Waste
Operational Phase
At the operational stage, organic soils must be handled and stored in accordance with planning conditions and good practice so as to avoid undue damage to soil structure and preserve soil resources. The construction and operation of tips and related structures for the accommodation of extractive materials should be carried out in accordance with planning conditions and in all respects in compliance with the Quarries Regulations 1999. L0292 468
In 2011, the Mine Waste Directive was implemented in the UK; this sets in place requirements for permits for facilities containing certain types of extractive materials (referred to as 'extractive waste'). In England and Wales the competent authority for the Mine Waste Directive is the Environment Agency and Environmental Permits for the management of extractive waste are issued by them in accordance with Environmental Permitting Regulations 2010. L0296
These regulations also cover a wide range of other types of activity as well as the management of extractive waste facilities. For many aggregates quarries, the extractive materials arising at the site fall outside the statutory definition of 'extractive waste' and the tips and other structures to accommodate them fall outside the statutory definition of 'facilities' and no permit is required. However, the Environment Agency view is that the default position for extractive materials is that they are waste, unless their status is established as not waste in accordance with EA guidance and agreed by the EA.
The mechanism by which extractive materials at existing sites have been assessed as to whether they should be defined as 'extractive waste' requiring an Environmental Permit is currently via the submission by operators of an Extractive Materials Management Statement prepared by a verifier meeting the competence and experience requirements set out by the guidance (see CBI Minerals Group guidance note July 2010)
During the operational phase, the amount of extractive material that needs to be stored and managed can be significantly reduced through operational efficiencies such as blast and crusher circuit design to minimise the production of fine materials L0065 .
It is sometimes possible to identify markets for extractive materials that were not evident at the time the operation was planned (although the export or sale of these materials will always be subject to appropriate planning conditions being in place and care may be needed to ensure that sufficient material remains on site to meet restoration objectives.
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