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Mining is as essential today as it ever was, from coal to clay and from iron ore to aggregates; our way of life would be impossible without the minerals we extract for energy and for the everyday products upon which we all depend.

At the same time, mining and quarrying projects are often maligned for the perceived significance of potential environmental problems that are not borne out by the evidence. The reality is far different from the rhetoric, often brought about by fear and uncertainty.

A sustainable mining business is one that can realise the benefits with the support of its neighbours by being commercially profitable at the same time as protecting the environment to ever improving standards.

Despite a long history of mining, the Yorkshire and Midlands coalfields remain the mainstay of the British coal industry. To ensure the coal industry remains an important contributor into the Regional economies by injecting over £500m a year we, as Britain's biggest coal producer, continue to invest heavily in mines to access new reserves. This activity is invariably accompanied by improvements in environmental protection.

Since UK Coal acquired the English coalfields in December 1994, the company has developed a systematic approach to environmental management. Every mine operates a system that assesses environmental risks and sets up procedures to prevent pollution. The UK Coal Environmental Policy has the authority of the Board and is reviewed regularly to take account of stakeholders' expectations and new legislation.

Experience since 1994 has shown that it is always possible to improve on environmental performance as it is in other areas of the business. With a focus on continuous improvement in environmental performance, in September 1998, we achieved certification to ISO 14001, the international standard in environmental management, at our Gascoigne Wood site, the minerals processing outlet at the Selby complex. This was the first British mine to achieve the standard.

Since then we have progressively achieved certification at all of the remaining mining sites. This involves independent audits being conducted every six months, providing stakeholders, including neighbours and customers, with an increased level of confidence in our operating procedures to control potentially adverse environmental impacts.

At our surface mines, regular liaison meetings are held with representatives of local communities, where site management relate information on site progress and current issues, while allowing members to raise concerns they have about site operations. The company's environmental management system requires that all complaints be investigated as part of our programme of improved environmental performance.

We have a number of surface mines with ground contaminated by historic industrial activities, which are being cleaned up as part of the mining project and at no cost to the public purse.

With an established record of over 25 years' experience in land remediation and restoration, we have an impressive portfolio of completed schemes and have won awards and commendations for high standards of restoration including derelict and contaminated sites, regenerating the land for public and leisure use, housing or for new industry, creating much sought after employment opportunities.

The former Houghton Main colliery site in the Dearne Valley is an example of how we can help stimulate new growth. The site has undergone a comprehensive decontamination programme using Bio-remediation. Site clean-up has enabled the Coalfields Link road to be constructed and new opportunities for office and industrial development to help generate the creation of new jobs in the area.

Along the same road corridor, at Grimethorpe, some 66 hectares of derelict and partially contaminated land has been cleaned up and a development site of over 30 hectares created. Disused rail embankments have been removed, 40,000 trees planted and wetland areas created.

In 1999, we won Durham County Council's top award for the restoration of Rainton Meadows, now the headquarters of the Durham Wildlife Trust, we also won awards in 2001 and 2002 for our site restoration work from the same authority.