This guidance is for mining, quarrying and other extractive industries that recover or extract:
- metal ores
- stone, gravel and sand
- earth and clay
- coal and lignite
- semi-precious stones
- peat
- mineral salts and fertilisers
- onshore oil and gas extraction.
It does not cover marine or offshore extractive industries.
This guidance only covers environmental legislation. It does not cover your obligations under other legislation, such as health and safety or planning legislation.
It covers the new regulations that brought into force the Mining Waste Directive (MWD) in England and Wales. The MWD requires each EU member state to introduce new regulations for managing extractive waste from mines, quarries and other mineral extractions.
In Scotland, the Scottish Government has consulted on draft regulations that will implement the MWD. In Northern Ireland, new regulations implementing the MWD are expected in February 2010. We will update our guidance when these regulations come into force. For further information, see our MWD future legislation page.
Environmental impacts of mines and quarries
Mining and quarrying businesses can have a number of impacts on the environment, including:
- air pollution from dust, grit and vehicle exhaust fumes
- land contamination from contaminated spoil heaps containing heavy metals or other polluting substances
- noise pollution from crushing and excavating minerals, and conveyor operations
- waste disposal from extracting and processing minerals, and food and office waste
- water discharges from mines, and sewage from toilets and washrooms
- water pollution from solids in surface water run-off and long-term pollution from minewater or waste leachate after a mine or quarry is closed
- visual impact from open-cast operations and treatment plant.
How can NetRegs help you?
Our guidance could help you to:
- avoid prosecution and receive fewer visits from environmental regulators
- increase efficiency and productivity
- reduce your operating costs
- be more likely to obtain business from government bodies and large businesses that require their business partners to manage their environmental impacts effectively
- improve your reputation amongst staff, customers and the public
- increase the chance of securing funding to expand your business by demonstrating that your environmental impacts are well managed.
