Annesley Colliery and its linked Mine Bentinck belonged to Coal Investments plc after the privatisation of the coal industry in the early 1990s. This then was taken over by Midland Mining who also owned Silverdale Colliery in Staffordshire. Clean Rivers Trust was invited by the Directors of the company to spend a great deal of time in involving itself with their two sites. Annesley being the one with its co pit Bentinck being the one with most environmental considerations.
The Trust considered water issues from the mine which pumped 1.2 million gallons a day of metal and Chloride rich water which after lagoon treatment and aeration travelled 17 kilometres to the River Trent by a dedicated pipeline.
Surface water was treated at a separate set of lagoons that were of great value as an educational resource for Nottingham University courses over several years and some excellent work was published.
The Trust was also commissioned to carry out other works around the site after mine closure by various land fill companies with regard to environmental assessments of parts of the Bentinck site and an open caste void. Surveys of the flooded part of the site, including sonar, proved that much of the old British Coal open caste equipment was still in place below the water line.
Ponds of Annesley from the air collirey 10 yrs eviromental overview
Top lagoon in the snow