Soils (Operational Phase)
During the operational phase (i.e. extraction) of a quarry's life, soils are stripped, stored and replaced; it is important that these stages are undertaken in planned 'campaigns' to minimise damage and reduce costs.
Defra has produced a series of 19 different data sheets which form a Good Practice Guide for Handling Soils L0301. These contain the latest guidance and should be considered as defining the base line for good practice.
- Sheets 1, 2, 3 L0301a L0301b L0301c and 4, L0301d deal with soil stripping, building of storage mounds, excavation of storage mounds and soil replacement with Excavators and Dump Trucks.
- Sheets 5, 6, 7 L0301e L0301f L0301g and 8 L0301h are the same for Towed Earth Scrapers.
- Sheets 9, 10, 11 L0301i L0301j L0301k and 12 L0301l cover the use of self-propelled Earth Scrapers and 13, 14 L0301m L0301n and 15 L0301o deal with the use of Dump Trucks.
- Sheets 16 L0301p and 17 L0301q deal with stone removal and 18 L0301r and 19L0301s deal with soil decompaction.
Useful information can be found on the creation/enhancement of soils in the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions report, 'Soil forming materials: their use in land reclamation, HMSO (London) 237pp 1999. Natural England, through the ALSF, has a series of research papers on the use of PAS100 compost in the amelioration of non-waste quarry by products i.e. unsold quarried material (see Natural England report: Artificial Soils in Quarry Restoration L0302). WRAP has commissioned research into the use of PAS100 Compost and PAS110 Anaerobic Digestate in Wales and Zero Waste L0303 Scotland has commissioned similar trials with forestry as an end use in Scotland. The Mining Waste Directive currently allows for the importation of products (not wastes) without a licence (such as PAS100 and PAS110) to be admixed with non-waste quarry by products.
Progressive restoration during the operation phase of quarrying is a desirable objective because it speeds up restoration to positive afteruse, saves money in storage/double handling, reduces damage to stored soils and may free up storage areas for other positive uses. Progressive restoration is usually a pre-requisite in sand and gravel operations but may be harder to achieve in hard rock quarries where extraction at greater depth over longer timescales may preclude intermediate stages. Soil substitutes and enhancements are often more necessary in hard rock quarries where original soils have been long lost or removed.
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