Minerals Development Act 2017

Working minerals

5. (1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), in this Act “working”, in relation to minerals, means the surface or underground extraction of minerals and includes determining the location and amount, treating, processing and carrying away, of the minerals and the treatment and storage of related mineral waste.

(2) A person who carries out an activity involving extractive waste for the primary purpose of complying with any requirements of—

(a) the Waste Management Acts 1996 to 2011,

(b) the Waste Management (Management of Waste from the Extractive Industries) Regulations 2009 ( S.I. No. 566 of 2009 ), or

(c) any other Act or statutory instrument,

is not, for the purposes of this Act, considered to be working minerals.

(3) The working of minerals does not include the surface extraction of substances for the primary purpose of obtaining stone, gravel, sand or clay and that may include small, non-commercial quantities of minerals.