Lobbying success on Mining Waste Directive

THE quarrying industry has welcomed the removal of potentially damaging elements from the European Mining Waste Directive, which would have imposed a disproportionate burden on the quarrying industry. Under the original proposals, non-hazardous inert quarry waste would have been bracketed with waste material from uranium mines.

Thanks to a co-ordinated campaign by industry trade bodies and partner organizations in the UK and on the Continent, this threat has now been lifted. Had these lobbying efforts not been successful, the quarrying industry would have faced a barrage of new waste-licensing requirements, increased monitoring, the need for financial bonding and more bureaucracy.

The final conciliated directive is due to be formally published this month [January], following which the UK will have two years to transpose it into law.

Simon van der Byl, director general of the Quarry Products Association, said the decision was an important result for the quarrying industry. ‘Had our efforts not paid off, the directive in its original form would have classed Britain’s quarries in the same bracket as uranium mines, which is clearly absurd. Our members are today breathing a collective sigh of relief.’

The British Aggregates Association described the outcome as a great success for the industry against the green lobby. BAA executive director Peter Huxtable commented: ‘This is a particularly good example of how the industry has worked together domestically and in Europe, and with politicians in government and Brussels, to get the result we wanted.’