|
 |
NSC Home Page > EUAS Contents > Sheet B2 (RQH)
Appendices
MODULE: THE LIMESTONE INQUIRY, 21ST CENTURY
Sheet B2 (RQH)
Representatives of RQH
You represent RQH, the quarry operators. At the Inquiry you will have to present your arguments for extending the quarry.
You and the other representatives should first read this briefing. Then discuss the arguments you will put forward in a three-minute presentation at the Inquiry. You may want to elect a single person to speak, or share it between you.
The main points of your case
You argue that the quarry has been one of the leading national suppliers of high quality limestone to industry for almost seventy years. Rail transport links already exist and modern equipment (including kilns and crushing plant) costing £16 million is already on the site. To start a new quarry outside the National Park would be very expensive because of the cost of new roads, rail links and new plant.
It is unfortunate that the best, consistently high-purity, limestone occurs mainly in areas of natural beauty. However, extension of an existing quarry will have less effect on the environment than opening an entirely new quarry somewhere else.
New wheel-washing equipment has been installed to ensure that lorries do not deposit mud on the roads. New roads built to the quarry extension will be surfaced to reduce the nuisance of dust and mud.
Tree planting and landscaping will be carried out around the site before quarrying starts on the extension site. In the new part of the quarry, the faces will be about 15 m high instead of 20-30 m as in the old quarry. This will reduce the visual impact of the extension and the level of vibration and noise from blasting that is felt and heard locally.
You consider that the extension will allow a much more natural restoration scheme for the whole site when quarrying ends. Research and experiments have been undertaken by a local university to ensure that restoration will produce a new 'dale-side' profile which will in time look natural. The company will restore the whole site for recreational use when quarry finishes.
You will also make grants to the local wildlife trust which is developing abandoned quarries in the area as nature reserves.
In order to produce the right size and quality of chemically pure stone, it is necessary to extract lower quality limestone that lies above it. This is hard and suitable for aggregates and otherwise would only be dumped back as waste.
Almost two thirds of the products will be transported from the plant by rail in future, whereas less than half is at present.
Note. You may decide not to use all these arguments when making your initial presentation to the Inspector. You may want to keep some of the points in reserve, ready to answer objections made by other people.