you were under orders from David Lewis to turn a blind eye?

Toxic material

We also asked Darren Lewis a series of questions:

Do you know that illegal dumping of waste, especially toxic waste and prohibited material, is a criminal offence?

As the main person running the Ffos-y-fran mine for your father David Lewis, did you allow lorries belonging to you, Stacey Lewis (SL recycling), Bob Morris, Jim Davies, Leighton Williams to regularly visit the site to offload waste and toxic material for burying?

Did you do this under orders from your father?

What exactly did your lorries carry onto the site on a regular basis?

And we put these questions to Stacey Lewis, also a son of David Lewis:

Do you know that illegal dumping of waste, especially toxic waste and prohibited material, is a criminal offence?

Did your lorries from SL Recycling regularly visit the Ffos-y-fran mine to offload waste and toxic material for burying for over five years?

Did your father David Lewis give you permission to dump waste and toxic material at the mine?

What exactly did your lorries carry onto the site on a regular basis?

Do you or any company you are connected to own the Rechem site in Pontypool?

If so are you following all the environmental regulatory requirements at the Rechem site following on from the court orders of the previous environmental disaster at that site?

None of the men responded to our questions.