Quarry Expansion Public Meeting

Last night I attended the second public meeting for the Dufferin Aggregates application to expand their licenced extraction area at the Acton Quarry. Dufferin submitted their application in March 2009 and are expecting to have a decision made by next summer.

There were only about 25 members of the public in attendance which was surprisingly few given the huge public response to applications in Caledon and Burlington. Perhaps there are significant differences amongst the 3 applications that make them unique.

Public comments last night centred on vibration and private well disturbances from the existing quarry. There were virtually no comments about the affects from an expansion of the operation. In fact the term expansion is misleading as what is being requested does not boost the daily operation but rather, it extends the life of the quarry by expanding the area that can be extracted.

Haul routes are always an issue but in this case there are no new haul routes proposed. The routes that are currently in use are certainly troublesome to those who own houses along the routes. The route along Maple Avenue to River Drive runs right through the middle of residential Georgetown and we would dearly love to eliminate that. This could be done if there was a reasonable alternative available. Unfortunately we don't have one at this time.

For me there are 2 important issues in considering the Dufferin application - perpetual water pumping and the World Biosphere.

The first issue came to light last night via a casual comment. It would seem that part of the plan may involve a need to perpetually pump water in order to balance the water in the 2 watersheds the quarry sits atop. The quarry is on the great divide between the Credit River (Black Creek) and the 16 Mile Creek watersheds. Once the excavation goes deep enough it disturbs the distribution of water so that it is thought that too much water will go to Black Creek and not enough to 16 Mile Creek. The solution is to pump the water back to where it naturally goes now. The catch is that this is no temporary measure. If it is required then it will need to continue forever.

In my opinion forever is something that is hard to contemplate. When we think back in history, the Romans had an empire 2000 years ago and the world has been in constant turmoil ever since. That amount of time is a flash in the pan compared to "forever". Think of what can happen in a 1000 year time span - things that can disrupt economies and nations such as world wars and the plagues. If our part of the world experiences a major disruption will the pumping continue on?

Should we be concerned about how this is going to work so far into the future? I think the answer is yes and so this possibility of requiring perpetual pumping concerns me. The need for perpetual pumping is being studied and I will certainly be watching for the recommendation.

My second concern is about the World Biosphere known as the Niagara Escarpment. It strikes me as strange that we, as a province, take the Niagara Escarpment seriously enough to have it protected through the Niagara Escarpment Plan and yet there is absolutely no limit to the amount of quarrying that can take place there. Incrementally it is being eaten away. Is the plan to let it all disappear except for the face? Or will there ever be a limit to the extraction at which point we say 'enough is enough'?

We use aggregate to support growth and the case is always made that this aggregate is close to market making it the cheapest source. Also, it is noted that the shorter the distance to market, the less fumes go into the atmosphere from the trucks. However, not every growth centre has a convenient escarpment in its back yard and yet they seem to overcome the economics of longer haulage routes. It is all really just a question of priorities.

I don't know when this question will be dealt with but at some point I believe we, the people of Ontario, will say enough is enough. The government will never act on its own. It will be up to the people to express their will.

If you have comments about the Dufferin application they should be addressed via email to nancy.mott-allen@ontario.ca She is the planner leading the joint agency review team (JART). The report is available on the Niagara Escarpment website. http://www.escarpment.org/applications/amendments/proposed/index.php#acton quarry

Your comments or questions are always welcome via this blog.