Having joined the company for a short term contract, David has been a dedicated member of the team for over a decade and he will be greatly missed.

We all wish David a very happy retirement.

We are delighted to welcome Hamish to our team.  With a background in exploration geology and experience in contaminated land, geo-environmental monitoring and assessment, and audit, Hamish is sure to be a valuable asset to Dalgleish Associates.

Ewan has now become a Full Member of the Institution of Environmental Sciences (MIEnvSc).

This membership organisation believes that a scientific approach deepens our understanding of the natural environment and sustainable development.  This perspective and the IES’s stated commitment to the values of professionalism, quality assurance/responsibility, sound science, integrity and equality/equity is central to what we do.

IES’s journal publication and other CPD resources will be of particular interest.

Ewan has recently become a Member of the Institute of Quarrying and an Affiliate Member of the Landscape Institute.

Increasingly, Ewan has taken on the role of visual impact photography, and landscape and visual impact assessment.  There’s a direct relationship between the site design, modelling and visualisation work that Ewan undertakes, and the landscape considerations of a quarry development.  He has therefore decided to further his professional development within these membership organisations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As representatives of the QNJAC (Quarries National Joint Advisory Committee) – Geotechnics Working Group, Michelle Latimer of Dalgleish Associates and Mark Friel of Hargreaves, gave a presentation entitled ‘Ensuring Geotechnical Safety and Compliance’ at the Institute of Quarrying Scottish Branch.  The evening was well supported by 38 members/guests attending.

The technical evening is part of series of QNJAC presentations being undertaken across the UK covering topics including the requirements of the Quarry Regulations 1999, with respect to Geotechnical Appraisals, the scope of Geotechnical Assessments and examples of good and bad practice in the industry.

This approval, passed unanimously by the full National Park Board (at a special meeting 27th February – subject to the conclusion of a Section 75 agreement) is the latest in the development of Cononish Gold Mine.  It represents a very significant step towards a fully operational commercial mine.

The successful Bulk Processing Trial has been completed and demonstrated the reality of ethical and environmentally sound, Scottish gold production.

The proposal makes use of dry stack tailings management and reduces the potential environmental effects of the mine compared to the previously consented mining operation.

Michelle Latimer is pleased to have recently been asked to join the QNJAC Geotechnics working group committee.  She hopes to help raise the profile of the Scottish minerals sector and particularly the independent operators that DAL has the privilege of working with.

The working group is tasked with giving clear guidance to the minerals sector, relating to ‘Good Practice’, as applied to the management of Geotechnics within the quarrying and extractive industries.  The group also ensures that the guidance is linked to the requirements of current UK regulation and legislation.  In the case of geotechnics, this relates directly to the requirements of The Quarries Regulations 1999, as amended 2013.

QNJAC (The Quarries National Joint Advisory Committee) is a tripartite body, comprising quarrying and extractive industry representatives of employers and employees; the government regulator (Health & Safety Executive, HSE); professional membership bodies; and industry training/educational organisations.  It is focused on promoting the health and safety in all sectors of the quarrying and associated industries, committed to making the industry a safer place, through the raising of training standards and competence, and provides approved guidance documents available to all.

 

For more information about the work of the QNJAC groups, please visit them at www.QNJAC.co.uk or connect on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

For any queries relating to geotechnical advice or training, please contact Michelle.

As a long term replacement to Foss Mine the Duntanlich Barite Mine was approved today at Perth and Kinross Council’s Development Management Committtee.

This development will secure an indigenous supply of the UK’s barite requirement for around 50 years.

Appeal allowed and permission granted for an extension to Hillend Quarry, Caldercruix.  Rather than working the previously consented site known as Braehead Farm (adjacent but separate) we undertook a review on behalf of Tillicoultry Quarries Ltd and have now secured permission to work this reserve as an extension to Hillend Quarry.  This will allow the extraction of 20 million tonnes of hard rock over a period of 40 years, minimise potential environmental impacts and facilitate restoration of the total worked area.

Bruce Crawford MSP today officially opened the Bulk Processing Trial at Cononish.  The trial has now been operational for a few weeks and the first doré (semi-pure alloy of gold and silver) was on display at today’s opening of the scheme. Let’s hope that the reality of Scottish Gold inspires the necessary investment to see a full scale mining operation.