City still worried water quality near quarry may suffer

Mercury staff Sun Sep 18 2011

GUELPH The City of Guelph remains concerned about the safety of its groundwater supply as the Ministry of the Environment and Ministry of Natural Resources continue to consider a request by James Dick Construction Ltd. to expand operations at the DoLime Quarry. James Dick Construction made a request in 2007 to double its extraction rate from 500,000 tonnes a year to one million tonnes a year at the quarry at Wellington Road and the Hanlon Expressway. The company also wants to revise its water-taking permit to dig deeper. Guelph has eight water supply wells, which produce 25 per cent of the citys water supply, within two kilometres of the quarry. According to a staff report, which goes to the planning and building, engineering and environment committee Monday, municipal staff are concerned the quality and quantity of the water supply might be adversely affected by the proposed quarrying. The report also says the city is not convinced the companys plan to rehabilitate the area when it stops quarrying will be enough to protect the groundwater supply. According to the report, the city has been in touch with both ministries and the company, and even formed a steering committee in 2009 to work out a way for the company to keep working and ensure the citys water supply remained safe. The committee reached an impasse, however, and since then the company has created a management plan accepted by both ministries. Staff are extremely concerned that the Management Plan is technically unsound and, if implemented, would not be protective of our water supply, the report reads. The Management Plan does not address the citys concerns and does not provide the requested assurances that our water supply will not be adversely impacted by the existing or ongoing operations of the quarry. The citys position, as outlined in the report, states that:

The extent of the excavation of the quarry should immediately be limited such that no further excavation of the aquitard occurs; A condition should be added to the quarrys aggregate license to require progressive rehabilitation on closure by backfilling of the quarry to a specified depth with a specified material such that the material provides similar protection to the removed aquitard and prevents water quality impacts on the municipal water supply; and The MOE provide assurances to the city that the quantity and quality of the citys water supply will not be adversely affected by the operation of the quarry now, or at any time in the future. Meanwhile, Greg Sweetham, a vice-president at James Dick Construction, is asking that the application be approved so the company can move forward. Comments were received and have been addressed to the satisfaction of the MOE and MNR. Considerable time and effort has been expended in achieving this. As such, we have asked MNR to move forward and approve the amendment at this time, Sweetham wrote in a letter to the city in June. editor@guelphmercury.com