Environmental Thinking
The diversity of Finnish nature, beauty of the landscape and clean groundwater are important issues to which our interest groups are continually paying more attention. For this reason, granite block quarrying is also strictly regulated by Finnish legislation. We ensure the license conditions and environmental codes in our daily operations by continually upgrading the international control and staff training in our company.
Quality and Environmental Management Systems ISO 9001 and 14001
We have internally built up quality and environmental management systems in accordance with ISO standards. The system creates essential conditions for the overall development of our operations. With the assistance of the quality and environmental policy, goal setting and implemented environmental studies, such as groundwater follow-up and noise measurements, we are able to reduce the environmental effects of our quarrying operations. For instance, in 2010-11 we have conducted an Environment Impact Assessment in the quarry area of Aurora in Mäntsälä.
Utilization of leftover stone and Sustainable Development
Presently, leftover stone is discarded in connection with quarrying. This leftover stone does not fulfil the high quality demands we have set for our granite blocks. However, leftover stone itself is a pure raw material, which can be utilized in various ways, such as in roads and breakwater constructions, or as granite blocks. We have conducted, and will continue to conduct studies on the potential uses of leftover stone for today and the future.
Waste Management and Machinery Maintenance
Quarrying, like other industrial operations, produces waste through the use of its machines and other materials. We follow strict waste management codes. We sort our waste, recycle as much as possible and deliver it to the proper processing locations. In addition to the quarries, our company also has two machine repair shops, which maintain our quarry machinery. The condition of the machines is an essential factor in both the quality of the work and the environmental effects of quarrying.
Landscaping
One of the most visible environmental effects of quarrying is the alteration of the landscape. The change can be lessened through landscape mitigation. In the final stages of operation, the area is cleaned up and saplings are planted in places where reforestation has not already naturally begun. The quarry is usually filled with surface water and rain water, and can then be used as a freshwater reservoir or recreation area.
