Background Information

The quarrying process

A detailed description of the processes involved in quarrying and processing is beyond the scope of this Web site. However, an excellent introduction already exists on the internet, written by Angus Kennedy of R.J.Maxwell and Son Ltd. This Web site (Quarry Process & Quarry Products) covers the whole process from initial face survey to the finished product in non-technical language.

For younger visitors (or for those who just like 3-D graphics) it is worth visiting VirtualQuarry, which guides you through a 3-D virtual quarry, with a number of interactive features. It gives an excellent summary of the workings of a quarry.

Always an impact but also a need

There is no doubt that the extraction of rocks and minerals from the earth can have a significant impact on the environment. If people live nearby, they may be affected by possible increases in levels of dust, noise, vibration and traffic. Even when the workings are remote, there is still an impact on the landscape and ecology of that area. However, it is also true that without many of the resources that are won from the ground, our lives would be very different to the way they are. Further information on how significant our natural resources are to our lives are given in the Industry Benefits section of this Web site. The British Geological Survey have recently published a very readable document called The Economic Importance of Minerals to the UK which is now available as a free download.

Maintaining the balance

One of the key principals underlying the mineral planning process is sustainability. This is identified in the introduction to Minerals Planning Guidance No. 6²⁸⁸ which states the following:- "how an adequate and steady supply of material to the construction industry, at national, regional and local level, may be maintained at the best balance of social, environmental and economic cost". The aim of this website is to highlight methods of achieving this "best balance". There is further information and dicussion in the Sustainability section.

Mineral resources

Aggregates are used extensively for roads, concrete, building sands and railway ballast. Rocks such as limestone, granite and sandstone have been used as building stone for centuries and provide distinctive architectural character to many areas. Clays have a wide variety of uses, from tiles and bricks, to paper and steel making. Limestone and shale (for cement), coal, salt and gypsum are just a few of the other resources that are extracted from the ground in the UK, with metal mining being very significant in other parts of the world.

Minimising the effects

It is inevitable that quarrying and mining will continue, despite ongoing attempts to find alternatives and increased efforts to ensure re-use or recycling takes place whenever possible. The aim of this web-site is to collate and present information on the many techniques and methods which can help to minimise the impact of these activities.

Source material

The starting point of much of the information presented here is the research report "Environmental Effects of Surface Mineral Workings"³⁴⁴, published by HMSO in 1991. Although much of it has been updated and amended, with the inclusion of photographs and diagrams, some of the original text is reproduced here with the permission of the publishers.

Additional material

The project is managed by the Minerals Industry Research Organisation (MIRO) and co-ordinated by the Blasting and Environmental Research Group (BERG) of the University of Leeds' Department of Mining, Quarrying and Mineral Engineering. Many other partners have contributed to this site by supplying information on existing good practice and their names can be found on the Partners Page, with links also given in the subject section with which they are principal contributors. In this Web site Partners refers to companies and organisations who have signed the research contract, commiting themselves to an "in-kind" contribution of a certain number of days involvement.