Environmental award for ATH Resources

ATH Resources plc have received this year’s Environmental Award from the Coal Authority in recognition of their ‘outstanding contribution to the environment’ at the company’s Garleffan opencast coal site in Ayrshire. The award was presented at the Coal Authority’s annual conference in London.

Of particular note was ATH Resources’ work with The Wildlife Conservation Partnership to attract breeding peregrine falcons to the area. The restoration plans have been revised to make the site more attractive to the endangered falcons, by measures such as the retention of a 120m section of escarpment to provide craggy nesting areas and the flooding of the quarry base to create a variety of wetland habitats.

This site conservation management policy has also benefited other species currently at risk, including the barn owl and the grasshopper warbler, through the provision of nesting boxes and habitat management.

A technical support group was also established by ATH Resources, with members including Scottish National Heritage, the RSPB, East Ayrshire Council, Nith District Fisheries Board and the Ayrshire Rivers Trust, to provide environmental input on the operation of Garleffan.

ATH Resources’ chief executive officer, Tom Allchurch, said: ‘We are extremely pleased to receive the Coal Authority Environment Award. By working in close co-operation with environmental groups, the local authority and, in particular, the technical support group, we have demonstrated how opencast mining can bring significant benefits to the local environment.’