Good News For a Change?

Tags

aggregate, environment, gravel pit, Laframboise, mining, Pluto's Underworld

Dedicated to Digging for Truth, Blasting the Myths, and Etching Reality in Stone.

We recently came across a blog that is astonishing. The blog author, Donna Laframboise, has granted us permission to reproduce excerpts here. Please visit her blog HERE.

A section of David Suzuki’s 2002 book, titled Good News For a Change, appears to be calling for an end to activities such as aggregate extraction because it is bad for the environment. At first we didn’t know whether to cheer or weep.

Chapter 8 is titled Wrestling With Pluto: Cutting Toxins, Cleansing Air. The first three paragraphs are astonishing. [The bolding has been inserted by Donna]:

Ever since we discovered the strength of metals like copper and iron in arrowheads and spears, we’ve been interested in the substances that we find below the ground. But all of them, from gold, zinc, copper, nickel and silver, to oil, gas, uranium and coal, are either directly or indirectly poisonous to us and to other life forms. It is an interesting fact that in nearly all known human mythologies, the underworld is a place of death and danger, not just to the body, but to the soul. Pluto, Odin and the dwarves of the underworld, or Mars and Vulcan, gods associated with the metals we bring up from below, all rule over dark realms that mortals enter at their peril. And while venturers to these realms may gain treasure, they are usually cursed by the underworld spirits whose purpose is to guard the treasure from such theft.

Pluto’s revenge has never failed to find us, no matter how far away we have carried his treasures. Whether we pump oil from the oceans, extract gold from mountains, or scrape away our very farms and homes to get at nickel or coal, the fossil fuels and heavy metals we bring up from inside the earth poison our crops and our trees, destroy our children’s immune and endocrine systems, give us wasting diseases, and kill our animals and fish – often many years after the money they made us is spent.

The similarity in myths associated with the underworld across so many cultures implies that somehow we’ve always known it was dangerous and unnatural to go underground and steal from Pluto. But now we know exactly why that’s true, and having the coal mine cave in on us or the gas vein explode is the very least of our problems. We are gradually learning that the minerals, oils, and gases that were sequestered beneath the surface of the earth by biology, geology and time actually have a reason for staying where they are. If they don’t, they risk changing the make-up of everything on the planet’s surface, including the atmosphere that protects the whole thing.

The chapter ends this way:

We have to call it quits, and leave Pluto and his hoard of underworld treasure alone.

A world without steel doesn’t only preclude wind farms, it precludes bridges – since steel girders are what make them safe. A world without metals is one in which hammers, nails, screws, drills, saws, shovels, rakes, and hoes don’t exist. Not to mention computers, phones, cameras, televisions, factories, airplanes, coins, and gold jewellery.

If using material dug from the earth is off limits, there goes bricks, cement, and shingles. We’re back to building our homes out of uncut wood, twigs, and mud.

The gospel according to Suzuki is that anything that comes out of the ground is poison. Digging up minerals is “unnatural.” Mining anything risks “changing the make-up of everything on the planet’s surface, including the atmosphere.”

Suzuki devotes a few pages to discussing greenhouse gases, the “burning of carbon-based fuels,” and the fact that we humans “enthusiastically made this atmosphere-destroying process the basis for modern industrial society.”

Then he bizarrely spends the rest of the chapter extolling the virtues of bicycles, public transit, and solar panels – none of which would exist without mining and minerals. ‘Incoherent’ doesn’t begin to describe his analysis.

It should, however, now be clear where all of this is headed. It’s there on the page – in stark black and white.

The David Suzukis of the world want to dismantle every oil pipeline and shutter every coal pit. Fossil fuels are, after all, the Great Satan.

But it wouldn’t stop there. Next on their agenda would be mining in general.

These people are prepared to play the “we can’t risk disrupting the environment” card again and again.

Until we’re all shivering in the dark in caves. Until even arrowheads and rudimentary spears have been banned.

————————————

Because we are opposed to irresponsible mining activity does that mean we at StoneColdTruth side with Suzuki’s “good news” and bizarre fascination with Pluto’s mythical underworld??

Hardly.

The rants and requests you will find elsewhere on our blog are positively mild in comparison to the extreme notions put forth by what many believe to be Canada’s foremost environmentalist.

Fraud and Deception in Disneyland?

Tags

aggregate, Caledon, cold stone truth, environment, gravel pit, gravel pits, infractions, ministry of natural resources, MNR, Oak Ridges Moraine, Palgrave, quarry, Tottenham

Dedicated to Digging for Truth, Blasting the Myths, and Etching Reality in Stone.

 We’re told that in Disneyland there’s a place called the ‘Magical Kingdom’. It’s where wonderful things happen – where wishes and dreams come true. Who knew that here in Ontari-ari-ario we have our own version?

 It’s near Palgrave in the north-east corner of Caledon. This place, where the magic happens, could be called ‘Brockland’ because Brock Aggregates owns the Tottenham Pit. The magic appears to happen whenever reality doesn’t coincide with Brock’s wishes. Not long ago, when Brock decided they wanted permission to nearly double the size of their ‘footprint’ and dig out more sand and gravel from below the water table, they were faced with opposition from concerned neighbours with whom they ‘share’ the water source. Neighbours pointed out that previous site plans and hydrogeological studies showed underground water flow directions that might mean a threat to their private wells.

 So here’s where wishful thinking and magic occurs. First, Brock wished that opponents to their dream would just vanish.

 Didn’t happen.

 So then they got out their magic wand … errr, wallet … and presto! all the arrows on the site plan that showed the directions of underground water flow magically changed direction! Where formerly the arrows pointed in somewhat natural directions, and towards neighbouring residences, they now conveniently changed direction, sometimes totally REVERSED direction, to point away from all the neighbours’ wells.

 

 How can this be?

 Well haven’t you ever heard of Fantasyland? It happens every day! Take a drive; take a look; wish upon a star! You won’t believe your eyes when you see the magical transformations at Bibbidi Bobbidi Brockland !

Money Squandering or Money Laundering?

Tags

aggregate, gravel pit, Green Energy Act, Influence peddling, quarry

Dedicated to Digging for Truth, Blasting the Myths, and Etching Reality in Stone.

What would you call it if I offered you a handsome sum of money, like $billion$, to set up your business in Ontario? Perhaps you and I could call it ‘job creation’ to make it sound nicey-nice. Then what if I sweetened the deal by guaranteeing to buy ALL of your company’s production for the next 20 years? This is getting even better for you. But that’s not the end of it. What if I offered to pay you MORE than the normal market price for your product, AND guarantee to buy ALL your product whether I could use it or not? And to top it all off what if I offered to pay you for producing the product, even if you don’t produce it?

Well most folks, including Samsung apparently, would call that a heck of a ‘sweetheart deal’.

Except the taxpayers and the electricity customers.

But you haven’t heard the best part of the deal. The real kicker is that in order to make this all work, the businesses that get this sweetheart deal will be ‘tempted’ to accept the politician’s invitation to dinner. The dinner is hosted by the Liberal Party of Ontario.

So what, you ask? Well you can be sure that this is a wonderful dinner … and the tickets cost $5000.00 each!
Who else would be at a high priced table such as this?

What do you want to bet that other ‘guests’ at these dinners include pals from ORNGE, E-Health, Ontario Power Authority, OLG, Education Unions, and of course our friends in the Aggregate industry?

Don’t you think that for the sake of transparency, all dinner ticket purchasers should be listed on a web site for the tax payers of Ontario to see who is benefiting from your taxes, and in turn purchasing influence in our Province?

All that money goes to finance election campaigns. And as long as the money keeps flowing in the circular route described above, and these sorts of politicians keep getting elected, everyone in the ‘laundry’ is happy.

… Unless you are ‘just’ a hard working taxpayer.

Waking Up to New Realities

Tags

aggregate, compensation, gravel pit, hydro, property values, quarry, wind farm

Dedicated to Digging for Truth, Blasting the Myths, and Etching Reality in Stone.

 

We’re wondering if a ‘tipping point’ has been reached. Is the era of ‘government/industry gangs doing whatever they please’ coming to an end? Will those who have been spending/wasting OUR money finally be forced to consider OUR views and priorities?

There are some hopeful signs.

Take for example the noises being made in opposition to the poorly-thought-out wind farms debacle. Our Ontario government has piled onto a ‘green’ bandwagon, apparently without sober consideration, and signed long term contracts that will mean excessive expenditure of taxpayers’ and hydro customers’ money for many decades into the future. At the same time there will be very little if any benefit to our environment or economy. In fact when all the detrimental effects are considered – to human health, endangered species, and property, to name a few – the negatives far outweigh any alleged positives. It appears that our provincial politicians have signed us up for an experiment that will cost us dearly, with an increasing likelihood that the promise of abundant green energy will prove to be an economic nightmare rather than the anticipated dream-come-true.

A hopeful sign is that a number of municipalities are passing bylaws to try to introduce a measure of prudence and caution to the picture – the ‘measure’ being in many cases a 2km setback from homes, and a number of fees to pay for things like decommissioning and property value losses. Another hopeful sign is a law passed in Denmark where 551 compensation payments have been made to people living next to wind projects with an average amount of 57,000 kroner per household. Real estate agents say the amount is often far below the actual property value loss, while politicians see it as a step in the right direction. The loss-of-value clause was passed by parliament in 2008 at the urging of Dansk Folkeparti (DF) and gave neighbours to wind turbines the opportunity to seek financial compensation for lost property value.

As you can see, internationally, others are way ahead of Ontario. Here, the government set an artificial price on renewable energy, and then slapped a 20-year guarantee on that price. This price-setting structure is called the Feed-In Tariff program (FIT), and the World Trade Organization has struck it down as an illegal subsidy that violates international trade law. Problem is the politicians are playing with OUR money. If their decisions were to turn out correct we will pay MUCH higher prices for energy. If they are incorrect we, and/or our grandchildren still pay, in the form of penalties and lawsuits!

The not-so-hopeful sign is that the affected companies aren’t accepting this situation without a fight. In Ontario we’ve seen threatening letters trying to put a ‘chill’ on local councils. We can be certain that more will follow, and in more industries besides the wind developers.

A recent example of just how successful and profitable this ‘pay us either way’ tactic can be for a developer has occurred in the Aggregate Industry. Not long ago a government Ministerial Zoning Order put a stop to a proposed open-pit quarry application near Carlisle Ontario. The applicant, St. Mary’s Cement, threatened to sue and it cost Ontario taxpayers $15million to settle. So WE paid $15M – a nice profit for St. Mary’s without shipping any stone – and what did we get for our money? Nothing but higher taxes and debts …. and McGuinty avoided facing a subpoena!

So the ‘new reality’ is that people are beginning to wake up and demand that their governments – servants of the people – start to actually serve them! The concept of ‘Full Cost Accounting’ is being actively discussed as a requirement for industrial development proposals, so that only those activities that are environmentally, socially, and economically viable will proceed. To allow continued industrial development to proceed while being heavily subsidized by taxpayers, ratepayers, municipalities and property owners, not to mention the uncalculated costs to environments and species at risk, is just not going to be acceptable any longer.

Politicians who don’t have their head in the sand must recognize these signs and see them as an opportunity to provide leadership in the direction we are already heading.

Help spread the wake up call!

Need … or Greed?

Tags

aggregate, compensation, gravel pit, property values, provincial policy statement

Dedicated to Digging for Truth, Blasting the Myths, and Etching Reality in Stone.

One of the more questionable aspects of Ontario’s Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) is the clause that prohibits anyone from asking if there truly is a NEED for more open pit aggregate mines – both pits and quarries. The PPS reads in Clause 2.5.2.1:  “Demonstration of need for mineral aggregate resources, including any type of supply/demand analysis, shall not be required …”
Since one of the main arguments repeatedly made by pit and quarry applicants is the alleged ‘NEED’ for more supply, it strikes us as bizarre that decision makers should be prohibited from responding with: “Oh really? We NEED more supply? Show us the evidence!” What kind of Alice in Wonderland world do we inhabit here? One side can talk incessantly about need but the other side “shall not”?

So we are asking “What is really going on here?”

Consider a few facts:

…    According to expert analyst Dr. L. Jensen, Phd. Geoscience: “… it will take … 208 years at present rates of consumption, to consume all the sand and gravel reserves under license in 2010. No doubt this 208 year supply has considerably increased with the additional 200 licenses and permits added to the inventory during the past 2 years.”… from a submission made to the ARA Review Committee, May 2012
…   The gravel industry, with help from their lobbyists at the OSSGA, has made a mass appeal of their property tax assessments, apparently successfully. The result will be that municipalities must REFUND and forego hundreds of thousands of dollars to wealthy pit and quarry owners. The tax burden presently shifted onto residential property owners from groups like this who receive favoured treatment amounts to $20 million annually in Wellington County alone, or $731 per property owner.
…  Despite dire predictions of ever-increasing need that accompany applications, Ontario aggregate production, which was 171 million tonnes in 2000, fell to 159 million tonnes in 2011. (from TOARC statistics)
…  Due to a failed quarry application near Carlisle Ontario, the applicant St. Mary’s Cement threatened to sue the province for costs incurred and loss of future revenues. The province has settled, costing Ontario taxpayers $15million! What a sweet deal! You apply for a pit and if you win you get to make $millions supplying aggregate to the province (taxpayers). If you lose, you get $millions for the loss of potential revenue (from the gravel you don’t have to supply). Yikes! Is this nuts, or are we nuts for putting up with it?
…  When an ordinary property owner seeks compensation from their ‘new neighbour’ – an open pit mine – for a drastic drop in the value of their property, the applicants, operators, and elected representatives all run and hide. Is there no ‘NEED’ for wealthy pit operators to pay compensation for what are often devastating losses due to their ‘needed’ operations?

So again we ask is it NEED or GREED at work here? And why should we be prevented from asking what the needs of the various parties actually are?

Watch Where You’re Going!

Tags

aggregate, environment, gravel pit, health hazard, pollution, recycling, self-monitoring

Dedicated to Digging for Truth, Blasting the Myths, and Etching Reality in Stone.

Watch out … You may not like what you find down that ‘gravel’ road.

It seems that the whole world has caught some kind of ‘green fever’. Billions of dollars of taxpayers’ hard earned money is being spent chasing green dreams. Virtually all essential industries have been hit – health, energy production, transportation, manufacturing, food production, environment, to name a few. In some few cases we are benefiting economically from new developments. In many other cases things just aren’t working out, except for the favored few who are well connected with politicians who write them massive cheques.

It is industry lobbyists who are writing the scripts and the taxpayers who are paying the shot.

One example of immediate concern to us is the influence wielded by the gravel industry. For many decades they have had their way with very little interference from those who must suffer the negative consequences of their activities. They are the ‘self-monitoring’ people who write the laws, and are in charge of enforcing them, (if you can call their feeble efforts ‘enforcement’).

A recent news article, and industry response, is a small example of where we’re going if we don’t pay close attention. The topic was ‘Recycling’ of aggregates and the journalist asked “Is Recycling Always a Good Thing?”

An aggregate industry lobbyist answered with a resounding ‘Yes!’ And in the process dishonestly branded a community group as “opposing recycling” when the truth is the group – PitSense -  is emphatically in favour of recycling … but in a manner that makes SENSE! Then, when members of that group sought to refute the lobbyist’s false accusation, the newspaper refused to publish their letters.

Why is this upsetting? Could it be because the public is being lulled, with help from a media that lacks balance, into believing that the aggregate industry is only thinking of what’s best for Ontarians? Well just consider for a few minutes an example of what the folks at PitSense are concerned about …

Do YOU know what is in this massive pile of demolition debris? ….

Does aggregate lobbyist Moreen Miller know? Does she even care, or does she just want to be paid handsomely to say it’s OK to drop this junk 6 feet away from sources of drinking water, while pretending to be doing the ‘any recycling is good’ thing?

These pictures are from the demolition site of the old Brampton Hospital. Lord only knows what toxic junk is in this mess. Do we want this stuff recycled? YES, of course. But … are people who have not demonstrated any idea of how to do it responsibly the best ones to do it? NO. Are below-water-table pits in rural residential areas a suitable location for storage and/or processing of this stuff? NOOOO!

But are there truckloads of money to be made here? HELL YES, which is why lobbyists like Moreen Miller are willing to bend the truth more than a little when representing her powerful industry in their pursuit of profits.

We repeat – let’s keep our eyes open and WATCH WHERE WE’RE GOING – or we may end up in a very nasty place.

Imagination … Do you have any?

Tags

aggregate, corruption, gravel pit, MNR, property values, quarry, scandal

Dedicated to Digging for Truth, Blasting the Myths, and Etching Reality in Stone.

 

Can you ‘imagine’ a ‘nation’ …

-   where Ontario’s Minister of Health, Hon. Deb Matthews, was actually ‘honourable’ enough to do something to enforce the legislation she is responsible for? Imagine if those thousands of seniors suffering grievous abuse in extended care homes, and their families, could actually be protected and obtain justice when the expected care isn’t provided. See: http://www.ctvnews.ca/w5/nursing-home-residents-at-risk-w5-investigation-reveals-startling-national-statistics-1.1149215

-   where the government actually respected the fact the ‘Crown Land’ is owned by the people of Canada, and then realistically consulted the ‘owners’ before selling or leasing the use of Crown Lands to favored private applicants to enable their friends to make many millions in profits? See: http://ontario-wind-resistance.org/2012/12/16/crown-land-up-for-wind-destruction/

-  where our Ministry of Environment (MOE) did more than ‘pass the buck’ when asked by worried residents to investigate and remedy a toxic fuel spill like the one at the Tottenham Pit near Palgrave? See: http://www.caledonenterprise.com/news-story/1373538-silence-follows-contradictions-at-tottenham-pit/

-  where the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) and Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) stopped denying and dragging their feet regarding the serious negative impacts on property values near wind farms and open pit aggregate mines? See: http://ontario-wind-resistance.org/2013/02/08/mpac-waiting-on-turbine-study/

-  where the MNR stopped issuing aggregate extraction licenses to operators who are clearly not in compliance with regulations? See: http://www.caledonenterprise.com/opinion-story/1372539-ministry-should-deny-pit-application/

- where an elected representative, such as Chris Bentley, and his political party, would be unable to deny responsibility for egregious abuse of public funds, and then evade legal consequences by proroguing and resigning from the legislature? See: http://www.lfpress.com/2013/02/08/chris-bentley-resigning-as-mpp

-    where an accountable and transparent Ontario Hydro would cease collecting a  ‘Debt Retirement Charge’ after the debt is paid off? See: http://www.thestar.com/business/2011/12/28/hydro_debt_retirement_charge_reporting_proposed_in_ontario.html

-    where there would be the same regulations for both the ‘ruled’ and the ‘rulers’? For example is it OK for a Bald Eagle’s nest to be destroyed by the MNR, while private citizens are fined $10,000 for removing trees ‘near’ a nest? See: http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/2013/01/09/mpp-wants-answers-on-eagle-eviction

-    where there would be some way for the beleaguered taxpayers of Ontario to recover $millions from the likes of Chris Mazza of ORNGE infamy? See: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/02/09/chris_mazza_of_ornge_got_46_million_in_two_years.html

We could go on.

What do all these anecdotes, and related LINKS, have in common? Can you shout out loud things like: ‘waste’, ‘corruption’, ‘scandal’, ‘cronyism’, ‘incompetence’, and __________, and__________, and _________ , … you fill in the blanks!

Unless we raise our voices and demand ethical governments and bureaucracies, we are sure to see more of the same. Don’t you think it’s time we demanded ‘response-ability’ to go with responsibility?

Or are we imagining things?

Getting Stoned … or Getting Out of the Stone Age?

Tags

Alternative technolgy, Building material, climate change, conservation, environment, gravel pit, gravel pits, Hempcrete, quarry, recycling, sustainable

Dedicated to Digging for Truth, Blasting the Myths, and Etching Reality in Stone.

Hempcrete Could Change The Way We Build …

When it comes to new and sustainable housing ideas, it seems to always be about creating a more efficient home in terms of insulation, lighting, electricity etc. Mainstream belief on the subject would have you believe that top corporations and government projects are working with the best possible technology to bring forth solutions that work and are going to be great for the environment. If that was truly the case, we can guarantee you that the whole world would be using Hempcrete right now. Haven’t heard of it? … Not too surprised.

First off, what is Hempcrete? Hempcrete is a building material that incorporates hemp into its mixture. Hempcrete is very versatile as it can be used for wall insulation, flooring, walls, roofing and more. It’s fire-proof, water-proof, and rot-proof as long as it’s above ground. Hempcrete is made from the shive or inside stem of the hemp plant and is then mixed with a lime base binder to create the building material. This mixture creates a negative carbon footprint for those who are concerned with the carbon side of things. It is the worlds strongest building material and is much more versatile, easy to work with and pliable than concrete. In fact, earthquakes cannot crack these structures as they are 3 times more resistant than regular concrete.

Since lime is the binding material, and the lime does not need to be heated as much as is necessary in creating concrete, a lot of energy is saved when producing Hempcrete vs. concrete. Jumping back to the carbon aspect, Hempcrete sequesters (hides or puts away) carbon because it is very high in cellulose. During its growing cycle, it takes in large amounts of carbon, which is then built into the structure. This prevents the carbon from being released into the atmosphere. A Hempcrete home can save about 20,000lbs. of carbon.

Hempcrete is a superior building material due to the fact that it is a very strong, lightweight and breathable material. When used as exterior walls, it lets moisture in without rotting or damaging the material. In a practical sense, instead of needing to build homes with space between exterior walls, which are then filled with insulation, you can simply use a Hempcrete wall. As humidity is absorbed from the external environment, the Hempcrete holds that humidity until it is ready to be released again when the climate is less humid.

Over time, the lime used in the matrix seeks to revert to rock, so the material becomes harder and harder until it petrifies completely. This means the wall will last thousands of years vs. 40 – 100 like normal building materials today.  Another great aspect to Hempcrete is that if too much is mixed during building, you can return it to the soil as a great fertilizer. Since hemp grows to maturity in just 14 weeks, it is a very powerful, versatile, cheap and sustainable solution.

Other notable factors are that hemp crops require no fertilizer, weed killer pesticide or fungicide. The hemp seed can be harvested as a nutritious food rich in Omega-3 oil, amino acids, protein and fiber. It is considered a “super food”. The outer fibers can be used for clothes, paper and numerous everyday items. This truly is a very powerful plant and should be a no-brainer when it comes to it being used in a very mainstream way.

You would think that if governments and corporations were truly concerned with resource conservation, ecology, and the massive effects they claim climate change is going to have, they would begin implementing this solution very quickly. They would most likely make hemp legal in the US and start producing this stuff like crazy. But this doesn’t seem to be the case. Are they exaggerating about climate change and how much OUR carbon is affecting it? Or are they so concerned with their massive-profit system that they fear changing things?

Either way, something is up here.

Rage Against the Machine

Tags

aggregate, cold stone truth, gravel pit, ministry of natural resources, MNR, NEC, Niagara Escarpment, PPS, provincial policy statement, quarry, recycling, rehabilitation, self-monitoring, toxic dust

Dedicated to Digging for Truth, Blasting the Myths, and Etching Reality in Stone.

We received another provocative email the other day from some friends of ours. We love it when we get emails that get our blood boiling. Keep ‘em coming!

It seems that although the legislature was shut down by McGuinty, some of his Ministries are still hard at work ignoring the ordinary people of Ontario.

Minister Gravelle from the MNR has decreed, with full support from the Aggregate Industry, (and now the Niagara Escarpment Commission!*) that recycling is just a rubber stamp away from your local pit and quarry.

(*You can reference the changes made by the NEC in this link, pages 9 and 10.)

This change is being justified as ‘something the public demands’.

Recycling of aggregate materials is supposed to reduce the “need” for more pits producing virgin material. But when ordinary citizens ask if more pits are actually ‘needed’ they are told that they simply can’t ask such questions … it’s against the law according to the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS)!

So first, let’s review some facts, and how our now-absentee masters are being led by the nose down the gravel road …

1.      We have over 6,500 pits and quarries in operation in Ontario right now. Allowing recycling is supposed to reduce consumption of ‘virgin’ materials. So do you suppose this might stop the opening of new pits and quarries? Hardly. The PPS is under review, and must change to take into consideration our current abundant supply of materials. But asking the ‘do we need more’ question is still prohibited!

2.      Recycling is an industrial operation that does not belong in a mining environment.

3.      Because of the potential for mis-handling of the various materials, recycling will require oversight, something the MNR has proven they will not, or cannot do, given their current mandate and personnel resources. So again, it will be left up to the aggregate mine operators to police themselves, something many of them have repeatedly done very poorly.

4.      Dust control in pits and quarries is always an issue. Do we really believe that increasing the polluting fumes from machinery, and toxic dust from the operations is a good idea? Processing more material – some of it possibly very toxic – in facilities and under conditions that were never intended for such, seems simply foolish, or worse.

5.      Leachates from asphalt and other contaminated materials will make their way into our water table. It is unavoidable when you drop this tainted rubble two meters from the aquifer, on porous soil.

6.      Furthermore, who will be inspecting the materials coming in for recycling? We know the MNR inspectors can’t do the job. Then who? Where are the regulations and rules designed for this new policy? It’s all left up to the Aggregate Resources Act, which was never intended to deal with industrial recycling facilities.

7.      When applying for a license to open a new pit or quarry, the operator and MNR agree that it will be an ‘interim land use’. Adding a recycling operation will obviously increase the life span of a pit. It seems this creates another way to extend an operation indefinitely and avoid rehabilitation, virtually forever.

To characterize the push for recycling as something the Ontario public wants is a bit of a stretch.

Does ‘the public’ want more recycling?   …. Absolutely.

Do they want expanded industrial operations, with more huge trucks coming and going from their neighbourhood pit forever?  …. Absolutely not!

So we’ve asked just how it’s been determined that industrial recycling in gravel pits represents ‘the public’s wishes’. The only answer we’ve heard is that there are Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) and special interest groups voicing their opinions.

Well, DUH … is it any surprise that the Ontario Stone Sand and Gravel Association (OSSGA) might lobby the government, claiming to represent ‘the public interest’?  But …What about input from groups like Gravel Watch, who more genuinely represent the public interest – and WITHOUT the taint of ties to Industry! Have they been heard? Apparently NOT.

Industrial recycling operations should be located in industrial areas, not in open pit mines that are often located in rural residential areas.

But recycling is just one part of a bigger picture. It must be implemented with a comprehensive and well thought out plan. As it impacts the future of aggregate mining, it must deal with questions of ‘need’, resource life-cycle management, transportation, alternative materials, and full cost financial accounting . To hand recycling responsibility to the MNR and their aggregate industry friends without such thorough consideration is dangerously short-sighted.

Once again, the MNR and Minister Gravelle appear to have demonstrated a lack of understanding of their portfolio responsibilities, and once again, the aggregate tail seems to be wagging the dog.

In short, the MNR’s handling of this issue seems superficial and inadequate, serving the wishes of their cronies at the expense of ordinary citizens!

Is this acceptable? What can be done? Are ordinary citizens willing to do anything about it? Who owns this province anyway? … You? … or the politicians and their ‘insider’ friends?

So, since you don’t have preferred access to the decision-makers, we suggest it’s time to call, email and write your MPP, to tell them that weakening the Niagara Escarpment protections is completely unacceptable.

Call, email and write Minister Gravelle and all opposition critics. Try to be civil, which might be difficult, and tell them it is time the aggregate industry stopped dictating policy in Ontario – starting with this recycling-in-pits fiasco.

Call, email and write your local newspapers and news web sites. Tell them these sorts of policies are bad for our province.

It’s time for a concerted effort to send the message to OUR elected officials that we will be Silent No More.

After all, they are supposed to be working for US!

More on Gags and Gagging …

Tags

aggregate, democracy, ECO, environment, Environmental Bill of Rights, Gord Miller, government, gravel pit, human-rights, Losing Touch, quarry

Dedicated to Digging for Truth, Blasting the Myths, and Etching Reality in Stone.

Our previous post on gags … here … brings to mind the Environmental Commissioner of  Ontario’s 2012 report called “Losing Touch” in which ECO Gord Miller says: “Lately there has been a marked change in the behaviour of some ministries in respecting the rights of the citizens of Ontario under the EBR [Environmental Bill of Rights]”
He goes on to say: “This disregard for the rights of Ontarians has increased to a scope and degree such that I find it necessary to break out this portion of my statutory reporting requirements into its own part, so that Legislators can focus on the implications of the situation.” and: “in recent years, the ministry has increasingly evaded its obligations under the EBR, depriving the public of its established rights.” (emphasis added)

Because Ontario Government Ministries are avoiding their responsibilities in seeking input from Ontarians via the EBR, the citizens of Ontario are being effectively MUZZLED, or as we say, GAGGED.
But we go even further. We suggest that even when comments are properly sought and received, they are rarely if ever properly considered and incorporated into the legislation or regulations affected.

The ECO concludes that “it appears that elements of the bureaucratic institution called the Ontario Public Service, which was created to support and implement the will of the people’s Legislative Assembly, are somehow losing touch with their role and responsibilities, at least with regard to the Environmental Bill of Rights.”
The Environmental Law Section of the Ontario Bar Association has commented on this sorry state of affairs, where the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Natural Resources simply ignore their responsibilities. You can read the OBA report here: http://www.oba.org/en/pdf/sec_news_env_oct12_Ministries_Shaw.pdf

The result of all this avoidance and ignoring of citizen input is a sense of futility on the part of ever-growing segments of society. The attitude becomes: “Why comment when they don’t listen anyway! What’s the use?”
This attitude gives the politicians and bureaucrats an opportunity to deceive themselves into thinking that they have the tacit consent of the majority of their constituents, when the truth is that vast numbers of citizens are fed up with the futility of the exercise.
So we should not be surprised when we see more and more public tantrums  organized by people who are fed up with being gagged.

Is this what you would call a ‘civilized representative democracy’?

Wouldn’t it be better to remove the gags and actually be heard by those we hire (elect) to work for us?

Put Up or Shut Up!

Tags

aggregate, compensation, devaluation, disamenity, Full Cost Accounting, gravel pit, Lansink, property value guarantee, property values, quarry, wind turbines

Dedicated to Digging for Truth, Blasting the Myths, and Etching Reality in Stone.

We came across some documents the other day of particular interest.

The pieces in question were written by Ben Lansink, from Lansink Appraisals, and Michael McCann of McCann Appraisal, LLC.  They express their observations, opinions and case study results, from their personal and business experience, regarding wind turbines and the various effects they have on the environment, people’s health, and property values.

Lansink’s “Case Studies” are factual, well written, documented, very well thought out and professionally presented. His report disagrees with most of what the Ontario government has to say about the industry, and will therefore, likely, be completely ignored by ‘whoever is currently in charge of Ontario.’ (this seems to be a bit of a mystery right now as we seem to have no acting premier or functioning government!)

The parts of the documents most interesting to us were with regard to property values. Not the fact that Wind Turbines negatively affected property values, as that is common sense, but that there should be “Property Value Guarantees (PVG’s) for personal properties” situated near these sorts of disamenities.

The quotes of interest were:

“WHAT motivates developers is obvious … extensive, subsidized profits. That is what drives all development by private companies; the expectation of profits.”

“And while profitable development is conceptually a good thing, it should not be at the expense of neighboring property owners, either in terms of their home value, or their health and quality of life.”

“However, … Mr. Ben Hoen, [a wind farm appraiser/advocate] has now gone on record saying that Property Value Guarantees should be used for nearby homeowners, and that “if wind developers won’t guarantee that, then they really don’t have a leg to stand on”.

And, the magnitude of value lost is “the single most important quantitative question, … as that is the basis for monetary damage claims for property devaluation, or as a reasonably supported basis for either denying projects or conditioning the approval with a relevant and meaningful, bonded Property Value Guarantee (PVG).”

A “Property Value Guarantee” is a very easy concept to understand.

If disamenities, like wind farms, hydro corridors, railways, gravel pits, or quarries want to situate in your area, the operators must ensure your pre-disamenity property value – as established by an independent appraiser and relative to similar properties not in proximity to a disamenity – is achieved if you decide to sell.

If, for example, your home was worth $500,000 prior to the announcement of a pit or quarry operation, and you then must sell your property for 30% less than comparable unaffected properties, the pit or quarry operator would compensate you, or purchase your property. There will thus be NO LOSERS when the pit or quarry opens, and the full cost of the operation will be accounted for.

Most politicians and pit advocates claim there are NO negative property value impacts from these operations.

They are, in effect, ‘gravel cost deniers’.

If their assertions are true, it’s obvious there WOULD BE NO COST or RISK incurred by the operator by providing a PVG. So when they make the claim of no impacts, we say “Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is”.

If, on the other hand, there actually are losses imposed on neighbours and municipalities (in the form of reduced tax base and infrastructure costs), the operator should have to calculate that risk and cost into his business plan and provide a bond (or PVG) to compensate for such losses. If the potential revenue from the operation is not sufficient to cover all such costs, we would assume he would not open the pit; but that would be his financial decision to make.

Property value compensation for properties around pits and quarries has been denied and ignored for too many years. It is a reality that everyone should be facing!

To believe that property values will drop only if the fact is talked about is irrational!

It has been demonstrated that values drop as soon as a pit or quarry application is announced.

It’s high time that politicians and the Aggregate Industry get their heads out of the sand and stop acting as if they have never heard of the concept … and either Put Up or Shut Up.

A Joke … or a Gag?

Tags

aggregate, aggregate resources act, ARA, gravel pit, gravel pits, greenbelt, legislature, Niagara Escarpment, Oak Ridges Moraine, PPS, provincial policy statement, quarry, SAROS

Dedicated to Digging for Truth, Blasting the Myths, and Etching Reality in Stone.

So they set up special committees to review the Aggregate Resources Act (ARA) and Provincial Policy Statement (PPS), announced ‘public hearings’ and asked for citizen input, appearing as if they would seriously consider all submissions, and make revisions accordingly.

Some people happen to have spent a couple of decades studying the issues and are as close to being an ‘expert’ as can be. So they asked to appear before the ARA committee to make an oral presentation, and made written submissions.

Were they invited to appear or were they ignored?

They were ignored.

There were several more hearings scheduled so they politely asked once again.

Again they were ignored.

WHY?

Did those in charge really want to hear from knowledgeable people, or just from those they might agree with, or who can more easily be dismissed?

We may never know.

The hearings are finished and the committee is supposed to be carefully considering all the submissions, both oral and written, that were put before it.

That’s how it was supposed to work, and that’s what we’re paying for!

But our Premier and his party have abandoned ship, taken the whole crew with him, and sunk the good ship ‘Legislature’.

So – What is happening to all the recommendations submitted in these two reviews?

- What is being done to remedy the many current problems with the way the current ARA is being administered by the Ministry of natural Resources (MNR)?

- What is being done to head off the threat that existing pits and quarries might be used as industrial recycling plants and potentially toxic landfills?

- What is being done to expose the distortion contained in the SAROS reports, where it suggests we are in the midst of an aggregate crisis.

- What is being done about questionable or non-existent justification for the industry-biased ‘close to market’ and ‘no questions allowed regarding need’ provisions of the current PPS?

- How can we protect ourselves from erosion of the Oak Ridges Moraine Act, Greenbelt Regulations, and Niagara Escarpment legislation that might permit ever more aggregate to be mined in these ‘protected’ areas?

In short, how can we get our high-priced ‘representatives’ to go back to work and actually earn their keep?

Are we being ‘gagged’ or is this just a bad joke?

False Pretenses …

Tags

aggregate, extraction, gravel pit, gravel pits, gravel supply, ministry of natural resources, MNR, OMB, Ontario Municipal Board, quarry, rehabilitation

Dedicated to Digging for Truth, Blasting the Myths, and Etching Reality in Stone.

On the 25^th of September 1974, the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) decided in favour of a license application by Dufferin Aggregates for a gravel pit near Paris Ontario. The proponents used an argument that there was a “deficiency of supply”, a “market demand” for the product, and “a critical shortage of sand and gravel pits in the Province”.  Experts testified that there was an  “impending crisis of supply” and that without the proposed extraction, “within 15 to 20 years all available materials would be exhausted”.

The plan put forth by Dufferin was to extract between 800,000 to 1,000,000 tonnes per year, with progressive rehabilitation, which would result in an estimated life for the operation of between 30 to 40 years, at the end of which time “the total property would be restored for agricultural use”.

The OMB believed these claims and promises, and the license was granted.

So, what’s wrong with this picture?

Today it is 38 years later, and only now is Dufferin moving to begin extraction of the resource.

Does this suggest that the applicants misled the OMB back in 1974? That the fear of a critical shortage was unwarranted and overblown? That having the same dogma entrenched in the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) to this day amounts to perpetuating a lie?

It sure looks like it!

Over the years, going back at least to 2004 and perhaps beyond, numerous submissions and recommendations have been made suggesting that the PPS clause stating there shall be ‘no requirement to demonstrate need’ should be dropped.

Those recommendations have been totally ignored!

Why? Could it be some sort of  ‘inappropriate relationship’ between our elected representatives or bureaucrats and lobbyists from the aggregate industry?

As we’ve stated before, reputable experts have calculated that aggregates sufficient for between 1 and 2 CENTURIES of supply can be obtained from existing sources, without licensing any more pits!

 Are our politicians, bureaucrats, and Ministries still being lied to? Can YOU believe it?

Isn’t it high time our representatives began representing US!

2 Cents Worth …

Tags

aggregate, Caledon, gravel, gravel pits, gravel watch, quarry, sand, stone, TAPMO

Dedicated to Digging for Truth, Blasting the Myths, and Etching Reality in Stone.

You know the old saying when referring to opinions. “I’ll give you my 2 cents worth” or better yet, “an opinion is worth exactly what you paid for it.”

The idea of course is “talk is cheap.”

But there are times when calculated advice, ideas, and opinions, free or otherwise, should be sought and thoughtfully received.

A good example of this occurred when our provincial Government held hearings to review the Aggregate Resources Act (ARA). We have very little confidence that they will act on anyone’s advice except the Aggregate lobbyists, but at least they went through the motions. Well done!

An example of government NOT requesting public input, when they really must have it, is at TAPMO – the Top Aggregate Producing Municipalities of Ontario.

The other day we received an article that originally appeared in the Caledon Enterprise.

In the article, the mayor of Caledon was discussing levies on the aggregate industry and how the municipalities required more in order to fix the roads destroyed by gravel trucks doing their daily hauls.

She commented, and we are paraphrasing, that she believed a deal could be done to increase the levies at this time because TAPMO, of which she is the chair, had all the parties at the table. The mayors, the provincial representation, and Moreen Miller, president of the Ontario Stone, Sand and Gravel Association were all there.

Is it just us, or does anyone else notice that something essential is missing here?

Let’s have a look at the individual agendas of the parties in attendance.

The mayors – they want more money.

The province – expects cheap gravel.

The aggregate industry – streamlined processes, cheap operating costs and higher profits.

What could possibly go wrong within this self-serving group?

We’re sure they’ll all walk away with close to what they want.

The only people who won’t get what they need, are the ordinary, taxpaying people of Ontario, because they were not invited to the party, and therefore have no voice.

Now in a perfect world, our elected officials, the mayors, should be looking after our best interests, but in reality, they can be bought off with a ham sandwich and a dime per tonne in revenue!

So why are the citizens of Ontario not represented at this table?

Are none if us worthy? … or intelligent enough?

Are citizens’ opinions not wanted?

A representative from the watchdog group Gravel Watch should be sitting in on all TAPMO meetings to ensure our elected officials and bureaucrats are not sidetracked by special interests or bought off by a few trinkets and baubles.

These are people who have “skin” in the game, years of experience, top-notch knowledge … and they are people who actually care.

Are their opinions worth 2 cents?

Nope, we’d say they are priceless.

Subsidize Me !

Tags

aggregate, Caledon, compensation, gravel pit, PPS, property taxes, property values, TAPMO

Dedicated to Digging for Truth, Blasting the Myths, and Etching Reality in Stone.

There are few industries in the Province of Ontario that are as heavily subsidized as the Aggregate Industry.

How do we subsidize thee? Let us count the ways, or at least a few of them …

1)      The Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) requires that Municipalities identify and map all aggregate deposits in their areas. This of course, will be paid for by the Municipalities, or taxpayers. This would be akin to the Federal government (taxpayers) inventorying all gold and oil deposits, so that private companies would not have to spend their money and time to complete these very expensive tasks themselves. An example – the Town of Caledon completed this exercise in 1999 to 2001 at a cost of approximately three million taxpayer dollars.

2)      Municipal and provincial roads take a pounding from massively heavy gravel trucks that traverse them. This seems to be “the bone” of contention that the mayors of TAPMO are chewing on. The municipalities and province do not receive enough in “levies” per ton to cover the cost of repairing the damage the aggregate transports do to our roads. So, again, the taxpayers end up building and repairing the roads so the industry can move their goods. The most bizarre point in this scenario is, our government wants cheap gravel, so they don’t raise the per ton levy, but when the roads need repairing because of these trucks, we must buy more aggregate product. So not only do we allow our roads to be destroyed without fair compensation, we give this same business more profits by building and repairing the roads with their product. We can’t even think of an analogy stupid enough to compare this to!

3)      To protect aggregate resources, the PPS does not allow homeowners to subdivide their properties, thus preventing a real source of income and wealth for property owners. Even land that is inaccessible by proper transportation routes, and therefore unable to be mined, has been set aside for the preferred industry. Who gets hammered again? – individual landowners and taxpayers. But, when the aggregate operator sees the potential to sell off his pit land for a nice profit, whether the pit is depleted or not, no problemo! (the Brampton Esker for example)

4)      When an aggregate owner applies for and announces the application for a pit or quarry, the properties around that area lose their value. The reductions can be anywhere from a 2.5% loss on a property some distance from the pit, or a massive write-down of property value if the property ends up being surrounded by the mining operation. And as usual, the taxpayer, or property owner must “eat” the loss! In addition, the resulting loss of tax base must then be absorbed by the rest of the taxpayers in the municipality! Fair? Only to the aggregate industry!

5)      There was a farm property purchased in Caledon, and an application to mine the property for gravel was submitted. The application ran out, so a group of private citizens decided to try and purchase the property. We understand the location was purchased in 2004 for less than $1million. The new asking price, with zero improvements, is now $10 million. Market Value Assessment is supposed to mean taxes based on what a property is worth on the open market. Do the taxes on this property reflect the new value, established by the owner himself? NOPE! So, again, the taxpayers lose, by the aggregate companies not paying their fair share. Why do these companies not pay a realistic tax on a realistic value of their properties?

The bottom line is very clear. The citizens/taxpayers of Ontario exist largely to provide the aggregate industry with a better bottom line!

Deep Pits… and Deep Government

Tags

aggregate, environment, fuel spill, gravel pit, illegal, MNR, quarry, rehabilitation, self-monitoring, Tottenham, water table

Dedicated to Digging for Truth, Blasting the Myths, and Etching Reality in Stone.

 Every 4 or 5 years some of us go to the polls to elect our various governments – municipal, provincial, and federal. In doing so we perpetuate a myth – that we are in control.

Between elections it dawns on some of us that we don’t really have much influence. We think the politicians are ‘out of control’. They engage in shenanigans that waste billions of dollars that WE earned and then were forced to hand over to them.

But these ‘wasted’ billions don’t just evaporate! So where does all OUR money go?

Well, some call the ultimate destination of our taxes the ‘Deep Government’. Deep Government consists of government bureaucracies (agencies, departments, offices, ministries, committees, working groups, etc.), consultants, industry lobbyists, campaign contributors, political appointees, influential media figures and companies, academics, university centers and schools, foundations, key corporate figures, special interest groups, favoured cultural groups, charities, etc. etc..

Do these groups and individuals wield their influence only at election time?

Hardly.

In fact THEY are the ones in control BETWEEN elections! Largely hidden from our view, they are the men and women who, by their training, their livelihoods, their personal debts to others as they climb to power, and their positions in deep government, cannot be impartial. They cannot escape being in the “old boy” network. They cannot escape having conflicts of interest, as they move from industry to regulator and back again to industry.

The environment they exist in does not produce objective or dedicated public servants who would put the public welfare uppermost. Government by citizens is a myth. We have government by people trying to get ahead and rise to the top, and they will do what they have to do in order to maintain their positions and look good to those who sustain them. To succeed they also have to learn how to deal with attacks from rivals in deep government who are playing similar games.

So what does this have to do with the Aggregate Industry that concerns us?

Well, this industry is an extremely well-entrenched part of Deep Government. Either that or we are missing the real reason this industry so often gets what it wants while trampling the rules – rather lax ones at best – that were set up to supposedly ‘control’ things.

But it’s actually the cart pulling the horse.

A blatant current example is what’s happening to the folks who have the misfortune of living near a long-dormant gravel pit called Tottenham. The owners of this pit are seeking to expand operations. They seem oblivious to the laws that should have prevented the pit in the first place, should have punished the operators when they illegally dug below the water table, and, recently, should have immediately pulled their license when they illegally demolished buildings on the site, negligently causing a fuel spill and then denying and trying to cover up everything with shifting stories and toxic soil.

So far – nearly 2 months later – the owners of the property have not been sanctioned.

We wondered – who are these members of the Deep Government? Well, an internet search reveals an interesting article from March 3, 2004. It reads as follows:

”WHITBY – An aggregate company and its owner have been fined a total of $17,000 for illegally taking sand and gravel from an adjacent property – owned by the same company.

Guiseppe Lamanna, 62, of Aurora, owner of Brock Aggregates was convicted in Ontario Court of Justice in Whitby of operating a pit without a licence. Mr. Lamanna was fined $2,000 and his company was fined $15,000 in the Feb. 26 decision.

An investigation by the Ministry of Natural Resources found an estimated 142,000 tonnes of aggregate was taken from New Century Homes, an unlicensed site and division bordering Brock Aggregates. The offences occurred in Brock Township in the spring of 2001, the ministry said.”

If we do the math here we discover that the illegal removal of about 3 million dollars worth of aggregate resulted in a fine of $17,000. That’s barely more than one-half of one percent! Is this a suitable disincentive for illegal behaviour? Far easier to ignore the rules and add a dime or two to the price charged to the customer, who is, most likely, a government department or contractor.

So, are we in Deep Trouble as a consequence of Deep Pit owners with Deep Pockets wielding Deep Influence in Deep Government?

 Well … DUH!

Blowin’ in the Wind …

Tags

aggregate, compensation, crystalline silica, dust, gravel pit, health hazard, ministry of natural resources, MNR, pollution, property values, SAROS

Dedicated to Digging for Truth, Blasting the Myths, and Etching Reality in Stone.

As the Dylan song says: “The answer my friend is blowin’ in the wind, the answer is blowin’ in the wind”.

This not only applies to lofty questions of peace, war and freedom, but also to more ‘down to earth’ issues.

 Why are answers to serious questions so elusive?

 

Let’s consider a few more that come to mind …

There are more then 6,500 pits and quarries in Ontario; when will we have enough?

There is somewhere between 120 to 230 years worth of gravel in our existing pits and quarries; why do we require more?

How is it possible that our Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) inspectors have issued only 8 infractions for an entire year on 6,500 pits?

Are the MNR officials and inspectors just “cheerleaders” for the aggregate industry, or are they servants of the people of Ontario?

If the air in your community contains dust and contaminants that “exceeds the Provincial criterion …” should another toxic dust-emitting pit be allowed to open in your area?

When a new pit is announced, and property tax revenues around that pit drop, who should pay the shortfall – the rest of your town, or the pit operator?

If a pit opens and the housing prices in the area drop a collective $5 million or more, should the aggregate company compensate the owners for their losses?

Does the MNR’s mandate qualify them to manage the processing of recycled materials?

Why would the MNR hire Aggregate Industry-biased consultants to write what should have been the most significant study of aggregates in our province – the “State of the Aggregate Resource in Ontario Study” (SAROS)?

Do you think that hiring Aggregate Industry friends to write SAROS is 1) a major conflict of interest, and 2) taints the entire conclusion of the report?

Why are MNR inspectors performing duties that should be handled by a fully independent agency?

Should pits and quarries be required to produce a minimum percentage of their allocated tonnage every year, or be closed?

And finally…

When are we going to learn what levels of toxic contaminants are “blowin’ in the wind” from pits and quarries?

 

SAROS: Fact or Fiction?

Tags

aggregate, crystalline silica, gravel pit, ministry of natural resources, MNR, quarry, SAROS

Dedicated to Digging for Truth, Blasting the Myths, and Etching Reality in Stone.

 SAROS stands for “State of the Aggregate Resources of Ontario Study”. Its purpose was supposed to be to study and report on all aspects of the aggregate industry in order for the government to make wise decisions about future utilization, needs, sources, and management of pit and quarry resources.

 BUT … and it is a rather large ‘BUT’ …The SAROS papers were mainly written BY consultants to the Aggregate Industry, and judging by the contents, primarily FOR THE BENEFIT OF the Aggregate Industry.

The rub is – the various papers were all paid for with gobs of Ontarians’ tax dollars.

Nice work if you can get it!

The papers have been presented as a serious review of our aggregate resources, when in reality, the information is self-serving, misleading, incomplete, and vague.

Numbers and statistics are thrown around with no supporting documenation or explanation as to their source. The “Close to Market” and “no need to show need” mantras are maintained in the papers, without documented justification and without mentioning that Ontario seems to be the only civilized industrial region that makes these concepts an official priority.

SAROS states that there is a serious shortage of aggregate resources on the horizon, when in reality, the MNR’s Aggregate Licensing and Permitting System (ALPS) database shows reserves in existing pits/quarries of between 50 to 70 years supply of material, while other experts such as Dr. Larry Jensen, PHD Geoscience, calculates from 120 to over 200 years. For his calculations, Dr. Jensen uses figures from both TOARC (the industry’s Ontario Stone, Sand & Gravel Association is the sole shareholder of The Ontario Aggregate Resources Corporation) and from ALPS.

In a presentation by the Ministry of Natural Resources to the Standing Committee on General Government this spring, it was stated that the SAROS papers should be used “as an integral part” during the ARA review process.

These recommendations are dangerous, and not just to our economic health, if followed.

Is it possible that our Minister of Natural Resources is so gullible - and blind to the realities of his own portfolio that he can’t see the inherent biases that come with an all-too-cozy relationship between the industry and his bureaucrats?

Or are there other factors at work?

The only solid message delivered by the SAROS authors, or should we say “Servants of their Pit and Quarry Masters”, is that there should be nothing allowed to disturb “business as usual” for the hole diggers and blasters of Ontario.

 

What You Can’t See …

Tags

aggregate, asthma, crystalline silica, dust, environment, gravel pits, health hazard, human carcinogen, MNR, pollution, quarry proposal

Dedicated to Digging for Truth, Blasting the Myths, and Etching Reality in Stone.

What You Can’t See … CAN kill you!

So you’re walking along a Railroad track and you hear a train. What do you do? Well, duh! You get out of the way, because what you hear could kill you.

The same applies when you see a gravel truck barreling towards you as you ride your bike down the road. Or a mean dog running towards you might cause you to take evasive or defensive action. Even small hazards like wasps and mosquitoes can be ‘seen’ and avoided, if you’re alert.

But what can you do about E.Coli? Can you see it coming? Or how about various viruses, bacteria, SARS, radioactivity, asbestos, etc. etc., and … crystalline silica?

What? Crystalline Silica? We know about those other things and how our health authorities have programs and methods – some more effective than others – to monitor the hazards, and even some programs to protect us.

But Crystalline Silica as a health hazard? Who knew?

Well, we do know it is classed as a Group 1 human carcinogen. We know where a lot of it originates (HINT – Gravel Pits and Quarries). We know it has other damaging cumulative health effects besides cancer. We know we can’t see it. We know that the SMALLER the particles (and even less visible) the greater the risk and damage.

And we also know that virtually nothing is being done to obtain data on the extent of this ‘War on Lungs’! No measurements or testing other than very infrequent and simple visual observation of source sites. No standards that can readily be applied by any identifiable regulatory agencies. Nobody acting responsibly!

Technologies are available, such as LIDAR (google that) to measure particle size and plume ranges. They are just not being applied.

Is it because ‘death by dust’ is often slow and painful, and symptoms can have other causes or be confused with other ailments? Or perhaps bureaucrats really don’t want to get off their butts and actually DO something about the issue because there aren’t enough citizens ‘demonstrating’ at their door? (When was the last time you got what you wanted by voting?)

You can stay off railway tracks. You can get a shot for the Flu. You can even dress for the weather. But you can’t stop breathing the Silica-laden dust if you’re anywhere near, or even miles downwind from, a gravel pit or quarry.

And it CAN kill you!

They Just Don’t Get It!

Tags

aggregate, Caledon, dust, environment, gravel pit, pollution, quarry, rehabilitation

Dedicated to Digging for Truth, Blasting the Myths, and Etching Reality in Stone.

Friends of ours from Caledon sent us an article the other day about a depleted quarry that is due for “rehabilitation”.

The quarry owner, instead of following through on the original rehab plan – which was an integral part of the conditions for their license in the first place – wants to turn the pit into a ‘landfill’ site. (Here we wonder about what should be called a ‘landfill’ and what is a ‘dump’; or does it merely depend on the skill and vigilance of ‘inspectors’?)

The surrounding residents are dead set against this proposal.

It’s just another way of continuing to make their life hell, as more trucks will be rumbling down the road, spewing more deadly dust particles, more toxic emissions, disruptive noise, possible water contamination, etc. … basically prolonging all the miserable problems of living with a pit or a dump as a neighbour.

The local politicians have weighed in as expected.

The mayor’s main concern appears to be how much money can be made by placing a levy on the trucks. Apparently no overriding concerns for the air pollution or the possible water contamination. Zero regard for the wishes of constituents … just how the town might grab more funds.

So, is a mayor who acts this way? …
A: completely out of touch with voters
B: getting support from the aggregate industry
C: oblivious to the suffering caused by such decisions
D: simply not caring about her constituency
E: all of the above

All who are leaning towards “E” put up their hands!

However, the story gets worse…

Apparently the Town of Caledon has no rules, bylaws, regulations, etc…. to govern these landfill and recycling sites. That’s right, ZERO, ZILCH, NADA! They leave this whole ball of wax up to the incompetence that is our MNR! This is a gap in our environmental protection big enough to drive….well, a dump truck through!

However, it seems that just as long as the town gets their levies, some politicians seem to be OK with the whole thing!

And don’t you think it’s time for municipal politicians who put dollar signs ahead of citizens to pack up their bags and move on?

I’m sure there’s a job waiting for them someplace in the aggregate industry! It seems they’re qualified!

If the mayor and her council don’t care about “their people” and cannot bring themselves to “protect” them, which is their main responsibility as elected officials, then maybe they should all vacate their chairs.

As the Joker in the movie “Batman” said, “ What this town needs is an enema”