Scott’s Haulage is an over…

Scott’s Haulage is an over 60 year old family-owned and operated supplier of construction aggregates based in Trenton, Ontario. Our customer base is the home-building, road-building and infrastructure sectors. We are aware of the Proposal on the Environmental Registry of Ontario for the Provincial Policy Statement Review (ERO 019-0279).

We have discussed this with the planning consultants that provided services to us recently when we applied for a licence under the Aggregate Resources Act for a new pit operation. The issuance of that licence provided a source of sand and gravel that replaced the depletion of material from our existing pits and basically allowed us to stay in business. Scott’s Haulage supports the proposed PPS changes as they relate to mineral aggregates. In particular, we support the following:

Section 2.5.2.2 which states how aggregate extraction may be considered in some natural heritage features where it does not result in negative impacts on the features or their functions. Scott’s believes that rehabilitation of pits and quarries can result in a benefit to the natural environment, once the rehabilitation has become established and naturalized over time.

Section 2.5.2.3 relates to aggregate recycling facilities within aggregate operations. As a company that recycles asphalt and concrete as part of our everyday business, Scott’s strongly supports this policy. However, we strongly request that recycling of aggregate products be allowed in pit and quarry operations without the need for any municipal approvals under the Planning Act (i.e. Official Plan or Zoning). Storing and recycling products such as asphalt and concrete occurs using the same equipment and processes that are in place to extract aggregate in the first place. Therefore, recycling can be fully addressed through the ARA site plan.

Section 2.5.2.4 which clearly states the depth of extraction in a pit or quarry is regulated through Aggregate Resources Act processes. Scott’s is aware of a recent trend in some municipalities to zone pits and quarries in a way that limits their depth or requires a further re-zoning if the operation is to be deepened. We believe this damages the Provincial interest in aggregate resources and results in reduced availability.