If this permit is granted…

If this permit is granted.... which almost doubles the amount of extraction...we the residents of the current route will be subjected to double of what is already intolerable. Twice as much dust, noise, truck traffic. There is supposedly monitoring of the listed concerns....but no one is there 5 days a week and all of the local residents have witnessed infractions by this company. Nothing the current owners have promised has come to fruition. The now reduced speed limit being the most recent change ....has been pretty much disregarded by drivers and hence RR Sand and Gravel. If they cannot adhere to one simple little directive....doubtful they will adhere to any other regulations. This company has a reputation in the business for being unscrupulous.
I sincerely request that you do not grant this application which would victimize us more than we have already been.

Ontario General Air Pollution Regulation:
This regulation, revoked and replaced on November 30, 2005 by O. Reg. 419/05, prescribes standards for permissible air emissions and the modelling requirements to determine compliance at the POI (point of impingement). A Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA) is required in order to discharge into the natural environment. This usually requires a detailed report on all air emissions from a facility including an Emissions Summary Dispersion Modelling (ESDM) report (based on recent methods from the US EPA).
Canada Wide Standards (CWS) for PM were established in 2000. It is important to note however, that that there is no “safe” threshold of PM pollution. The “interim” standards are based on risk assessment “balanced” by the cost of implementation, with the input of “stakeholders”. A recent critical report ”The Air We Breathe”, by David Boyd (David Suzuki Foundation) recommends more stringent legally binding Canadian air quality standards (similar to the US, Australia and Europe).

Summary:
Dust can kill you. Mitigation measures for pits and quarries are often inadequate. Dust studies and instrument monitoring should be mandatory and include detailed analysis of specific mineral content (eg: silica, mica etc.). Many experts feel that MOECC allowable PM standards do not go far enough to ensure clean safe air.

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