Pike River Mine: Solid Energy's open letter

A decision was made in late 2014 not to re-enter the drift (File)
A decision was made in late 2014 not to re-enter the drift (File)

Solid Energy has released an open letter to the New Zealand public in a bid to "put the record straight" on the Pike River Mine.

In the letter, Solid Energy insists there's been no improvement in the condition of the mine and a number of potentially fatal risks prevent the possibility of re-entry.

"There has been no improvement in the conditions within the drift since we discussed the decision with families and announced in November 2014 that re-entry was too dangerous and could not be made safe.

"Our decision was based on an exhaustive investigation into the feasibility of safe re-entry and was backed by independent international expertise," the letter reads.

Pike River Mine: Solid Energy's open letter

The open letter was published in Wednesday's edition of the NZ Herald (Newshub.)

Just last month friends and families of the 29 Pike River victims blockaded the road to the mine in protest against plans to seal it permanently.

Protest organiser Anna Osborne, whose husband Milton died in the mine, told Newshub she still feels the pain of the 2010 disaster.

"We've had six years of no action and broken promises, and we're not prepared to put up with that any longer."

She says they "just want to reclaim the drift", and can't understand why they are not allowed into the safe stretch of mine.

"The families are just asking that the last 400 metres of a 2000-metre drift be explored to exclude the possibility of any miners being there."

But Solid Energy's letter says an inspection of the drift would not be a safe and straightforward procedure.

"Some have suggested a "quick" inspection of the drift. It is a 2.3km trek wearing breathing apparatus, uphill, under an unstable tunnel roof on ground that is strewn with debris and with a limited oxygen supply."

"These are all foreseeable risks, which escalate as the distance from the portal (drift entrance) increases. These risks reach a maximum toward the end of the drift 

 the one part that has not already been inspected by robots."

Solid Energy also denied a number of other statements that have been made, including:

The company also maintains that it has kept in regular contact with the families of the victims throughout the assessment process.

Last week those families met with Solid Energy, but walked away calling it "a complete waste time".

They are now seeking an injunction to prevent the mine being sealed.

Lawyer for the families Nigel Hampton, QC, says there's still time for them to stop the mine from being permanently closed.

"I don't think I'd be advising them to take the appeal unless I thought there was some prospect of success," he told Newshub.

Prime Ministerial hopeful Judith Collins told Paul Henry this morning that she thinks any mine re-entry would not be safe, and the mine should now be considered a tomb.

Newshub.