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The Quarry Products Association has awarded the
Cooper Heyman Cup to RMC Aggregates for its pioneering work at the Bush
Farm site in Essex, UK. The Cup is awarded on the basis of outstanding
excellence in the field of restoration, and produces a yardstick against
which all restorations are judged.
The site, formerly used for the extraction of sand
and gravel and in operation between 1959 and 1988, has been fully
restored to agriculture. The restoration techniques used at Bush Farm
were developed by RMC in collaboration with the Department of the
Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, and the Sand and Gravel
Association. Work at the site was monitored over several years in order
to determine "best practice," which was then incorporated into
RMC’s own agricultural restoration techniques, and more widely into
industry practice.
An area given special attention was the trial
planting of a short rotation of coppice (a thicket of small trees or
shrubs), which has established coppicing as an effective method for
dealing with landfill leachates. General Manager Mike Masters said
"Winning this award for an unprecedented third time reflects the
level of commitment to restoration of its own sites and the contribution
RMC has made to the development of restoration techniques for the
industry as a whole."
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Agricultural work at the restored Bush Farm site, Essex, UK |
