Many municipalities rely on…

Many municipalities rely on groundwater for drinking water. The proposed changes in the Aggregate Resources Act will prevent municipalities from addressing the impact of pits and quarries on groundwater by outlawing the use of municipal zoning bylaws to prevent aggregate operations from digging beneath the water table. This change poses a threat to local groundwater supplies and quality.

The farmers who produce the food that I eat also oppose the changes in the Aggregate Resources Act because proposed section 12. (1.1) states that, “the Minister or the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal shall not have regard to road degradation that may result from proposed truck traffic to and from the site”. By totally ignoring the realities of road degradation by gravel trucks, the provincial government is callously ignoring the negative impacts of gravel truck traffic on municipal roads, to the detriment of these roads, and to the added costs shouldered by these municipalities and their taxpayers. Imposing such a burden is arbitrary, unfair and unnecessary.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture also emphasizes "the need to go beyond protection of municipal drinking water sources and include the private water wells that Ontario’s farmers, rural residents and rural businesses are solely dependent on for drinking water, household water as well as for watering livestock and poultry or for irrigation. During the license or permit application process, the water quantity and quality produced by private wells must be measured and recorded. Should aggregate extraction adversely impact either water quantity or water quality or both, the aggregate operator must be obligated to provide a sufficient volume of potable water to fully replace domestic uses, watering livestock or poultry or irrigation for as long as necessary. OFA recommends that any amendments to the Aggregate Resources Act ensure that private water wells are fully accounted for and protected against any loss of quantity, quality or both."

Letting the aggregate industry destroy roads and poison groundwater will hurt all citizens of Ontario.