DEFRA is consulting on a ‘once in a generation’ set of reforms to environmental permitting, which have the potential to change the way the mining sector is regulated. DEFRA is seeking views from industry on these potentially strategic changes and Carrak Consulting was asked to contribute to the response by the Cornish Chamber of Mines and Minerals (CCMM).
The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs acknowledges that the extraction and treatment of metals and minerals, particularly critical minerals, is a growth area in the UK and highlights the expectation for permit applications to support significant lithium and tin projects in Cornwall.
The existing permitting framework has evolved to incorporate a huge range of diverse industries and associated activities. The result is a fragmented permitting regime which is difficult to navigate and is not wholly suited to the mining sector. This means there are areas that require interpretation by operators and regulators alike, which adds uncertainty, delay and ultimately risk to proposed developments.
Currently, early-stage extractive activities like crushing, grinding and physical processing are consented under a different part of the Environmental Permitting Regulations to that of their further treatment using chemicals or heat. This is unnecessarily complex when all these stages are carried out at a mine as part of a continuous process of upgrading the ore. It also creates significant challenges for the differentiation and management of resulting wastes.
Feedback from CCMM members on this consultation was based on their experiences of the challenges to mineral development imposed by a complex and protracted permitting system, and ultimately to the timely establishment of a secure domestic supply chain of critical minerals. Carrak Consulting provided direct responses and coordinated the contribution of another permitting specialist and members of the CCMM.