The aim of the Mining Waste Directive is to address the potentially damaging impact that waste arising from the extractive industry can have on humans and the environment. It came about in part through a number of major accidents that resulted in loss of life and/or significant environmental damage, eg the Baia Mare dam failure in Romania in January 2000, where tonnes of fish were killed and the drinking water of more than 2 million people in Hungary was poisoned. The outputs of this project therefore have both health and safety and environmental benefits by making certain such accidents do not occur again.
A necessary element of this project was a full understanding of both the extractive industry and the transposition options, requiring detailed knowledge of mining waste in the UK, the minerals planning system and the Environment Agency’s environmental permitting programme. Although complicated, this was an interesting section of the project, providing opportunities to explore and challenge the ability of the options to fully transpose the requirements of the Mining Waste Directive into English and Welsh legislation.
The project also required an appreciation of the implications for all parties involved in the minerals industry: the industry itself, minerals planning officers, the health and safety executive, environmental health officers and the environment agency.
We found the project both fascinating and challenging. Liaison between the passionate people involved required both detailed knowledge of the subject and an element of diplomacy. The output was one of the first Impact Assessments ever produced, so we were proud to be at the forefront of resolving the difficulties involved with assessing the economic, social and environmental impacts of regulatory options.
The Impact Assessment aided regulatory decision-making and has been held-up as a template for similar Impact Assessments in the future.
The Department for Communities and Local Government was delighted with the work undertaken: “I'm extremely grateful for all your efforts - the impact assessment is an essential part of the project plan for delivering transposition of the Directive. Your persistence in getting to grips with some tricky issues in a short period of time has been invaluable. Dealing with two different Departments, agencies, planners and the industry has, I'm sure, not been the easiest task you've all undertaken, but you have done an excellent and professional job for us.”
