Residents flooded after quarry explosion told blast work to resume
Residents who were evacuated from their homes after a quarry blast forced a torrent of dirty, brown water to wash down a mountainside and flood their homes are anxious it will happen again.
Thirteen homes on Heol Berry in Gwaelod-y-Garth, Cardiff, were hit when water from an old iron mine workings was displaced by the planned blast.
Kevin Duncan, who is part of campaign group Stronger Together Lesser Garth, said it had taken an "emotional toll" on residents, leaving them "really anxious".
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive was ongoing.
Breedon Group, which owns Taff's Well quarry, said it would "continue to liaise directly with stakeholders as we work through the next steps".
Duncan said he was told by the company that any future blasting would be in a lower section, some distance from the mine workings.
An initial investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said the July flooding was an "isolated incident" and underground tunnels and spaces had "not been compromised".
There were reports of water up to 5ft (1.5m) deep in some homes, causing devastation and bringing thick sludge in with it.
Many of those living in the affected properties have had to move to temporary accommodation.
A meeting was held on 1 September between residents, Breedon Group and Member of the Senedd Keira Mashall, which was attended by Duncan.
"They just sat us down with a powerpoint presentation and essentially said they were here to blast the quarry in three weeks and don't care about the historical or ecological meaning of the mine."
Duncan said he understood the rock needed to be taken from the mountain, but felt residents had "been through enough already" and was calling for a pause in the blasting.
"I look across the street and see my neighbours, some of which are strong characters, who are so traumatised they can't talk properly without getting emotional.
"They can't remember things and their whole lives have been washed away by this," he said.
Mary Louise Coughlan, 22, is 34 weeks pregnant and moved into her nan's house on the street the day before the blast, and has now had to move in with friends.
"I left the house to go to a doctors appointment and my nan was at a wedding, a neighbour called to say the house has flooded, so I rushed back and the house was just covered in muck."
Her nan, who is 80, has also had to move in with relatives while repairs were being done and she said she was "struggling to process" what happened.
"This is her home, but it doesn't feel like a home anymore, it's just bricks," she added.
She said the loss goes beyond physical objects.
"All of our family memories, like Christmases held here every year, have been lost and now Christmas will never be the same."
Lydia Vanstone, 23, was at home with her brother at the time.
"I could see water was outside the front of our house and coming through the street, but I didn't realise it had come through the back until around five minutes later when our entire garden became completely submerged."
The family was still living in the property while repairs were ongoing but were concerned about the health risks, as the investigation with the HSE continued.
Vanstone said she had concerns about the quarry for a while.
"I think it's just you know the idea of that possibly happening again.
"We don't know what's in the quarry and whether they're doing the correct safety checks to avoid this happening again."
Cardiff council said it was "continuing to support the recovery of Gwaelod-y-Garth", and was helping residents with cleaning, safety and environmental work.
A HSE spokesperson said: "Our investigation into the incident at Taff's Well Quarry is ongoing, focused on the geotechnical design, blast design and mitigation measures.
"Our findings to date indicate the walls of the old mine voids and adit were not compromised.
"We will continue to keep local partners and the community affected by this incident informed of the progress of our investigation."
