THE new operator of a Borders quarry is proposing the use of explosives to break up rock in a bid to increase production.
Glenfin Quarry is an operational facility located some 2.1km to the south-east of Cockburnspath and 3.7km north-west of Grantshouse.
It was purchased by County Durham-based Tynedale Roadstone Limited in March this year and the new operator aims to revise the method of working there.
Go-ahead was granted last year to significantly increase extraction rates at the quarry.
The proposal submitted to Scottish Borders Council (SBC) was for the volume of extracted material to be increased from 100,000 tonnes per annum over any period of three years to 175,000 tonnes per annum over the same period.
The rock quarry has permission for 30 years to extract rock using mechanical plant with no blasting taking place.
Now the new operator is looking to vary a condition of working on the site to enable pot blasting to be carried out.
A report submitted with the application to SBC says that restricting vibration levels from potential production blasting has been recommended in order to address the need to minimise annoyance to nearby residents.
Quarry blasting is the controlled use of explosives to break down rock into smaller pieces for processing and extraction.
Blasting is a crucial step in the process of obtaining materials like gravel, stone, and other aggregates for construction and industrial uses.
A report with the application states: “The proposed change in working methods is to pop blast the rock creating a more efficient operation and maximising the recovery of quality rock which has a very high polished stone value, one of the highest in the UK.
“The rock due to its nature will be pop blasted to fracture the stone which will be loaded into dump-trucks and transported to the Grizzley feeder from where it will be dropped to the feed hopper and conveyed to be crushed and screened in the existing processing plant.
“The changes in the operation will mean that the tracked exactors will be working directly on fractured excavation rock with no ripping or peckering being required.
“The method of extraction to date has comprised the use of peckers and rippers to break up the rock before being excavated and loaded in the Grizzley hopper where it is dropped into the feed hopper for conveying to the crushing and screening plant located in the lower compound.”
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