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  • Crushing and screening

Crushing and screening

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This General Binding Rule (GBR) applies to:

  1. using crushing and screening equipment, above ground, to—
    1. crush, grind or carry on other size reduction including breaking up (except for the cutting of stone) of, any designated mineral or mineral product, or the grading, screening or heating of any of those reduced materials,
    2. crush, grind or carry on other size reduction and/or screening (with machinery designed for that purpose) of waste bricks, tiles or concrete at the place where the waste is produced or at the place where the recovered aggregate will be used,
  2. the temporary storage of waste materials prior to use or generated as part of the activity in (a), including the raw material feed, mid-process stockpiles and the storage of end-product at the place where the waste is produced or used.

If waste bricks, tiles and concrete arising from demolition processes are being crushed and screened, the authorised activity is restricted to the place where the material is produced or where the recovered aggregate is to be used, for example at another nearby construction site. This means that if waste bricks, tiles and concrete are crushed and/or screened at a third-party site, the activity will require a waste Registration or Permit.   

Authorisation level

General Binding Rule (GBR)

Rules

Crushing and screening is covered by General Binding Rules. If you intend to carry out this activity, and you comply with the rules set out below, your activity will be authorised. You don’t need to apply to SEPA for an authorisation.

If you carry out an activity under this authorisation you must comply with the rules. It is an offence if you do not comply with the rules.

If you cannot comply with the rules, you will need a different type of authorisation.

General Binding Rule (GBR) for crushing and screening

  1. Emissions

    1. dust emissions must be minimised by—
      1. containment, or
      2. suppression using water, or both,
    2. dust emissions must not have a significant impact upon the environment, people or property,
    3. where the activity takes place inside a building, any such building must be as dust tight as possible and arrestment equipment must be used where necessary to ensure there are no emissions of dust, resulting in a significant impact upon the environment, people or property,

  2. Dust arrestment—

    1. arrestment equipment for dust emissions must be—
      1. designed to emit less than 50 mg/m3 of dust, and
      2. fitted with a continuously indicative monitor which provides visual and audible notification when 75% of that emission limit is reached,
    2. arrestment equipment for dust emissions must be regularly inspected and maintained to ensure it is fully operational,

  3. Site design and infrastructure—

    1. where the materials to be loaded or unloaded have the potential to generate dust, the loading and unloading of those materials must be shielded from wind,
    2. conveyors, and discharge points to and from conveyors, must be enclosed,
    3. crushing, grinding, screening and separation processes and associated plant must be enclosed, or water sprays must be in use when these processes are being carried out,
    4. drop heights must be minimised by using—
      1. variable height conveyors,
      2. chutes,
    5. the discharge point from conveyor to stockpile must have water spray bars in use,
    6. the number of movements of materials must be minimised,
    7. there must be an adequate supply of water available for use as dust suppression,
    8. all reasonable steps must be taken to ensure that the use of water for dust suppression does not result in the introduction of any substance or heat to the water environment which may cause harm to the water environment.

  4. Stockpiles—

    1. water suppression of stockpiles must take place regularly,
    2. stockpiles must be—
      1. fully covered,
      2. shielded using wind-breaks, bunding or fencing, or
      3. profiled so as to reduce wind-whipping.

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