Mineral Sector

The UK extracts nearly 200 million tonnes of solid mineral each year. With so much material being quarried across the country, dust and other atmospheric emissions can have far reaching impacts on both health and amenity. This can raise local concerns which can be addressed through a detailed Air Quality and Mineral Dust Assessment, ensuring your project can proceed unhindered.

Air Quality Consultancy for the Mineral Sector

Redmore Environmental specialises in providing all areas of air quality consultancy to the mineral sector, including:

• Air Quality Assessments and Environmental Impact Assessments.
• Mineral Dust Assessments.
• Dispersion Modelling Assessments.
• Dust Monitoring.
• Dust Management Plans.
• Emission Mitigation Strategies.

Our consultants have delivered a wide range of assessments for the mineral sector. These have covered both new and existing site extensions across the UK and Northern Ireland. From site preparation, extraction, land remediation and soil treatment, to the effects of increased traffic flow to the site, our extensive knowledge provides us with the expertise to address any constraints you may be facing.

Why undertake Air Quality and Dust Assessments of Mineral Projects?

Not only does the extraction of mineral create dust, the heavy-duty vehicles used both on and off site can also cause detrimental air quality impacts. These can vary substantially from day to day, depending on the level of activity undertaken on a site and weather conditions in the local area. Air Quality Assessments are therefore required in support of planning applications for the mineral sector to ensure the best possible working practices are applied, and any potential impacts are reduced. This requirement is outlined in the National Planning Practice Guidance, which states that a Dust Risk Assessment is required for any mineral project within 1km of a relevant receptor. The Institute of Air Quality Management have therefore issued guidance on how to complete a Minerals Dust Assessment. The document also outlines potential mitigation measures that can be adopted to control adverse effects to an acceptable level.

Mineral Dust Assessment Experts

The Institute of Air Quality Management provides recognised industry guidance for undertaking Air Quality Assessments within the mineral sector. This sets the standard for assessing dust and particulate emissions from mineral extraction and processing activities, ensuring that developments are considered in a consistent, robust and transparent manner. A thorough understanding of this framework is essential to delivering assessments that are technically sound and aligned with regulatory expectations.

Redmore Environmental has a comprehensive working knowledge of the Institute of Air Quality Management guidance and its practical application to mineral sites. Our team has extensive experience assessing emissions from quarries, sand and gravel operations, concrete batching plants and associated activities. We understand the operational realities of mineral developments and the specific challenges they present, including dust management, site design and mitigation planning.

By combining detailed technical expertise with sector-specific experience, we provide clear, proportionate and defensible reports tailored to your project requirements. Our advice is pragmatic and solution-focused, supporting planning applications, environmental permitting and stakeholder engagement. We work closely with clients to ensure assessments are delivered efficiently, meet the relevant guidance and withstand regulatory scrutiny.

Contact Us

For further information on how we are able to address your specific issues or to request a quote for a Mineral Dust Assessment, please call today or contact us online.