Quarry proposal needs strict ministry overview

Guelphs city staff recently completed a study of the potential impacts of the proposed mega-quarry in Melanchthon Township, currently under review through the Aggregate Resources Act process. They concluded that neither the Speed River nor the underwater aquifer that provides drinking water for Guelph are immediately threatened by this project. At the same time, city staff emphasized that the Grand River Conservation Authority has raised very serious concerns about this proposal and its implications for water sourcing further afield in the conservation authority area. The GRCA is very skeptical that the massive proposed system of dewatering, pumping, and reinsertion of water on which this quarry depends will work in either the short or the long term. Further, the conservation authority report clearly implies that the water sourcing implications of a failure in this system could be vast, and the conservation authority points out that the proponent The Highland Companies has in no way documented or projected the consequences of a failure in that system. Guelph Coun. Leanne Piper expressed her relief that the citys water supply is not under threat. I share this sentiment. But to categorize our water as safe is to beg the question of how, exactly, we conceive of our water security as separate from that of our near neighbours, or indeed of the larger region of which we are a part. Citizen groups, environmental activists, and wildlife organizations are now lobbying Ontarios environment minister to designate the Melanchthon mega-quarry as a private sector project subject to the provinces Environmental Assessment Act. This designation would trigger more extensive scientific investigation of the proposal, leveraging public resources and requiring more study funded by The Highland Companies. It would also lead to broader public engagement and comment that could include discussion of ongoing problems with the current Aggregate Resources Act licensing process. I am proud to note that on June 20, Guelph city council committees approved a resolution expressing support for the conservation authority report on the quarry and requested that the environment designate the

Melanchthon quarry as subject to the Environmental Assessment Act. Should anyone want to add their voice on this issue, all the information needed can be found at http://www.stopthemelancthonquarry.ca. As Piper said: We have to keep our eyes on these (quarry projects) because we are one of the largest municipalities in Canada thats solely dependent on groundwater. We can expect to be under the same pressure. Karen Balcom Guelph