Mining and quarrying

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 regulations that brought the Mining Waste Directive (MWD) into force. The MWD required each EU member state to introduce new regulations for managing extractive waste from mines, quarries and other mineral extractions.

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.
  

Sut gall NetRegs eich helpu chi?

Medrai ein cyfarwyddyd eich helpu i: 

• osgoi cael eich erlyn a derbyn llai o ymweliadau oddi wrth reolyddion amgylcheddol
• cynyddu effeithlonrwydd a chynhyrchiant
• cwtogi ar eich costau  gweithredu
• bod yn fwy tebygol o gaffael busnes  o gyrff llywodraethol a busnesau mawr sy’n mynnu fod eu partneriaid  busnes yn rheoli eu heffeithiau amgylcheddol mewn dull effeithiol
• gwella enw da  eich busnes ymhlith y staff, cwsmeriaid a’r cyhoedd
• gwella’r siawns o ennill noddiant  er mwyn ehangu eich busnes drwy arddangos fod eich effeithiau ar yr amgylchedd yn cael eu rheoli’n dda.