Comment 1: The Environmental…

Comment 1: The Environmental Impact on soil.

It is not possible to minimize the adverse impact of this proposed expansion of ARA licence #6538 into a narrow area of the Greenlands system and Natural Heritage system including Conservation lands also under the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority.

This area is crop producing farmland, gently sloping towards the Environmentally Protected forest, Provincially Significant Wetlands, and rolling in character due to glacial action which has contributed to the underlying Esker proposed to be mined for 1,250,000 tonnes annually over 5-10 years.
It is Agricultural land, a non renewable resource which cannot be rehabilitated and will be destroyed if this proposed aggregate extraction is allowed to proceed.

The proponent claims the soil is CLI Class 6 - unsuited for cultivation but capable for use for unimproved permanent pasture and therefore not Prime Agricultural. (2(b) PPS - page 13 planning report.) However the current use of this land, which seasonally supports a flourishing crop of Soy,
disproves this claim made by the proponent.

Previously, for the past century this land was used for pasture which over time has increased the natural fertility of the soil which is a finite, non renewable resource of Environmental significance and care must be taken to ensure it remains for food production and future generations.