I am writing to express my…

I am writing to express my serious concerns over the proposed site plan amendment put forward in regards to the Miller Boyington Pit #3. Please do not grant Miller’s application to move 36 hectares of land from MNFR oversight to become the responsibility of the Township of Uxbridge. This would be a grave injustice to the community who has trusted MNFR to responsibly manage aggregate resources in this province and in this area specifically. It would also set a very dangerous precedence for the aggregate industry and has the potential to cause catastrophic environmental damage.

Miller Boyington Pit #3 is located on a highly vulnerable aquifer within the Oak Ridges Moraine and is surrounded by residential neighbourhoods. Removing the present guidelines from this land could do irreversible damage to the neighbourhood, the community and a critical water system that supplies fresh water to tens of thousands of people. If the MNFR grants this request they would be opening the door for Miller Paving to bring fill on to these lands which puts this important water source at risk. As someone who lives in the area, Miller’s request to bring in fill and build a 40,000 square foot new industrial building on the site also has the potential to completely disrupt the safety of the entire community with a huge increase in truck traffic, dust, noise and pollution.

I recognize that gravel pits are a necessary business in this part of the world but by definition they are a temporary disruption as the lands are suppose to be returned to their natural state or agricultural use at the end of the life of the pit. The Miller proposal enables the company to unfairly extract itself from rehabilitation requirements under the ARA site license and convert the site into a permanent industrial site. Miller has operated in non-compliance with its site plan for over 10 years now. By granting them the right to amend their aggregate license you are rewarding their bad behaviour and setting a dangerous precedent for the aggregate industry as a whole.

If you grant this request you are also reneging on the promise you made to this community and to the people of Ontario to return this pit to a natural state at the end of it’s lifespan. If you grant the right to Miller to change the use of their pit, by allowing them to transfer oversight to the Township of Uxbridge, more aggregate pits will try to circumvent the rules (that have been in place since they were built) to take advantage of the huge financial windfall that comes with the ability to take in fill and build new buildings on sites that previously were not zoned for these uses. This is a windfall they are not entitled to and it comes fully on the backs and at the expense of the people who trusted the MNFR to live up to their responsibility to manage aggregate resources in this province responsibly.

I am glad to have an opportunity to let you know how strongly I appose this amendment request by Miller Paving Ltd. Please honour your commitment to the people of this community and do not grant Miller Paving Ltd the opportunity to circumvent the rules and disregard MNFR guidelines to make huge profits at the expense of environment and the people of this province.