The Impact Of Quarrying On The Environment: How Can This Become More Sustainable?
Quarrying is a process that allows us to extract vital construction materials, yet without mitigation can have a significant impact on the environment. New solutions help the industry to proactively limit these effects, and quarry operators are always looking for the next step to a more sustainable site. In this blog post, we look at the effects of quarrying alongside potential solutions.
How Does Quarrying Affect The Environment?
There are various concerns surrounding quarries and their operation – a key issue many have is how quarrying damages the landscape, including natural formations such as caves. This results in less overall land and a sharp reduction in biodiversity resulting from the possible destruction of animal habitats. The various emissions that quarrying releases also pose problems; suspended particles can lower water quality in the area and exacerbate flood risks.
The dust from these operations can also affect the air quality; limestone quarries, for example, release alkaline particles which can lead to respiratory difficulties without the right protection. These chemicals also impact local plant life, damaging or even potentially killing them. Though less severe than many other impacts, quarries can bring intense visual and noise pollution because of obtrusive setups and noisy equipment which might operate near populated areas.
How We Can Reduce These Environmental Concerns
There are steps that sites can take to reduce the impact of quarrying on the environment – those that currently can't be eliminated entirely can be compensated for with sustainability projects such as new habitat creation on redundant quarry areas. Mitigating the effects is important, as this makes quarrying safer and more sustainable for your employees and the surrounding population. Employing renewable energy significantly reduces the site’s carbon footprint, limiting the release of greenhouse gases; switching to sustainable electrical options can also be more cost-effective than diesel.
Quarries can invest in sound barriers to reduce the amount of noise pollution which others nearby endure. You can also change the site’s working hours to accommodate nearby homes or businesses, though this can lead to the project taking significantly more time. Quarry operators may offset the site’s visual impact by planting trees to promote long-term environmental growth and provides a natural screen that shields the quarry from view.
Making The Right Sustainable Choices
Quarry managers and executives must make the right choices in terms of equipment and strategies to account for the effects of mining and quarrying on the environment. At Atlantic Pumps, we’re passionate about helping quarry operators meet their sustainability targets. We provide consultation on water management to hundreds of quarries across the UK, providing quiet and efficient electrical pumps and water monitoring and clarifying equipment. To learn more about how we can help your operation, get in touch with us today.
