I live in the community…

I live in the community directly downstream from the proposed lands, namely Uxbridge. Running through our town is a cold-water stream, the Uxbridge Brook, one of the very few left that feeds into Lake Simcoe. The brook drains the Oak Ridges Moraine, a sensitive landform that is the headwaters of countless streams that flow northwards, like the Uxbridge Brook, and south into Lake Ontario. There are rich forests along these streams filled with diverse wildlife that need clean water to survive.
Gravel pits are temporary measures. Once the gravel is extracted the owner has the responsibility to rehabilitate the property. Miller has been cited for being non-compliant to its site plan requirements with its current licence three times (2010, 2015, 2020) and has obviously refused to bring the property into compliance. Giving the responsibility for monitoring its operations to the Township is a very bad idea since they do not have the expertise nor the personnel to do so. If Miller ignores provincial regulations and notices, how can we expect it will even consider, let alone comply with, lower-tier municipal regulations and officers? They have been bold-faced in their refusal already. This sets a pattern of non-compliance that should set off alarm bells, not encourage the authorities to grant exemptions.
Allowing Miller to import fill from elsewhere to dump in its worked-out pit, might seem like a good idea at first glance. However, the location, at the headwaters of a provincially significant stream, should set alarm bells ringing. "Shit flows downstream" is an apt, comparison to what could happen should any contaminated fill be added to the upper reaches of the watershed, at the Miller property. Any contamination will eventually move through the porous moraine gravel deposits, flowing first through Uxbridge, eventually reaching Lake Simcoe. This is NOT a wise use of the property, not a safe legacy for future generations, and Miller should be made to comply with existing regulations.