Environment

At Albion Stone we seek to manage our extraction operations to ensure that they are, wherever possible, beneficial to the environment. We regard compliance with the relevant environmental legislation and the adoption of responsible standards as an integral part of our business strategy.

Our Environmental Policy established the procedures to be implemented by the Company. These principals ensure we operate to the highest environmental standards for the benefit of the community. Method Statements for each section set out the operational standards to ensure compliance with the aims of the Environmental Policy.

As part of our Environmental management system we have changed our method of extraction. The local community identified noise and vibration from blasting as the most important priority for the company to address. They also wanted mining to replace quarrying in sensitive areas, a similar suggestion had been included by the Mineral Planners in the Local Mineral and Waste Plan.

Jet Belt

The company introduced wire saws and subsequently jet belts (3m diamond tipped chain saws on rails) into the quarries to replace blasting as the primary extraction method. This new cutting technology has had the additional benefit of allowing the company to take the extraction operation underground. The company has secured the first new planning permission for a dimension stone mine in the UK for over 60 years. The trials were completed in Bowers Quarry in 2005 and new mines are planned for Jordan 's Quarry and Stonehills. The environmental benefits for the island are immense through the reduction in noise, vibration, dust and visual impact.

Bowers Mine

Silver studded Butterfly

Albion Stone's site includes substantial areas covered by SSSI (sites of special scientific interest) notifications. SSSIs are the country's very best wildlife and geological sites.

We are working with English Nature to prepare Management Plans for the sites identified as SSSI. The plans will describe the nature conservation importance and set out the potential favourable conditions. They will establish a range of management objectives to achieve and maintain these favourable conditions.

Copies of our Environmental Policy are available, please use the ‘ contact us' page.