Select Committee · Welsh Affairs Committee
Metal mine pollution in Wales
Status: Open
Opened: 3 Jun 2026
Inquiry scope
Once a major industry in Wales, mines extracting metals like zinc, lead and gold are now largely abandoned. But metals from these mines can discharge into local rivers, streams and lakes, damaging local plant and animal biodiversity and possibly impacting human health. Abandoned metal mines cause extensive pollution in Wales. Approximately 1,300 sites impact on water quality and ecology in over 700km of watercourses. The Mining Remediation Authority (MRA) and Natural Resources Wales (NRW), since 2020, are addressing these impacts through the Metal (Non-Coal) Mines Programme, funded by the Welsh Government. As part of the Committee’s inquiry into ‘The environmental and economic legacy of Wales’ industrial past’ the Committee will hold a one-off evidence session on metal mines.Oral evidence sessions
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| Date | Session and witnesses | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Jul 2026 | Laura Hughes · Association of British Insurers, Professor Mark Macklin · University of Lincoln | View ↗ |
Who gave evidence
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| Witness | Organisation | Sessions |
|---|---|---|
| Laura Hughes · General Insurance Policy Manager | Association of British Insurers | 1 |
| Professor Mark Macklin · Professor of River Systems and Global Change | University of Lincoln | 1 |
Correspondence
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| Published | Direction | Letter |
|---|---|---|
| 21 Jul 2026 | — | Correspondence to the Secretary of State on contaminated land and transparency with the public in Wales, dated 21 July 2026 |