The Authority, which issued its Environmental Policy to all members of staff and interested parties last year, seeks to optimise the environmental effects of all its operations.

An Environment Group chaired by Leslie Rendell, the Authority Board Member with special responsibility for environmental matters, has played a major role in the formulation of this strategy.

The Code of Environmental Practice requires the setting of environmental objectives. Eight major objectives have been set with targets to be met by March 1998. They are:

• Designing and effecting an environmental training and awareness programme for all in-house staff
• Raising the environmental awareness of the Authority consultants, contractors and surface tenants
• Promoting good environmental practice and checking compliance with the Code
• Raising environmental awareness amongst those licensed to carry out coal-mining operations
• Liasing as appropriate with relevant environmental authorities
• Continuing to develop the Authority understanding of the environmental effects and treatment of minewater
• Improving the Authority understanding or the environmental impact of mine gasses being vented from historic legacy sites
• Promoting sound environmental office practices

'The setting of these targets and the implementation of our Environmental Code of Practice represents an important step in improving our environmental performance,' says Environment Group Secretary Ian Burns.