Two Scottish Green Apples for Kier
Kier Mining score double success in Scottish Green Apple Awards for innovative environmental projects
KIER, the construction, services and property group, have been awarded two Green Apple Environment Awards in the Construction: Green Practices category for projects in Scotland.
Kier Mining were awarded the prizes in the national campaign to find the country’s greenest companies, councils and communities, for their work surrounding the Greenburn surface coal mine, near New Cumnock, in Ayrshire.
The first award (Bronze) was for a project involving a permanent diversion of a 500m stretch of the river Nith, a sensitive salmonid river located near the mine.
Through early engagement with environmental stakeholders, Kier successfully diverted the river to allow access to significant mineral resources to extend the existing mine, whilst preserving and enhancing the natural waterway’s ecological habitats and riparian corridors.
A five-year programme of fish restocking to assist with the colonization of the new channel is currently under way.
With a focus on the river’s sustainability and habitat enhancement, the diversion project has allowed access to an additional 1.2 million tonnes of coal, which has secured continued local employment at the mine and sustained financial contributions to the Minerals Trust Fund, which helps support local projects and has received £1.7 million from Kier since coaling operations began at the site in 2004.
The second award (Gold) was for Kier’s sustainable water supply work during the construction of a bentonite slurry wall adjacent to the mine. Due to the excavation site’s location near the head of the river Nith, which contains sensitive salmonid spawning beds, the bentonite slurry wall was constructed to ensure the stability of the mining excavation walls and the river.
The award recognized that, through sustainable design changes, the bentonite wall was reduced in width by 40%, thereby reducing the quantities of bentonite and water required for its construction. Furthermore, the project saw Kier using recycled rainwater for the construction, saving around 5 million litres of potable water.
Kier Mining director Mark Harrington said: ‘We are delighted to have been recognized by the award of two Scottish Green Apples, reflecting our team’s continued environmental works in and around the Greenburn surface mine. During these two projects we have not only enhanced the productivity of the mine, but paid close attention to the sustainability and biodiversity opportunities that these works have afforded us.’
Kier Mining were presented with the awards in Edinburgh yesterday. As part of the prizes, the projects will also now have a chance to win a UK Green Apple Award at a ceremony in the House of Commons in November.
The Green Apple Awards began in 1994 and have become established as Britain’s major recognition for environmental endeavour among companies, councils, communities and countries. The awards are organized by The Green Organisation, an independent group dedicated to recognizing, rewarding and promoting environmental best practice around the world.
