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Rules of Thumb | Key Indicator / Prompt |
- Conserve valuable mineral resources and use them efficiently; where possible use alternative renewable or recycled materials.
| Consult with the Mineral Planning Authority, Environment Agency and Countryside Agency.
Conserve high grade minerals. Look at recycled and alternative materials.
Maximum recovery of mineral resources.
Co-working of minerals.
Avoid sterilisation.
Use local materials.
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- Select sites carefully to avoid impact on other resources like biodiversity, soil, air, water, landscape and cultural heritage.
| The selection of sites should be lead by development plans - Minerals Local Plans prepared by the local authority.
Environmental assessment has an important role in selecting suitable sites.
Look for environmental benefits.
Minimise transport.
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- Assess environmental impacts rigorously and objectively; design to avoid, reduce or compensate for them.
| Consider best practice.
Look at effects on biodiversity and earth heritage, landscape character.
Visual Impacts.
Traffic.
Noise and vibration.
Air and water, soils and cultural heritage.
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- Consult widely and involve stakeholders in the project from the earliest stages.
| Designate an 'environmental champion' - make people aware that he / she is available to answer any queries and receive ideas. An independent Environmental Assessment of the scheme will help generate extra confidence.
Set up local liaison committees.
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- Use environmental management systems to monitor and improve environmental performance.
| Environmental management systems such as ISO14001 and the Eco-management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) can assist.
Involve all employees and give staff training to meet requirements of management systems.
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- Restore creatively to maximise benefits for wildlife, the landscape and local communities.
| Creative restoration can help mitigate the impacts. restore biodiversity and landscape character and restore productivity.
Contact the Countryside Agency for advice.
Consider all the options for after-use, i.e. agriculture, forestry, nature conservation, public amenity, etc.
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