Sustainability Guide

Minerals are effectively non-renewable, and extracting, processing and transporting them consumes energy and other resources. It is important to make best use of them by avoiding waste and making sure that scarce resources are not used where alternatives exist.

Extracting minerals can also have impacts on other resources like biodiversity, air and water quality, or landscape and cultural heritage. Efficiency of use will reduce the overall level of these impacts. They can also often be avoided by careful site selection, design and restoration.

Mineral working makes an important contribution to the regional economy and often provides local employment in rural areas. Many of its products, like building stone, have a role to play in other aspects of sustainable development. In some cases mineral working can contribute to environmental goals like the reclamation of derelict land or the creation of new habitats for wildlife.

Where to Get Advice

Advice on sustainable development for minerals can be found in Mineral Planning Guidance Notes produced by national Government, Regional Planning Guidance produced by Government Office North East, and in Minerals Local Plans produced by Mineral Planning Authorities (MPA) - usually the County Council or Unitary Authority.

Advice on planning matters including relevant planning policies, designations, and the planning issues arising from a proposal should be sought from the relevant MPA. The MPA should also be able to give advice on the scope and content of Environmental Statements, site selection, design and restoration, and the involvement of local stakeholders. Early discussions with the MPA can have a significant influence on both the final quality of the development and the speed with which it is dealt with by the planning system.

For technical advice on good practice, a number of references are given at the end of this section. Much of the work involved in planning and monitoring mineral workings involves the use of specialists. Information on specialist consultancies in the region can be had from their relevant professional bodies or from the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment. Mineral operators are often at the 'cutting edge' of technology themselves, developing new techniques for controlling or monitoring environmental impacts and reinstating land. Learning from the experience and good practice of others is often the best way of keeping up to date with current developments.

Conserving Resources

Conserving resources means protecting valuable mineral reserves, only using them when we have to, making efficient use of them when we do, and recovering them through recycling when we are finished with them.

Conserving high-grade minerals. Some industries require high-grade minerals - such as high purity limestones - and it is important that these scarce resources are not used for other purposes for which lower grade alternatives are available.

Using recycled materials reduces the demand for newly won minerals. For example, materials like crushed concrete and brick can be used to replace primary aggregates in many applications.

The reuse, rather than re-processing, of materials like brick and stone can be even more energy efficient (see Aim for Lean Construction).
It is estimated that only 25% of suitable material is currently reused or recycled.
Re-Use old stone

Alternative materials. Specifiers and users have a key role to play in reducing demand and encouraging the use of alternative materials. Find out about the materials you are using: where they come from and at what environmental cost. In some cases there are no practical alternatives - or the use of a mineral, like building stone, is the best environmental option in other respects. Efficiency of use and the ability to recycle are key considerations here.

Maximising recovery of mineral reserves within a site should be a priority where this is economically and environmentally feasible. It is important not to leave isolated deposits that would be difficult or uneconomic to work in the future, or to treat less profitable overlying mineral resources as if they were simply overburden. Maximising productivity reduces the need for new sites elsewhere.

Co-working of minerals. When two or more minerals are found together - for example brick shales and clays found in association with coal - it is often more sustainable to extract them both at the same time. This minimises the amount of energy used in extraction, avoids sterilisation and reduces the pressure for greenfield sites. Issues may arise from the different levels of demand and economic value of such reserves - these need sustainable solutions that minimise both waste and environmental impacts.

Avoiding sterilisation. The sterilisation of reserves by other forms of development - like housing or industry - limits access to resources in the future. Development Plans identify Minerals Consultation Areas where this may be a particular issue. Where development can't be located elsewhere, valuable reserves should be extracted in advance where this can be done in an environmentally acceptable manner.

Using local materials reduces the need for transport and allows the balance of environmental costs and economic benefits to be more directly evaluated by local communities. We should avoid 'exporting' the impacts of our own consumption to areas less able to deal with them.

Site Selection

Minerals can only be worked where they are found. There is nevertheless often a degree of flexibility about the location of new workings, and particularly for the more widespread minerals like coal, sands and gravels, or less specialised hard rock products. Careful site selection is a key issue for sustainable development.

Plan led development. The selection of new sites should be led by development plans. Minerals Local Plans contain allocations, preferred areas or areas of search for certain minerals together with criteria based policies which should inform the location of new sites.

Environmental Assessment has an important role to play in selecting suitable sites and should help identify those where adverse impacts on other resources, and on the quality of life of local communities, can be avoided or minimised. Alternatives should be fully considered. MPAs, County Archaeologists, NGOs, specialist interest groups and local communities should be consulted and involved in the process from an early stage.

Look for environmental benefits. In selecting sites for relatively widespread minerals, priority should be given to those where a positive contribution can be made to the environment through the reclamation of derelict or contaminated land or through the development of new landscapes on restoration which can contribute to BAP targets, landscape or environmental strategies.

Minimise transport. Minerals are often high in bulk and low in value. Wherever possible they should be won close to their markets, and close to established transport routes, to minimise traffic impacts. Transport by rail and sea are particularly efficient for bulk commodities.

Site Design

Good site design has an important role to play in avoiding or reducing environmental impacts and making development more sustainable. Some detailed design issues are highlighted in the good practice sections.

Environmental Assessment is a formal requirement for most new mineral development and for some existing sites covered by the Minerals Review processes. Environmental Assessment is cyclical in nature and should be used to inform the design process from the earliest planning stages. The full range of its findings should be addressed in the final design. Rigorous and objective assessment allows potential impacts to be identified and avoided. Where they can't be avoided, mitigation measures can be put in place to reduce them to acceptable levels or compensate for them where appropriate. Environmental assessments should be carried out by suitably qualified personnel, following the latest published guidance.

Involving stakeholders from an early stage in the assessment and design processes can help identify key issues and local concerns. Assessment methodologies and engineering design issues can be highly technical - good communication and presentation techniques are essential if the consultation process is to be inclusive.

Site Management

Many of the potential environmental impacts of mineral workings depend on the way the site is managed. It is essential that effective and transparent systems are in place to monitor and manage potential impacts throughout the working life of the site and into the restoration and aftercare phases.

Environmental Management Systems such as ISO 14001 and the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) with independent certification, regular auditing and publication of results bring rigour to the process and increase public confidence.

Involving all employees by making them aware of the environmental management system is an essential part of the process - as is giving staff the training required to meet its requirements.
Involving staff

Effective monitoring of emissions such as noise, dust, vibration and water pollution is essential to ensure compliance with planning conditions and environmental regulations.

Appointing an Environmental Champion is a way of ensuring that responsibility for environmental matters is 'owned' by one person.

Involving local communities, for example through local liaison committees, can give local people a better understanding of working practices and help the developer respond quickly to concerns about the operation of the site.

Restoration, Aftercare and Beyond

Mineral extraction is a temporary use of land but its impacts can be enduring. Creative restoration offers opportunities to mitigate the impacts of the working site and contribute to wider sustainability goals through the creation of new landscapes, wildlife habitats or community facilities.

Restoring biodiversity. Restoration offers opportunities to create new habitats for wildlife which are in decline in the wider countryside. Restoration proposals should be informed by priorities and targets in national and local Biodiversity Action Plans (BAPs) and respond to both the physical conditions of the site and its wider ecological context.

Restoring landscape character. The aim should be to restore, strengthen or enhance the character of landscape. This requires an understanding of the local landscape that should be informed by studies like the Countryside Agency's Countryside Character or local authority landscape assessments and landscape strategies.

Restoring productivity. Restoration should aim to conserve and restore the potential productivity of land even where land is returned to a non-agricultural use like forestry. At times this may need to be balanced against nature conservation goals.

Achieving other strategic or local objectives like increasing woodland cover to balance carbon emissions or providing new community facilities should always be considered. Meeting these objectives in the restoration of a mineral site may be a more efficient use of resources than trying to do so elsewhere on greenfield land.

High quality aftercare is essential if the restoration plan is to be delivered. For restoration schemes involving management dependent wildlife habitats like heathland or species rich grassland, long term management may be necessary. This may involve the use of formal management agreements with a local authority or English Nature, the transfer of land to appropriate agencies, or the establishment of trusts funded by endowments.

Good Practice

Biodiversity and Earth Heritage

investigate the ecology of the site at an early stage - consult with English Nature, the Wildlife Trust, local authority ecologists and specialist groups
carry out an ecological impact assessment and use it to inform the design process

retain good geographical features and exposures

undertake surveys at an appropriate time of year and over more than one season where necessary
retain habitats, features or species of conservation value where possible - protect and manage them throughout the operation of the site
where preservation in situ isn't possible, translocate habitats or salvage seed, hay crops or other plant material for use in restoration
retain important geological features and exposures
avoid pollution to watercourses and ground water and aerial pollution in the form of dust or plant emissions
create new habitats for wildlife when the site is restored - and particularly priority habitats in local BAPs
encourage natural regeneration on bare rock and scree
use locally native species and make sure plant material is of local genetic origins
provide for the future management of new habitats

Visual Impacts

carry out a visual impact assessment and use it to inform the design process
avoid visually prominent extraction areas and orientate working faces to minimise their visibility
minimise the area disturbed at any one time through phased working and restoration

cover overburden with materials that allow grass to grow

construct screening & baffle mounds with naturalistic profiles and blend them with the surrounding topography - keep grass green & short through regular cutting or grazing
keep soil, overburden and waste mounds low with shallow gradients on slopes visible from outside the site - construct visible slopes first, green them up early and avoid further disturbance
where necessary cover overburden with selected material to allow grass cover to be established
locate operational plant to minimise visibility - where visible, choose colour carefully to minimise intrusion
avoid locating features where they will break the skyline from sensitive vantage points or obstruct locally important views
design operational and security lighting to minimise light pollution

Traffic

carry out a Transport Assessment and use it to inform transport and traffic management
use rail or sea transport where possible - particularly for remote markets
encourage the use of alternative modes of transport - walking, cycling, public transport & car sharing amongst staff
designate traffic routes which avoid villages and minor roads

minimise the number and length of journeys through careful management and the use of back haul where appropriate

sheet all loads likely to give rise to spillage or dust; keep public roads clean by providing and using wheel and body cleaning facilities
maintain vehicles and plant regularly
set minimum standards for the condition and operation of vehicles visiting the site regularly

provide wheel and body cleaning facilities to vehicles

Noise and Vibration

carry out an assessment of noise and vibration impacts and use it to inform the design process
design the working method to minimise disturbance - for example by working towards sensitive locations to make best use of intervening ground

construct baffle banks or acoustic fencing between noisy operational areas and sensitive locations
use acoustic cladding on fixed plant, mobile generators and pumps where appropriate

Design work methods to minimise disturbance

consider the effect of plant maintenance, particularly when undertaken outside normal working hours - where necessary carry out in enclosures
use directional or silent reversing alarm systems - ensure exhaust silencers are fitted and well maintained
design blasts to minimise disturbance
consider the effects of weather conditions on air overpressure
keep local residents informed of the timing of blasting
carry out noise monitoring regularly and remedy any problems quickly

Water

carry out an assessment of impacts on hydrology and water quality and use it to inform the design process
avoid extraction that will interfere with local aquifers, watercourses and springs
minimise the amount of water entering the site
locate storage areas for fuels, lubricants and chemicals well away from watercourses, wetlands, lagoons and drainage ditches
provide bunded enclosures around tanks and storage areas - inspect and maintain regularly
keep an inventory of all potentially hazardous materials on site and have an action plan in place to deal with spillages
use settlement lagoons, silt and oil interceptors to remove suspended solids and pollutants

use reed beds where appropriate to condition water leaving the site

monitor the quality of water discharges regularly and suspend any which fail to comply with conditions
create balancing ponds and reedbeds on restoration to buffer adjacent watercourses from excessive run-off, sediment and nutrients

Air

carry out an assessment of impacts on air quality and use it to inform the design process

locate operations likely to create dust carefully - in sheltered positions and away from dust-sensitive areas
install and maintain dust suppression equipment on processing plant
maintain plant regularly to minimise exhaust emissions

suppress dust on internal haul roads through the use of water bowsers and the use of hard surfacing where appropriate
provide wheel wash and sheeting facilities for vehicles leaving the site
keep the site green - seed storage mounds and bare ground where possible and minimise handling of material
reduce or suspend potentially dust creating operations in windy conditions
don't burn waste

Soils

investigate soil resources at the design stage - develop a strategy for stripping, storage, replacement and treatment
conserve all resources on the site - strip and store topsoils and subsoils separately - select suitable soil making materials to meet any shortfalls
keep a record of stored soils - their origins, quantities, locations
only handle soils when ground and weather conditions are suitable
select machinery to minimise compaction - avoid unnecessary vehicle movements
strip soils only when necessary and put them ‘straight to bed’ on restored areas where possible - avoid double handling
strip and store different soil types separately and keep associated types together on restoration
strip and store soils from different grades of agricultural land separately and reinstate in management units of the same grade on restoration
store soils in low seeded mounds to reduce deterioration - control invasive weeds - avoid contamination and tracking by vehicles
relieve compaction in overburden layers prior to soil replacement
use loose tipping or ‘shovel and truck’ methods of soil replacement to reduce damage and compaction
install under-drainage in restored agricultural land where appropriate to promote the development of structure and facilitate management
inoculate restored permanent pasture with native earthworms
follow the Soil Code

Cultural Heritage

investigate historical and archaeological resources at an early stage through a phased programme of work beginning at an early a stage as possible - consult the County Archaeologist for advice on methodology and the known history of the site
involve local communities - find out what they know about the history of the site & what it means to them

consider potential impacts on the settings of Listed Buildings and Ancient Monuments
preserve features of archaeological value or historical interest in situ where possible & protect them from site operations
where disturbance is unavoidable use qualified specialists to record features prior to their removal - consider salvage or relocation
look out for unexpected finds - record and report them to the County Archaeologist
consider the setting of any features retained in the working site - make sure they are integrated appropriately into the final restoration scheme
make provision for future management where this is necessary
publish the results of survey and recording work

Landscape Character

investigate and record the character of the site - keep a good photographic record and accurate survey drawings of its topography and surface features
carry out a landscape impact assessment and use it to inform the design process
avoid damage to locally important topographic features like prominent scarps, spurs, ridgelines and natural watercourses
retain and protect mature features like hedgerows, trees and woodlands where possibe

consider translocation of hedgerows where preservation in situ isn't possible - salvage material like walling stone and stone gateposts for use in restoration
use local landscape character as a guide to restoration design - pay attention to details like local styles of hedges, walls or gates

retain mature features such as hedgerows and trees

restore to naturalistic topography where possible - use restoration blasting to replicate ‘natura’ rock exposures - reinstate smaller scale 'micro-relief'
avoid 'over-engineering' of watercourses with the use of concrete flumes and gabions - consider more natural alternatives
plant species characteristic of the locality
look outside the site for opportunities to enhance the local landscape and help integrate the restored site
maintain newly planted trees and hedges to a high standard - extend the formal aftercare period when necessary to ensure success

Rules of Thumb

Minerals