Aggregates industry slams quarry 'time bomb' report

A report that branded dormant quarries as "environmental time bombs" has met criticism from the aggregates industry.
The Council for National Parks called for tightening of "weak legislation" on aggregates firms wanting to re-open old quarries in national parks. It said mineral planning authorities should press harder for environmental improvements through the review process.
The report welcomed a Quarry Products Association (QPA) plan, in which some members have committed not to enter into new agreements for dormant sites.
However, QPA director of economics and public affairs Jerry McLaughlin warned the report's claims were sensationalist. "It's a vastly exaggerated proposal that dormant quarries are time bombs because most quarries won't get re-opened anyway."
British Aggregates Association (BAA) secretary Peter Huxtable said authorities should use existing legislation to crack down on offenders, instead of toughening rules.
"The government's reaction is always to slap on more legislation, not to go after the bad boys. What is needed is for the authorities to go in and shut the rogue traders down. They have the full authority of the law and they don't seem to do it," said Huxtable.
He warned that new legislation could damage the aggregates industry. "If you lock up the national parks, we won't have
the resources."
McLaughlin agreed: "They're an important source of material and if you take them out of the equation there will be a problem."
Stancliffe Stone last month lodged a High Court appeal against a ruling that the Lees Cross and Endcliffe quarries are dormant. A Stancliffe spokeswoman said they could provide reserve capacity, despite being untouched since the 1960s. She said the stone was used in local projects such as Bakewell town centre.
"In order to do those works, someone's got to quarry the stone," she said.
She added the quarrying sector is an important rural employer, with 12% of the workforce - the same as farming.