Environment

Tunstead

Geology

The limestone quarry in Tunstead owes its location to major geological changes that took place over 300 million years ago when the area was covered by a warm, shallow sea. During the Carboniferous period, the water levels dropped and millions of shells and marine organism skeletons were left behind; the Carboniferous limestone that is quarried today was formed from these deposits.

The limestone is an extremely pure source of calcium carbonate which is used in many different manufacturing processes.

There are two main types of limestone at Tunstead- the high purity Chee Tor stone and Woo Dale stone which is less pure and used for construction purposes.

Restoration

The Tunstead Quarry lies within Derbyshire immediately adjacent to the boundary of the Peak District National Park. However, much of the remainder of the site, including the majority of Old Moor Quarry lies within the Peak District National Park.

Progressive restoration has been underway throughout recent quarry development operations. Biodiversity management projects have been implemented as part of a Biodiversity Management Plan since 2007.

In June 2014, we conducted a review to outline the extent to which progressive restoration and biodiversity management initiatives undertaken at Tunstead and Old Moor Quarries have had a beneficial effect on the natural environment of the locality.

For all of the areas identified in this review, the habitat types developed through progressive restoration provide direct or indirect support for habitat conservation targets set out within the Peak District National Park Biodiversity Action Plan.

In addition, a number of species conservation targets identified by the Peak District National Park also benefit from the effect of progressive restoration and biodiversity management at Tunstead and Old Moor Quarries.

Environment FAQs

Have you got a question on how the Tunstead site affects the environment? We have some helpful answers for you below.

If your question isn't here, contact us directly on [email protected]

We continuously monitor certain emission during our operational hours, these monitors are very precise and have to meet EU and UK quality and reliability standards as well as being calibrated by independent skilled third party. The data from the monitors is recorded in our control rooms where alarms will trigger if an emission is breached. Every 3 months we submit the daily data to our regulators to demonstrate compliance and all records are retained at the plant for at least 6 years to be reviewed if necessary.

Other emission where technology does not allow continuous measurement an independent certified test house takes samples of our emissions and test them in a laboratory every 6 months to check levels are in compliance.

Our Environmental Management System (EMS) sets out procedures to ensure we can comply with our limits and our operators and managers work very hard to ensure we do not go over the limit, however if we do then this is reported to the regulator in line with our permit and EMS. Investigations are carried out to understand why we went over the limit and corrective actions put in place to prevent this happening again.

The main emissions from the Chimney are Carbon Dioxide and water vapour, this is the steam you sometimes see if the weather conditions allow, much like boiling a kettle in a cold or hot room. Other major emissions are Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx), Sulphur Dioxide (SOx), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Particulates (Dust) . NOx, SOx, CO and Dust are all continuously monitored against limit values to show they are at safe and acceptable levels. These limits along with other smaller emissions are listed in our permit along measurement requirements.

All of our quarries have restoration plans to develop them in line with local need at there end of their life. The final restoration is agreed with the local authorities and examples of former quarry restoration across the UK includes retail and commercial developments to nature reserves, outdoor classrooms and woodland walks. Read more about our restoration work above. It is important to note that not all restoration is carried out at the end of quarry operations, we are constantly conducting restoration work as areas of the quarry finished in order to reduce the operational footprint and visual impact of the quarry.

Before any work starts on a new quarry an environmental impact study is carried out to check for animals and flowers/grasses which need to be preserved or re located. Only once this is done the quarry will begin. During the quarry operation many animals choose to make their home in the quarry and live happily alongside our operations. Animals and birds often seen living in the quarry will range from rabbits, foxes, badgers and hares to swallows, swifts, bats, kestrels, owls and peregrine falcons. When these animals take up residency we work alongside them with respect and ensure any activity which may disturb them is not carried out during sensitive times such as when they have young.