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QuarriesQuarries

Are you for it or against Are you for it or against it?it?

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Rock HouseRock House

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What do all of these have in What do all of these have in common?common?

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As I hope you have seen …As I hope you have seen …Materials that are taken from the ground have many different usesWhich ones can you remember?

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Here are just a few …Here are just a few …Building materials – bricks, stone, cement, aggregate, glass ….Transport materials – roads and railways and runways for aeroplanesIn the iron and steel industryIn farmingIn household chemicals and effects (pottery for example)

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All these are very necessary All these are very necessary itemsitems

So this is the first plus: are needed in many industriesMany quarrying sites are in highland areas far away from towns and cities and so provide employment. These areas often lack jobs so there is often a lot of people who welcome the jobs.The places where they are benefit from the money earned in the quarry being spent locally.A lot of quarry materials are taken out by road, so often the quarrying companies have to contribute to road improvements

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But ….But ….Because the highland areas with suitable materials are often also very rural, quiet and quite often form part of or are near National Parks, people are concerned about the disturbance caused by quarries

The noise of blastingThe dust from the siteThe ugliness of the quarryThe extra lorries using quiet lanes, causing damage to roads and noise and extra traffic on small roads

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Now lets look at Now lets look at a quarrya quarry

This one is just outside This one is just outside Belfast in Northern Belfast in Northern

IrelandIrelandIt is called Black It is called Black Mountain QuarryMountain Quarry

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This is where it isThis is where it is

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THE PHYSICAL THE PHYSICAL LANDSCAPELANDSCAPE

BLACK MOUNTAINBLACK MOUNTAIN

The Black Mountain overlooks west Belfast, but over the years a highly visible scar grows ever more visible. A mining company are quarrying basalt rock from its summit destroyingIn only a number of years what has taken nature millions of years to form.The extraction of rock continues but there is a campaign by local residents to SAVE theBLACK MOUNTAIN.

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QUARRYING ON THE BLACK MOUNTAIN: QUARRYING ON THE BLACK MOUNTAIN: GENERAL INFOGENERAL INFO

•Basalt is extracted & crushed into various grades.•Total no employed is 100.• 20/25 trucks per day used for the haulage of stone.• 2,500 tonnes of stone moved each day.• Cheaper to buy larger stones, as it takes more to process the rock into smaller sizes.•The quarry company has received planning permission to continue quarrying until 2056 !

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The skyline of the Black Mountain highlighted with quarry machinery, painted green so that it blends in with the hillside !!

BLACK MOUNTAIN BLACK MOUNTAIN SKYLINESKYLINE

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WHITEMOUNTAIN: LAGAN WHITEMOUNTAIN: LAGAN GROUPGROUP

The quarry is operated by WHITE MOUNTAINQUARRIES.Antrim basalt is quarried from the Black Mt and is used mostly as the “hard core” for surfacing jobs on roads and airports throughout Ireland & Britain and further afield. The rock has been used at the new Hong Kong International Airport and many other sites around the world.

So rock mined from a Belfast Mountain. It is crushed by heavy machinery to a variety of sizes and grades right down to basalt “dust”. This dust forms the basis of ready mixed concrete made in three factories in the Belfast area.Much of the profit from the basalt quarrying comes from the transport delivery of the material.A constant stream of quarry lorries takes the stone from the mountain to various destinations around Ireland and to the port of Belfast.

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Visible from all angles the quarry dominates

the skyline

What it is like inside

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The housing demand in West Belfast means that more and more land is being used by developers for new housing estates.This photograph shows the new Hannahstown Hill houses, with the quarry clearly seen above.

HANNAHSTOWN HILL: NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENTHANNAHSTOWN HILL: NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENT

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Many new housing areas Many new housing areas have been built close to the have been built close to the

quarry as this dramatic quarry as this dramatic photograph shows.photograph shows.

Over the last 20 years Over the last 20 years opposition to quarrying on opposition to quarrying on

the mountain came the mountain came particularly strong from particularly strong from people living in this area. people living in this area.

Not only was the hole created Not only was the hole created on the side of the mountain a on the side of the mountain a

problem, but the dust problem, but the dust pollution was, residents pollution was, residents

claim leading to respiratory claim leading to respiratory problems among them young problems among them young and elderly, and blasting was and elderly, and blasting was causing structural damage to causing structural damage to

housing in the area.housing in the area.

“ “ PROBLEMS “PROBLEMS “

17AGAINST THE DESTRUCTION : THE REASONSAGAINST THE DESTRUCTION : THE REASONS

1. Visual pollution. The huge canyon cut by the quarry company and the ugly buildings.2. Noise pollution. Lorries laden with stone move down from the rock face like ants. And every week, the rumble of explosions echo across the city as another part of the mountain is blown away.

3. Destroying the environment, which cannot be recovered for our ancestors.4. Dust pollution leading to respiratory problems, particularly among the young and the elderly.

5. Blasting causes structural damage to houses.

6. Roads are congested and dirty caused by the constant use of heavy lorries.

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THE DESTRUCTION OF THE BLACK MOUNTAIN THE DESTRUCTION OF THE BLACK MOUNTAIN Questions Questions

1. What type of rock is quarried at Black mountain?

2. For what purpose is the rock used?

3. Why might it be a good thing to have a quarry on Black Mountain?

4. What forms of pollution are associated with this kind of primary activity? 5. Who might like Black Mountain to be mined? There are several different ‘interest groups’6. The quarry company have the rights to mine in this area for another 50 years. Do you agree or disagree with this. Argue your case

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YOU LIVE HERE

ROLE PLAY: LIVING ROLE PLAY: LIVING BESIDE A QUARRYBESIDE A QUARRY

Write a letter to the localPaper. Either Explain why you are not happy with the quarry being there and what effects it is having on your lifeOr Because you are concerned that all the recent bad publicity will force it to close, write a letter supporting the quarry – you work there are you want it to continue.