The Environmental Protection (Prescribed Processes and Substances) Regulations 1991

CHAPTER 3: MINERAL INDUSTRIES

Section 3.1 Cement and lime manufacture and associated processes

PART A

(a)

Making cement clinker.

(b)

Grinding cement clinker.

(c)

Any of the following processes, where the process is related to a process described in paragraph (a) or (b), namely, blending cement; putting cement into silos for bulk storage; removing cement from silos in which it has been stored in bulk; and any process involving the use of cement in bulk, including the bagging of cement and cement mixtures, the batching of ready-mixed concrete and the manufacture of concrete blocks and other cement products.

(d)

The heating of calcium carbonate or calcium magnesium carbonate for the purpose of making lime.

(e)

The slaking of lime for the purpose of making calcium hydroxide or calcium magnesium hydroxide where the process is related to a process described in paragraph (d) above.

PART B

(a)

Any of the following processes, if not related to a process falling within a description in Part A of this Section—

(i)

storing, loading or unloading cement or cement clinker in bulk prior to further transportation in bulk;

(ii)

blending cement in bulk or using cement in bulk other than at a construction site, including the bagging of cement and cement mixtures, the batching of ready-mixed concrete and the manufacture of concrete blocks and other cement products.

(b)

The slaking of lime for the purpose of making calcium hydroxide or calcium magnesium hydroxide unless related to a process falling within another description in this Schedule.

Section 3.2 Processes involving asbestos

PART A

(a)

Producing raw asbestos by extraction from the ore except where the process is directly associated with the mining of the ore.

(b)

The manufacture and, where related to the manufacture, the industrial finishing of the following products where the use of asbestos is involved—

• asbestos cement

• asbestos cement products

• asbestos fillers

• asbestos filters

• asbestos floor coverings

• asbestos friction products

• asbestos insulating board

• asbestos jointing, packaging and reinforcement material

• asbestos packing

• asbestos paper or card

• asbestos textiles.

(c)

The stripping of asbestos from railway vehicles except—

(i)

in the course of the repair or maintenance of the vehicle;

(ii)

in the course of recovery operations following an accident; or

(iii)

where the asbestos is permanently bonded in plastic, rubber or a resin.

(d)

The destruction by burning of a railway vehicle if asbestos has been incorporated in, or sprayed on to, its structure.

PART B

The industrial finishing of any product mentioned in paragraph (b) of Part A of this Section if the process does not fall within that paragraph.

In this Section, “asbestos” means any of the following fibrous silicates—

• actinolite, amosite, anthophyllite, chrysolite, crocidolite and tremolite.

Section 3.3 Other mineral fibres

PART A

Manufacturing—

(i) glass fibre;

(ii) any fibre from any mineral other than asbestos.

PART B Nil

Section 3.4 Other mineral processes

PART A Nil

PART B

(a)

The crushing, grinding or other size reduction or the grading, screening or heating of any designated mineral or mineral product except where—

(i)

the process falls within a description in another Section of this Schedule;

(ii)

the process is related to another process falling within such a description; or

(iii)

the operation of the process is unlikely to result in the release into the air of particulate matter.

(b)

Any of the following processes unless carried on at an exempt location or as part of a process falling within another description in this Schedule—

(i)

crushing, grinding or otherwise breaking up coal or coke or any other coal product;

(ii)

screening, grading or mixing coal, or coke or any other coal product;

(iii)

loading or unloading coal, coke or any other coal product except unloading on retail sale.

(c)

The crushing, grinding or other size reduction, with machinery designed for that purpose, of bricks, tiles or concrete.

(d)

Screening the product of any such process as is described in paragraph (c).

(e)

Coating roadstone with tar or bitumen.

In this section—

• “coal” includes lignite;

• “designated mineral or mineral product” means—

  (i)

  clay, sand and any other naturally occurring mineral other than coal or lignite;

  (ii)

  metallurgical slag;

  (iii)

  boiler or furnace ash produced from the burning of coal, coke or any other coal product;

  (iv)

  gypsum which is a by-product of any process; and

• “exempt location” means—

  (i)

  any premises used for the sale of coal, coke or any coal product by retail where at least 90% on aggregate of the coal, coke and coal products which are removed from those premises are supplied to persons purchasing in quantities of 10 tonnes or less; or

  (ii)

  any premises to which coal, coke or any coal product is supplied only for use there.

Nothing in this Section applies to any process carried on underground.

Section 3.5 Glass manufacture and production

PART A

The manufacture of glass frit or enamel frit and its use in any process where that process is related to its manufacture.

PART B

(a)

The manufacture of glass at any location where the person concerned has the capacity to make 5,000 tonnes or more of glass in any 12 month period, and any process involving the use of glass which is carried on at any such location in conjunction with its manufacture.

(b)

The manufacture of glass where the use of lead or any lead compound is involved.

(c)

The making of any glass product where lead or any lead compound has been used in the manufacture of the glass except—

(i)

the making of products from lead glass blanks;

(ii)

the melting, or mixing with another substance, of glass manufactured elsewhere to produce articles such as ornaments or road paint;

(d)

Polishing or etching glass or glass products in the course of any manufacturing process if—

(i)

hydrofluoric acid is used; or

(ii)

hydrogen fluoride may be released into the air.

Section 3.6 Ceramic production

PART A

(a)

Firing heavy clay goods or refractory goods in a kiln where a reducing atmosphere is used for a purpose other than coloration.

(b)

Vapour glazing earthenware or clay with salts.

PART B

Firing heavy clay goods or refractory goods in a kiln where the process does not fall within a description in Part A of this Section.

In this Section, “clay” includes a blend of clay with ash, sand or other materials.