Quarry Operations, Quarry Operations Plans, Natural Resources Protection

Quarry operations are to be explained here. Stone, sand and gravel are naturally occurring materials and their location is determined by the local geology. So a quarry must be placed where these materials are located and near efficient transport routes. This allows these materials to be delivered to where they are needed efficiently and at low cost.

Well before a quarry is established, extensive planning and development activities are carried out to determine the best way to develop and manage the quarry and to minimize any impact the operations may have on the environment and local community. Once the quarry is approved and development and operations have commenced, it must satisfy stringent operational and environmental regulations. Regular monitoring is undertaken to ensure the operations are clean and safe.

Quarry Operations

Quarry operations involve removal of over-burden, drilling, blasting, excavating, stockpiling, loading and transporting the limestone rocks to the crushing plant. Blasting operations at the organization under study include:

Removing over-burden and piling around the perimeter of the area to be worked using earthmoving equipment;

Transporting and delivering explosive from an authorized storage location to the blast site;

Implementing safety and security measures;

Drilling 10–35 holes 76–102mm diameter, 3–4m apart, and 12m deep in the limestone rock and filling them with an ammonium nitrate/fuel oil explosive;

Blasting with non-electric detonators;

Verifying that it was a successful blast, 5,000– 8,000 tons limestone per blast;

Stockpiling limestone with earth-moving equipment for delivery to the crushing plant;

Loading and haulage to crushing plant.

Quarrying Operations Plan

You may need to provide an operations plan along with your application to extract riverine quarry material. The Department of Resources will determine if a plan is required and what information needs to be provided. Contact your local business center before lodging your application for advice. An operations plan is a combination of documents, sketches and drawings to explain:

• Where the proposed extraction operation is to be located
• When it is to occur
• How it is to occur
• Any impacts that may need to be managed
• Follow- up rehabilitation required.

The type of information that may be required in an operations plan include:

• Operational requirements, e.g. site access, site plan, volume and method of extraction
• Technical requirements, e.g. geomorphology and condition of the stream reach, sediment replenishment rate, hydraulic regime
• Impacts and how they will be managed, e.g. wastewater disposal, turbidity, noise, dust
• Proposed rehabilitation, e.g. timing, methods, revegetation, performance measures.

Natural Resources Protection

Natural resources being extracted at a mining or quarry operation not only have monetary value, but may also be critical components of medical, military, and industrial processes. Whether the mined products are diamonds, gold, uranium, or lead there’s a need to protect them from theft or terrorism.

Mining and quarry operations also present challenges not typically found in other locations. Operations are often spread over vast areas and open to extreme weather conditions. They may be located at great distances from first responders. There are likely large machines and vehicles on site. It’s hard to hear over all the noise and through frequently worn earplugs.

Visibility can be limited by piles of rocks and dust, as well as protective eyewear employees must wear. Then there’s the possible use of explosives and chemicals, all adding up to a dangerous environment for site visitors. Limiting access to visitors and unauthorized persons requires planning, and the use of physical security equipment.

Suggestions to Protect

It is best to stop would-be terrorists or other criminals before they get near their target. Locked security gates and fences provide a good perimeter barrier. Razor wire atop fences discourages climbing. Setting fencing in three-foot deep trenches filled with concrete deters digging. Steel cable fencing can stop a 15,000-pound truck traveling at speeds up to 50 miles per hour. Twisted pair cable buried just below the perimeter surface can detect anyone passing over it to signal an alarm. As prices have dropped, radar systems are increasingly being used to detect movement at perimeters of large critical sites such as mines and quarries. Gates should be fortified to resist impacts.

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Sources

www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.3152/147154605781765670

www.business.qld.gov.au/industries/mining-energy-water/resources/quarries/riverine materials/operations-plan

www.ccaa.com.au/iMIS_Prod/CCAA/Public_Content/INDUSTRY/Quarry/How_A_Quarry_Works.aspx

securitytoday.com/articles/2019/03/01/protecting-mining-and-quarry-operations.aspx