Nant y Mwyn Lead Mine near Rhandirmwyn, Carmarthenshire is undergoing remediation works as part of The Wales Metal Mines Programme, a Welsh Government funded scheme to tackle pollution from Wales’ most harmful abandoned metal mines.
Tonnes of material were needed on site to stabilise mining waste heaps on the riverbank, with an estimated 300m3 of material at immediate risk of being washed into the river. The helicopter was chosen as the lowest impact way to position materials along the riverbank, minimising disturbance of the ground while preventing pollution from eroded material entering the river.
Over the course of a day, the helicopter dropped 109 bags of material. Further work was done by hand, in order to protect the rare grassland around the mine.
Severe spoil erosion along the Nant y Bai adds several tonnes of metals each year to the Afon Tywi, contributing a significant part of the pollution arising from the Nant y Mwyn Mine which results in elevated cadmium and zinc levels for up to 25 kilometres downstream.
The work, carried out ahead of the lambing and bird-nesting seasons, is expected to reduce metal-rich sediment entering the stream, improve water quality and safeguard heritage features and nearby habitats.
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