2008 Atlantic Alliance Conference

The 5th Atlantic Alliance Conference is due to be formally announced later in July and is taking place in Washington DC from the 24-26th September. The Atlantic Alliance is a platform for Quarry Industry Regulators and the 'Regulated' from both sides of the Atlantic to explore co-operative stances in furtherance of the principle of 'Safer by design'. This principle is to be extended in 2008 to encompass fixed and mobile process plant as well as loose plant. UEPG is fielding President Denis Mertens, Antony Fell and several UEPG European Health & Safety speakers. Other attendees will  include HSE's Dr Phil Smith and MSHA's Bob Friend. Joy Wilson, NSSGA's President and CEO, will open the conference and is organising an American CEO to deliver the keynote address. A raft of senior speakers from plant and manufacturing companies will also feature.

QPANI Consultation With PSNI

Since October 2007 the Association has been in discussion with the PSNI on developing an agreement for the use and control of explosives that will allow the PSNI to withdraw security cover at quarries.

We are now at a stage where agreement is going to be piloted on 3 to 4 sites in only those areas where PSNI feel appropriate. This is not a legally binding agreement and ultimately arrangements will be agreed between the local PSNI Commander and the Quarry Operator.

Drivers Skill Card

We have been in discussions with CEF and the Joint Council for the Construction Industry about recognition of the EPIC card  in NI and in future the ROI. The Driver Certificate for Professional Competence is the new qualification fro LGV drivers to replace the existing LGV licence. It will apply to all new LGV drivers from October 2009 and will be valid for 5 years. In order to maintain the Driver CPC, holders must undertake 35 hours of approved 'periodic training', within 5 years of obtaining the initial qualification. Only courses approved by the Joint Approvals Unit for Periodic Training, JAUPT, delivered by trainers registered with an Approved Training Centre will be accepted. EPIC has recently been approved as such a centre and the EPIC course is approved as periodic training. The EPIC Drivers Skills Card is renewable every 5 years by the holder successfully completing the EPIC course. The Joint Council met on the 27th May and Tony Doran, who was well briefed by David Johnston and Gordon Best, has told us that he has recommended recognition. This will mean that members will no longer require a CSR frequent visitors card but instead can opt for the EPIC card that is more meaningful and ultimately will assist members to comply with the new European Drivers Directive coming in.

Essential QPA Transport Guidance Now On-line

The QPA has published a new series of transport guidance notes which will be of a practical benefit to all members looking to improve the health and safety of road transport activities.

The transport guidance can be downloaded from the QPA public site at

http://www.qpa.org/iss_transport01.htm

and the QPA members' site: http://members.qpa.org/user/web/res_guidance01.htm.

The guidance covers a range of key health and safety issues.

• Guidance on safe operating procedures for customers, contractors and hauliers for the daywork and hand lay of asphalt. When asphalt is removed from the back of the laden tipper via the open-tail-gate by the use of shovels or rakes, the process is potentially dangerous if the correct safety measures are not taken , due to the risk of receiving burns, a crush injury or the vehicle moving if not securely parked. This guidance sets out how to avoid these hazards.
• Guidance on the recommended PPE for drivers, including helmets, boots, gloves, jackets and goggles.
• Guidance on the application of a company Drugs and Alcohol Policy to owner drivers, franchises and hired drivers. Many companies have a DnA policy and procedure that covers their employees. However, some difficulties can occur when trying to apply similar standards to non-employed drivers. This note covers areas that should be added into an owner driver/ franchise contract or a hired driver's purchase order.
• Guidance on the prevention of falls from vehicles within the aggregate industry, which aims to help ensure best practice across member companies. It is recommended that sites have clear signage at their weighbridges that reinforce the message that climbing on to loaded vehicles is prohibited. A number of industry activities are considered and a hierarchy of control measures described which, if applied, will significantly reduce the falls from height risk.
• The new European Driver Training Directive will result in a Certificate of Professional Competence for Professional Lorry Drivers. The QPA Transport Committee has reviewed the directive and sets out in this guidance a summary of how this will affect your business from 10 September 2009.
• Guidance on vehicle specification/ standards which suggests some minimum standards for vehicle equipment that will improve a vehicle's performance from a health & safety perspective. This is not a complete and exhaustive list of equipment required but gives members companies a standard to specify against.

South West College and QPANI join forces to offer students innovative new course

Prospective students at South West College will have a unique opportunity to enroll in an innovative new course which has been developed in co-operation with leading industry providers through the QPANI ensuring students get the practical experience required along with the academic qualifications.

The Level 3 Diploma in Civil Engineering with Extractives Industry Specialism was launched by the Minister for Employment and Learning, Sir Reg Empey.

Speaking at the launch the Minister said:

"This initiative by the College and the Quarry products Association is to be highly commended as it provides our young people with identified training needs and the opportunity to gain the first had experience required that will benefit them in gaining employment in the workplace."

QPANI Regional Director, Gordon Best highlighted:

"As a means of addressing the ever-increasing skills shortages, a number of the QPA's member companies have created opportunities for candidates to enter a National Diploma Training Programme. Funding and support is provided by each company for students to complete the course and a full-time post is available to all candidates at the end of the two year programme."

Commenting on the launch, Victor Refausse, Director of south West College said:

"We are delighted to have the support of the Minister and his Department for our innovative work with the QPANI. One of the biggest challenges facing any student is securing meaningful employment in the area which you are interested in and have studied for. This course offers its applicants the opportunity to study and work, to gain the qualifications and the experience to ensure that they will secure employment and prosper in the work force upon graduation. It is encouraging and very complimentary to see that the local Extractives Industry is willing to make this level of investment in our students and to give the College this commitment."

This course is provided with the support of Proskills sector skill council who represent the building products and extractives industry. Sponsoring companies include Cemex Ltd, Northstone (NI) Ltd, Acheson & Glover Ltd, John McQuillan (Contracts) Ltd, Whitemountain Quarries Ltd, Creagh Concrete Products Ltd, P Clarke Ltd and Quinn Building Products Ltd.

For further information on the Level 3 Diploma in Civil Engineering with Extractives Industry Specialism visit www.swc.ac.uk.

QPA Web sites

See below for latest web stats on the QPA's family of web sites.

Total number of visits for April (122,626), May (122,674) and June 08 (113,481) was approximately 30,000 visits higher than the monthly average for 2007 (83,513).  If this trend continues, at the end of 2008, total visits will well exceed one million.

Recent Web site developments:

• An online feedback form has been developed for Showcase 08.  The form is easy to access and complete and should draw more people towards the QPA web site.  The form can be easily adapted to create a general feedback form that will sit on the web site and enable us to benchmark feedback from different events.
• The Virtual Quarry web site has been further developed with a new ‘Did You Know…?’ section, where interesting stories about quarries, archaeology and wildlife etc. will be posted up for children.
• There is now a selection of new discussion topics on the Forum to trigger debate amongst users of the members’ web site– http://members.qpa.org .
• Work towards further improvements to QPA web sites, including ‘printable page’ buttons and ‘email this article’ buttons is underway.
• A ‘Transport zone’ with new QPA health and safety guidance for transport activities has been launched: http://www.qpa.org/iss_transport01.htm.

Careers Campaign

Careers Campaign

The careers web sitewww.careersinquarrying.co.uk continues to attract increasing visitor numbers - June saw a record 5013 visits to the site- with new candidates registering their CVs every day.

QPA plans to introduce some changes to the site over the summer allowing us to better track where candidates are finding out about us and to improve the targeting of our our marketing and PR. The PR campaign itself has had some recent successes, including the positioning of quarrying on the home page of the Pathfinder web site for forces personnel- a key target group for the industry. Visit at http://www.pathfinderinternational.co.uk/. We've also placed an article in 'Grad Mag' to ensure university leavers know what's on offer from the sector.

Free careers promotional materials are also available to QPA members. We have also had some demand from careers services to receive these, following members sharing the flyers with their local offices. QPA will continue to promote these materials at any opportunity.

Environment Minister Launches 'Our Nature with Aggregates'

At an event held in Stormont fittingly on International Day for Biodiversity (22 May 08), the Aggregates and Quarry Products Industry celebrated their commitment to the conservation and enhancement of Northern Ireland’s rich Biodiversity and Geodiversity with the launch of their Strategy Our Nature with Aggregates.

QPANI has taken the lead role by being the first industry sector in Northern Ireland to produce a strategy to champion biodiversity and geodiversity action. Our Nature with Aggregates is a play on words, conveying how the aggregates and quarrying industry makes a great contribution to the quality of our lives through the materials it produces while recognising that the extraction of aggregates does have environmental pressures, it operates in an environmentally sustainable manner and is committed to maintaining and enhancing our environment for a wealth of habitats and species of national significance.

Speaking at the Our Nature with Aggregates launch of QPANI’s Biodiversity and Geodiversity Strategy Minister of the Environment Arlene Foster said “Northern Ireland's Aggregates and Quarry Products Industry is worth £730 million annually to the economy and directly employs over 5,000. I strongly welcome QPANI's initiative and industry’s commitment in formulating this strategy and am delighted to be working in partnership with them to ensure that the industry continues to operate sustainable. This strategy and the resulting action plan will safeguard and enhance biodiversity conservation while showcasing Northern Ireland's unique geological richness which is known right around the world.

Laverne Bell, Biodiversity Geodiversity Officer QPANI explained to guests “Working quarries are important places for a wide variety of wildlife and our strategy realizes how quarries are an important contributor to the overall biodiversity picture. The peregrine falcon, which was once scarce in Northern Ireland, values the rocky ledges in quarries for nesting and its numbers are increasing as a result of that unique habitat. Wetlands created in sand and gravel quarrying is a superb location for a range of birds, insects and plants.”      

Laverne is delighted by the way in which the quarrying industry has responded to her guidance “The attitude has been fantastic, QPANI members’ have already demonstrated their commitment to nature conservation, though involvement in species action plans, land management, and by integrating biodiversity into their policies and environmental management systems.”

Our Nature with Aggregates is a five year Strategy focusing on the themes of awareness, action, involvement and partnership to conserve and enhance our biodiversity and geodiversity. The quarrying industry will work together with government, planners and nature conservation organisations to achieve shared goals, for the benefit of wildlife and society alike. 

The launch was hosted by MLA’s David Ford, Tommy Gallagher and Jim Wells in the Long Gallery and was attended by MLAs from various Assembly Committees, representatives from the Aggregates and Quarry Products Industry, geologists, nature conservation bodies, academics, government officials and other guests from the world of commerce and investment.

For further information regarding Our Nature with Aggregates and to learn more about the positive work the industry carries out go to www.qpani.org.  

Communicating Our Nature with Aggregates

In line with communicating Our Nature with Aggregates to Stakeholders, QPANI have sent copies of the Our Nature with Aggregates Strategy document to:

Environment Committee

Rural Development and Agriculture Committee

Regional Development Committee

Local Government Chief Executives

Planning Service & Consultees

DOE departments

Environmental NGOs and Conservation Organisations

Environmental and Planning Consultants

If there is any organisation or company you work along with and would benefit from receiving a copy of Our Nature with Aggregates please let us know. Since launching the Strategy Document over 1900 copies have been downloaded from the QPANI website.

QPANI present work to UEPG (European Aggregates Association) Biodiversity Task Force in Brussels

QPANI Biodiversity Officer Laverne Bell, visited Brussels on 16 July 08 to update the UEPG (European Aggregates Association) Biodiversity Task Force, a sub group of their Environment Committee on biodiversity activities and marketing in Northern Ireland. It is one year since UEPG signed the Countdown 2010 declaration on halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010, and Chairman Liam Smyth reviewed the progress made in implementing the declaration and how to further improve the industry's contribution. A CD-Rom was published last year containing biodiversity case studies from European Aggregate Sites in which two case studies where submitted by two QPANI Members. Copies of the CD-Rom are now available from QPANI Office. It is hoped to established a database of biodiversity case studies updated quarterly on the UEGP website and to target information and promotion materials to the industry.The next European Minerals Day will be focusing on Biodiversity and France will be hosting a Colloquium on Biodiversity in 2009.

• European Minerals Day: 15-17 May 2009 and Biodiversity.

Following the success of the first European Minerals Day in 2007 - which welcomed more than 30.000 visitors in over a hundred sites in 17 European countries - the European minerals sector and related organisations will again give the opportunity to the public European-wide to explore the world of minerals and discover more about an industry that affects every aspect of our lives. This year, special attention will be given to biodiversity. During a guided visit of rehabilitated areas, visitors may come across rare plant and animal species. This and many more activities are aimed at raising awareness of this old, yet innovative and sustainable sector. Entertaining side attributives such as fossil hunting, animations for children, jeep safaris, workshops etc. make it an unforgettable experience for people of all ages. Learn more about European Minerals Day here.

Biodiversity Partnerships, Involvement and Action

Partnerships, Involvement and local Action are all major parts of Our Nature with Aggregates. To share and coordinate QPANI objectives with Local Biodiversity Action Plans (LBAPs), a new page has been created on our public website with all published LBAPs and Biodiversity Officers' contact details made available. QPANI are members of the Northern Ireland Biodiversity Group (NIBG), Northern Ireland Biodiversity Officers Forum, number of Biodiversity Working Groups. Together we endeavor to share information for the Aggregates Industry, their consultants and the wider public to provide them with local information on priority habitats and species in their area, how to get involved and to strengthen the message of halting the decline of biodiversity.

Visit the Northern Ireland Local Biodiversity Action Plans website here.

Biodiversity Advice and Resources Available

Get detailed advice and resources on a variety of biodiversity and restoration topics, all available to download from the QPANI website.

Topics include:

• Pond creation Tool Kit for Aggregate Sites
• Managing Sites for Invertebrates
• RSPB Nature After Minerals - Habitat Creation Advice
• Invasive Non-Native Species - Best Practice Management Guidance Documents
• Sustainable Aggregates - Collated Research on Biodiversity, Geodiversity and Restoration

 Click here to jump to the Advice and Resources page.

Association Seeks Meeting With Planning Chief

The Association has written to Cynthia Smith, the new Chief Executive of Planning Service seeking a meeting to discuss communication issues and better partnerships between her officials and the industry. The Association want to see the forthcoming Review of Planning deliver a system that is fair, user friendly, consistent and delivers a vibrant economy. This can only be done by having better communication and good working relationships between the industry and the Planning Service. Other issues on the agenda will be ROMPS, PPS 19, Aggregates mapping, transposition of the Mineral Waste Directive into Northern Ireland and industry awareness training for Planning Service officials.

Industry Welcomes Better Regulation Programme

The Quarry Products Association NI has given the new Minister for the Environment, Sammy Wilson, an assurance that it will do all it can to work with the new Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) to ensure that the Better Regulation Programme delivers on its objectives. QPANI Regional Director, Gordon Best, commented "Having read the programme I am convinced that there is a real opportunity to develop a very useful partnership between the regulatory bodies and the business community. In the main, people are responsible and want to act in a way that does not damage the Environment, they simply want to do the right thing. We have gone on record before stating that the industry wishes to see a regulatory process that is fair, that is efficient, is well communicated and rewards organisations who actively identify and manage their risks to the Environment. We also want to see strong enforcement and penalties that create a level field and protect legitimate businesses.The Industry view in the past supported the call for an independent Environmental Protection Agency, a view that was based on the fact that we did not have the type of Environmental Regulation that the Better Regulation Programme envisages." Mr Best added, "The Industry strongly welcomes the move to have a more pro active and advisory approach to regulation. If we reach the stage of court and prosecution then everyone loses, including the Environment. We strongly support the wish to streamline regulation by creating a permit to operate that will incorporate different forms of existing permits such as IPC, Water Discharge consent etc. We now look forward to working with the regulatory agencies to create a vibrant and growing economy and at the same time deliver a world class Environment that we can hand to our children.

Under the banner of the Construction Industry Group the QPANI and CEF are working together to put forward an agreed industry stance on better environmental regulation. We had Dr Sara McGuckin from NIEA, who leads the Better Regulation Team, out visiting two QPANI members and one CEF member construction site recently. The visit was very informative for Dr McGuckin as she got a very consistent message from Mark Kelly, MD Whitemountain Quarries, Paul Connolly, MD Cemex and Karl Teggarty, Graham Construction, of what the industry wishes to see from the Better Regulation Initiative.

CIG,in partnership with NIEA, intend to hold a number of information workshops in the Autumn and then to set up a Better Regulation Task Group made up of Environmental Professionals from Suppliers, Contractors and the Professional College to advise NIEA and monitor implementation of Better Regulation in the wider Construction Industry.

We are keen to get clear practical advice from NIEA for our members, particularly in relation to waste and planning issues and are currently waiting on a response from them on a number of matters.

NIEA Pleased With Industry Compliance

In a recent letter to the Association the Northern Ireland Environment Agency provided statistics showing ever improving industry performance as it reaches targets set out in the Aggregates Levy Credit Scheme. QPANI Regional Director, Gordon Best, said

"The simple facts are that unless we see the industry meet the targets of the ALCS we will not achieve a further ten year derogation on the Aggregates Levy. The Industry is to be commended for its investment in better environmental performance and I do believe it will bring longer term benefits for the industry as a whole by improving the image and helping to comply with new regulations such as ROMPS and the Mineral Waste Directive."

The Association has asked the Construction Industry to be aware that any company or individual importing and commercially exploiting aggregates in Northern Ireland are responsible for registering and paying Aggregates Levy. We will also be corresponding with industry journals such as Specify, Northern Builder and Plant and Civil Engineer.

As members will be aware DOE has circulated a letter informing companies about the recycling and secondary aggregates aspect of the audit scheme. It is essential that HMRC are aware of the reality that the industry do aspire to doing all it can to maximise the use of secondary aggregates. However, as stated at the time of developing the ALCS, first and foremost it is the client and the customer who recycle or specifies the use of such materials. A  lot of contractors now recycle on site and material never goes near a quarry, for example on the hill section of the M2 contract a large volume of material is being recycled/ reused. This must be recognised by NIEA and HMRC.

The total volume of recycled  or secondary material used in Northern Ireland MUST be the figure that both HMRC and the Commission must recognise when considering NI performance in increasing the use of recycled and secondary materials.

QPANI issued a formal invitation to HMRC officials from London to come and visit us in August and see for themselves the way in which the industry is meeting its part of the deal and to view the increase in recycling both on construction sites and in member company quarries. The officials will be the people who will be adv sing the Chief Secretary to the Treasury before an application is made to the EU Commission in 2011.

Carbon Issue To The Fore

The recent Carbon Workshops held at the QPANI offices and in Cookstown were well attended and feedback has been very positive. The local workshops along with those held in GB by QPA highlighted the need for members to be more aware of their impact through the release of carbon. The benefits of reducing carbon through better energy efficiency and management are well known and with the added future requirement by Government Construction Clients to only source responsibly the economic benefits are significant. From the feedback it is clear that QPA need to develop one agreed common carbon measurement methodology so everyone is measuring to one standard that is recognised by Government. QPA have produced a new carbon management guide that can be viewed on the members web site at:

http://members.qpa.org/user/web/downloads/Carbon%20Management%20Good%20Practice%20Guide.pdf

You can also download the workshop presentations from the QPANI web site, here.

New Archaeology Practice Guide Levels The Playing Field For Minerals

QPA has lent its support to the launch of a new guide ensuring that archaeological surveys which play a role in determining mineral planning applications have a clear and practical methodology. Minerals Extraction and Archaeology: A Practice Guide was launched at a reception hosted by Lord Redesdale, Secretary of the All Party Parliamentary Archaeology Group, in Westminster last week.

The Guide, which was funded through ALSF, comes as the result of close work between mineral operators and specialist archaeology orgainsations. By setting out a cost-effective and comprehensive approach to collecting archaeological data, the Guide ensures that the most informed planning decisions can be made.

In broad terms, the Guide will help bring back a level playing field for mineral-related archaeological investigations and bring a welcome end to excessive requirements placed on the Industry in some areas.

The Practice Guide builds on the previous CBI Archaeological Investigations Code of Practice and answers calls within national planning policy to ensure planning decisions are informed by investigations that are proportionate to the archaeological potential of a site.

The full Guide can be downloaded here.

QPA Members To Be Regarded As Responsible Providers Of Minerals

As previously reported, QPA are currently developing a Responsible Sourcing Scheme for aggregates and concrete supplies. Responsible sourcing of construction materials is an issue which has become significant with the revision of the BRE Green Guide which sets out 'scores' for the embodied environmental impact of a wide range of construction materials and 'building elements'. Building elements include, for example, internal and external walls and floors. For each building element the Green Guide includes a range of design options, each option is given a rating from A* to E based on the embodied environmental scores of the materials which make up the design option.

The Green Guide is the means by which materials are assessed in the Code for Sustainable Homes and associated BREEAM sustainability assessments. The Code for Sustainable Homes is compulsory for social/ public housing schemes, and is likely to be increasingly used for private developments. The significance of Responsible Sourcing is that if a materials supplier can demonstrate that the materials/ products will be supplied in accordance with a responsible sourcing scheme, the material can score additional points within the Code and will therefore be potentially more attractive to developers looking to maximise Code points.

Within the Code there are six levels, ranging from level 1 which is above existing regulatory standards to level 6, which is the level based on the goal of the zero carbon home. Government plans that all new housing will be zero carbon by 2016 and between now and then developers will be required to move from level 1 to level 6. As the level achieved is decided by the number of points scored in the Code assessment there will be increasing pressure on developers to design and build to maximise Code points, therefore the availability of Responsible Sourcing points is likely to become increasingly important commercially.

Currently Responsible Sourcing points are only available for the established FSC timber scheme. The QPA has been looking at how an aggregates scheme might be developed for some time, using the QPA Core values and existing reporting schemes (e.g. Health & Safety and Sustainable Development) as a framework for the information required for a Responsible Sourcing scheme. Over the past 12 months the QPA work has been part of work carried out by the Concrete Platform to develop a framework for a Responsible Sourcing scheme for concrete. The need for a concrete Responsible Sourcing scheme is regarded as particularly important because many building elements which include concrete do not currently score well within the Green Guide, therefore the availability of additional Responsible Sourcing points will be particularly important for the concrete sector.

In July 2007 a Concrete Masterclass of companies involved in the concrete supply chain was held by the Concrete Sector, and one task arising from this event was that a sustainability strategy for concrete should be developed and presented to a second Masterclass to be held on 30th July 2008. This strategy has been developed by consultants Optimat working with the Concrete Platform Sustainable Construction Group (comprising representatives of companies and trade associations in the concrete sector and supply chain). One aim of the Optimat work has been to identify the key sustainability issues for the concrete sector and set out a more coordinated sectoral approach to dealing with these issues. This will include improving and better coordinating data collection and external reporting of data and KPIs within the concrete sector. It is also intended that this requirement for better data availability and reporting can be coordinated with data required for sector Responsible Sourcing schemes (e.g. for aggregates, cement, ready mixed concrete, concrete products etc.)

To deliver the scheme the Association will:

1. Work with other sectors to establish a common framework
2. Publish and roll out a Responsible Sourcing scheme for aggregates
3. Work jointly with other stakeholders to achieve sustainable construction objectives
4. Communicate the membership's contribution to sustainable development via annual SD reporting and communication initiatives such as the Showcase

In terms of measuring its success and recognition this will be gauged by how Procurement agencies and customers are acknowledging the QPA Responsible Sourcing scheme.

Waste Framework Directive: Topsoil

The EU parliament has agreed a revision to the Waste Framework Directive that will leave uncontaminated topsoil out of the category of waste, provided that it is used for the purposes of construction on the site from which it was excavated. An "end-of-waste procedure" will be produced which will include aggregates.

Asphalt

Association Raise Concerns With Roads Service And CPD

The QPANI have written to Roads Service, the DRD Minister and the Construction Procurement Board covering a number of concerns in relation to the assessment of quality in tender submissions, the use of price fluctuation indices in supply contracts, allowance for aggregates levy within contracts and seeking clarification on the use of consultants in the delivery of work programmes.

Positive outcomes of current discussions have been the agreement for making sector schemes a contract specification for all Government Construction Clients from April 09, a change to the construction regulations to make it a requirement for private developers constructing roads to have them surfaced by sector scheme accredited contractors. It is hoped that the legislation team within DRD will complete its work by early 2009.

Meeting With Councils

The Chairman of the Asphalt Technical Committee, John Shannon, and the Regional Director met with the Technical Advisory Group of the local councils. Malcolm Simms of QPA gave an excellent presentation on Sector Schemes, New European Aggregates, Asphalt and Concrete standards. We also reinforced the point to them that as public sector procurers they now have a legal obligation under the European Procurement Directive to purchase CE marked materials i.e. materials that are quality assured. The outcome of the meeting was that their secretary has agreed to forward us all the relevant contacts in the Councils so that we can communicate directly with them.

New Guidance To Boost Asphalt Recycling And To Clear Up Confusion

A new document, 'Guidance on the production of fully recovered asphalt road planings', has been produced jointly by QPA Scotland and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). The Guidance, which promotes the recycling of asphalt road planings and clears up confusion over the application of Waste Management Licensing Regulations, is particularly significant in helping to secure industry sustainability targets. The Guidance was launched on the 17 June 2008  at a QPA/ SEPA seminar at the Salutation Hotel in Perth.

The Guidance sets out the steps producers can take to recover asphalt road planings for reuse as an aggregate product to avoid the pitfalls of waste classification. As well as being of value to the industry in helping to meet sustainability objectives, the recycling of asphalt planings clearly brings some environmental benefits. It is expected that the Guidance will lead to 500,000 tonnes of asphalt road planings being recycled per year. John Sheridan, Regional Director of QPA Scotland, commented, "We believe the Guidance is clear and practical and of considerable benefit not just to the industry in promoting one of our Core Values in the use of recycled aggregates, but also to the country at large."

The document is also a combined effort by QPA and SEPA to clarify  waste legislation, making it easier for those seeking to reuse asphalt road planings to know their legal responsibilities. James Shannon, Policy Development Officer at SEPA, explained, "Through collaborative working between SEPA and the QPA we have produced a document which will bring regulatory certainty to the process and reuse of asphalt road planings and encourage its reuse. The agreed methodology, if followed, will result in a product whose use will not be subject to the requirements of the waster regulations thus relieving industry, and users, of the administrative and financial burdens usually associated with the reuse of processed asphalt road planings".

Work on the Guidance started over a year ago and the launch at the QPA/ SEPA seminar was attended by 120 delegates from the aggregates industry, key transport bodies, consultancies, contractors, environmental agencies and local authorities.

The Guidance and all related information can be downloaded by QPA members from the members' web site here.

Information can also be found on the SEPA web site:

http://www.sepa.org.uk/pdf/guidance/waste/road_planings_guidance.pdf

http://www.sepa.org.uk/pdf/nws/events/past/asphalt_road_planings/presentation.pdf

QPANI have now opened up discussions with the Northern ireland Environment Agency and the Ulster Farmers Union to have similar guidance recognised and adopted here.

Assembly Concern At Downturn

The Assembly Construction Group made up of MLAs and members of the Construction Industry Group held its first meeting on July 1st in Parliament Buildings. The meeting was  attended by 14 MLAs from all the parties and representatives of the Construction Industry Group including QPANI Regional Director and current Chairman of CIG. The meeting discussed the current alarming downturn in the wider construction industry and agreed that there needs to be fast tracking of Government infrastructure spend to alleviate the problems the wider construction industry finds itself in. In a presentation to the group Ciaran Fox of CEF highlighted the significant job losses already experienced in the house building sector and the knock on effects it having. Gordon Best, on behalf of QPANI suppliers, showed the results of a recent survey of members that showed over 200 employees had lost their jobs since the start of the year and predicted that if the current economic climate persists that this figure could rise to 600 by the end of the year. In a sector that employs just over 5,000 this is an alarming prospect.

The Assembly Construction Group will provide a forum for MLAs from all political parties to meet with representatives of the Construction Industry to discuss current issues relating to the industry. It is proposed that the NI Assembly Construction Group would meet three times per year with issues such as Planning, Waste, Procurement policy and over regulation of business being areas of discussion.

Alignment Project Update- Keeping All QPANI Members Informed

The project to consider the merging of BCA and TCC into QPA is reaching maturity and presentations have now been made at all regional meetings, from which the feedback has been very helpful. The next major milestone is the QPA Extraordinary General Meeting on the 5th September, which will consider the changes to the QPA's Memorandum and Articles of Association required to accommodate the revised governance structure.

QPANI Praise Polish Hospitality

The recent visit to Poland by members of the Association was a great success and those in the QPANI party were extremely grateful for the excellent hospitality show to them by their Polish hosts. The party visited one of the CRH cement plants and adjoining quarry near Krakow during which they were given a guided tour of the facility and given a presentation highlighting the future investment in the country's infrastructure and what that will mean for the quarrying and concrete industry. The picture below shows the party outside the cement plant.

European Issues

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Events Diary