MORE MEET THE PRESS

More articles:

Better Farming

http://www.betterfarming.com/online-news/megaquarry-opposition-grows-4021
Barrie
http://www.simcoe.com/news/article/971581--mega-quarry-proposed-for-melanchton

Wellington Advertiser-Maplton delegation
http://www.wellingtonadvertiser.com/index.cfm?page=detail&itmno=8390

A LITTLE BIRDIE TOLD ME

This is highly confidential, received from Ministry officials, but the public needs to know NOW.

Highlands filed an amendment to their Aggregate Resources Application just this morning.

It appeared that since people were smarter than Highlands suspected and Highlands entire water "management" scheme was going south, they quietly filed an amendment with yet another plan to "manage" their water.

(a reminder-their scheme was to pump 600 million litres of water a day from their ginormous hole in the ground back into our drinking water)

I have to say however that their new scheme is probably much more plausible than the other ones they have floated and much more likely to work.

Take a look:

 

(gotcha MD)



WORDS OF WISDOM

Tweeted on March 22, 2011 by Dalton McGuinty:


When the well’s dry, we know the worth of water." - B. Franklin

GREAT SAYING:

I heard this great proverb yesterday that is so applicable to what we are facing in Melancthon right now. 

It goes something like this:

Only when the last tree has been cut
and the last river is poisoned
and the last pump has broken down as the hole slowly fills with water
will we realise that Highlands doesn't give a shit....

Or something like that...I might have misheard.

HOW MUCH.....

(sung to the tune of How Much is that Doggie in the Window)

How much is that water in the window;
The one that is pure and clear;
How much is that water in the window;
Because soon there won't be any near here!

Just in case, in the worst case scenario, Highlands little 16 pump scheme to "manage" 600 million litres of water a day while they rape, I mean reap the financial benefits of limestone, and you wind up having to purchase water to drink, think about this:

The average household has 3 people
The daily average for humans 2 litres of water (Mayo Clinic)
Today at Metro 6 litres of water was $3.26
One week of water would cost your family of 3  - $22.68
One year of water would cost your family of 3  - $1,179.36

If you haven't made a financial contribution to any grass roots organization fighting Highlands proposal, you might want to reconsider.  How can you afford NOT to?

CIRCULAR ARGUMENT

So, the price of food is skyrocketing and economists tell us there is no end in sight. http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3036153


The cost of living is going up and the economy sucks.

So our government, in its infinate wisdom (and cosy monthly lunches and politicial donations by the aggregate industry) feels that by making policy that favours and promotes cheap aggregate, they are improving the economy. 

Cheap aggregate means digging up a very limited and non-renewable supply of Canadian prime agricultural lands to mine the aggregate which will provide lots of $18.00 an hour construction jobs to build big box grocery stores with with a 20 year lifespan that will employ only part time staff (so they don't have to pay benefits or pensions) at minimum wage to sell us the expensive food that we have to import from other countries.

Am I missing something?  Seriously, am I missing something?

HI-JINKS AND SHENANIGANS

Here is an article about a recording device left by a ratepayer at closed meeting of  Council, in the on position.

http://www.radioowensound.com/news_item.php?NewsID=33266

MEET THE PRESS

OPPOSITION MOUNTING TO MAMMOTH QUARRY PROPOSAL
http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Opposition-Mounting-to-Mammoth-Quarry-Proposal-1411446.htm

COUNCIL OF CANADIANS
http://www.canadians.org/campaignblog/?p=6743

HIGHLANDS ISSUE TOO IMPORTANT FOR MAYOR CREWSON TO BE SILENT
http://www.orangeville.com/opinion/letters/article/966741--highlands-issue-too-important-for-shelburne-s-mayor-to-be-silent

HIGHLANDS FILES QUARRY APPLICATION
http://www.orangeville.com/news/local/article/964747--highlands-files-quarry-applications-opponents-ready-for-battle

HIGHLANDS FILES BID FOR QUARRY
http://www.citizen.on.ca/news/2011-03-10/Front_Page/Highland_files_bid_for_2315acre_quarry.html

WHAT SORT OF BALANCE PRAY TELL
http://www.citizen.on.ca/news/2011-03-10/Editorial/What_sort_of_balance_pray_tell.html

MINISTERIAL REBUFF AT OGRA/ROMA
http://www.citizen.on.ca/news/2011-03-10/Local_News/Hill_White_write_premier_on_ministerial_rebuff.html

MISSING IN ACTION

You know who has been MIA?

Our esteemed contract planner, Jerry Jorden.

So lets see, in the past 6 years he has been doing an update of the Official Plan and there appears to be no end to that.  These plans are to be reviewed/updated every 5 years and we are still working under the 1977 plan, but why rush when you are getting paid by the contract hour to "update it".

BUT in the past 2 months an Official Plan amendment (OPA)  was filed by and at the expense of a private organization, not under the leadership of our newly elected Council, for a specialty crop designation.

THEN another OPA was filed by and at the expense of a private organization, not under the (blah, blah blah).....to strengthen the aggregate policies under Melancthon's more than 30 year old OP.

THEN a corporation intent on crushing and destroying Melancthon filed for an aggregate license for a 2,400 acre, 200 foot below the water table open pit limestone mine.  Oh yeah and the OPA and ZBA as well.

And Jorden?  Pretty quiet and pretty absent, although someone did manage to get a picture of him one day.

FUN WITH FIGURES

No, not THAT kind of figure.

Highlands figures, the ones in their application for their proposed 2,400 acre 200 foot below the water table open pit limestone mine are a little light on the details.

Like how much will it cost to run their 16 pumps 24/7 to the end of time to keep the water of the holes so "someone" can farm it 200 feet deep in a hole. 

And oh yeah, then there is the niggling little detail about who pays when Highlands mines their last load of limestone and disappear on their railroad, twirling their mustaches and tipping their tophats to the community they have raped and pilaged, like the Dastardly Dan(ihers)s they are.

So lets do a fun little math exercise, shall we?

The proposed Rockford pit in Caledon, that was recently dismissed by the OMB, was for a 150 acre below the water table mine.


Everyone (even the applicant) agreed that the assurances required to be deposited for that size of an operation would be 90 MILLION.  That would be $600,000 an acre.  If "ours" is 2,400 acres that would be $1.44 BILLION.


(Insert Dr. Evil's laugh here)

NOTICE

From Melancthon's website:

TOWNSHIP OF MELANCTHON



NOTICE OF PUBLIC INFORMATION SESSION


Council will be holding a Public Information Session with respect to the processing of the applications filed by The Highland Companies for an Amendment to the Official Plan and the Zoning By-law for a 2,316 acre quarry on Saturday, March 26, 2011 from 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. at the Honeywood Arena - Upstairs.

DOUBTING THOMAS

I already have my first doubting Thomas (see comment on yesterday's post).

So, if you look at Highlands own report, Volume 1 of 4, page 14, it says:

"The actual amount of water that will require management will vary depending on the extraction areas in operation and/or rehabilited.  The daily average amount of water to be managed upon completion of the quarry and rehabilitation with the COA and four fully excavated extraction areas, is calculated to be about 599,000 cubic metres a day (converted that is the 600 MILLION litres a day.)"

So lets remember the only way to keep the holes dry is, according to their own studies, to operate 16 pumps 24/7 managing 600 MILLION litres of water a day. 

At least there will be lots of local jobs......doing this:

REMINDS ME OF SOMETHING

Reviewing Highlands application for "their" proposed 2,400 acre, 200 foot limestone open pit mine to be located on prime agricultural land on the headwaters of the water source for over 1 million Ontarians reminds me of something, but I can't quite put my finger on it.

Let's see.

600 MILLION litres.....

600 million litres of beer was sold in 17 days in Germany at Okotober fest 2010.

600 million litres of oil was spewed into the Gulf over a three month period in 2010, thanks to BP oil.

600 million litres of water is what 1/4 of the population of Ontario (2.6 million people) uses on average per day.

AND 600 millions litres of water PER DAY is what Highlands will have to "manage" at peak production.

600 MILLION litres of water PER DAY.


PER DAY.......

WAit until you read this weekend about how they want to "manage" the 600 MILLION litres of water per day.

MEDIA IS ON THE CASE

Orangeville banner offering a balanced article:
http://www.orangeville.com/news/local/article/964747--highlands-files-quarry-applications-opponents-ready-for-battle

Sylvia Jones in the legislature raking the Minister of MNR over the coals:
http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/house-proceedings/house_detail.do?Date=2011-03-09&Parl=39&Sess=2&locale=en#P478_131866

Council of Canadians media release on the application:
http://www.canadians.org/campaignblog/?p=6743

Orangeville Citizen editorial questioning the "balanced" approach Highlands says they are taking:
http://www.citizen.on.ca/news/2011-03-10/Editorial/What_sort_of_balance_pray_tell.html

And then Wes's stellar coverage.  (What is that saying - put enough monkeys in a room with typewriters and they could write this article, or something like that.....)
http://www.citizen.on.ca/news/2011-03-10/Front_Page/Highland_files_bid_for_2315acre_quarry.html

Here is an excerpt of his "balanced" reporting:
"NDACT’s major concern has been for water as the quarry is proposed for a depth approaching 200 feet, well below the water table. The council has also demonstrated its opposition to below- watertable extraction.


But Highland has filed a plethora of reports and studies with its applications. These, prepared by well known engineers and consultants including Bob Long of Orangeville, are all considered by Highland to support the feasibility of protection of water resources and rehabilitation of the mined area to agricultural use."

ANOTHER HOMESTEAD COMING DOWN AS WE SPEAK

Take a drive north of Masonville on County Road 124 and watch another one coming down, today.

LOOSE LIPS......ARE FOR MICK JAGGER, MINISTERS SHOULD BE MORE CAREFUL

A few short days ago we were all living in limbo. 

But in the blink of an eye, everything changed, but probably more so for the Minister of Natural Resources, than anyone else and it was not so much a blink of an eye than loose lips.

Highlands officially filed for their 2,400 acre 200 foot below the water table open pit limestone mine with the Township of Melancthon on March 3.

Our Mayor and Deputy Mayor had a delegation with the Minister of Natural Resources at OGRA/ROMA before they were informed of the filing.

And what did the Minister of Natural Resources advise them when they went to speak to her about our predicament?  Well let's just say the Mayor and Deputy were so disappointed with the Minister's response, they mailed a letter of protest to the Premier, stating:  "It is with considerable concern and disbelief with how Minister Jeffrey received our delegation, that has prompted this letter of romal protest."

It gets better and you can read all about it here: http://melancthontownship.ca/aggregateupdate/mcguinty-letter.pdf

In a nutshell however, the Minister said "...this will not be going back to agriculture, but maybe you could get a nice golf course".

This is NOT meant to be a backhanded compliment, however, it is about time we heard Melancthon politicians speaking out, so thank U!!!!!

If you would like to email the Mayor and Deputy to convey your support for their position:

bill_hill@sympatico.ca
trunorth1849@rogers.com

I recall being at a public meeting of a grass roots organization over a year ago wherein the speaker said, lead and we will follow.

While I am not yet ready to drink the Bill Kool-aid, if this keeps up, I might have a dish of crowe, followed by humble pie, washed down with the Kool-aid, but at this point....I remain open to being convinced.

Keep it up though.  I love nothing more than being proven wrong.

CLEARING UP CONFUSION

Lots of people have received lots of information about this filing from lots of different sources.  From what this blogger has received the messaging is consistent, but it still might be confusing.

There are 3 applications that have been filed by Highlands.

An application for an aggregate license which goes through the Ministry of Natural Resources: MNR.

An application for an Official Plan Amendment (OPA) which goes through the Township.

And application for a Zoning Bylaw Amendment (ZBA) which goes through the Township.

Today will clear up the confusion about the meetings be held, including the MUST have's and added value.

As part of their aggregate application, Highlands must hold a public meeting.  This is the meeting scheduled for April 12 at 7:00 pm at Hornings Mills Hall.

Make no mistake, while the "public" has to be invited, they do not have to hold it in a venue that will be large enough to accommodate everyone, nor do they have to provide any real information, nor do they have to give the public any opportunity to comment.

They just have to be able to show they held a meeting. 

Under the OPA/ZBA Melancthon must hold public meetings.  If you want to be a party to the OMB appeal you must attend the meeting and speak or provide written comments.  The date of this/these prescribed public meetings have not been determined yet.

HOWEVER, as added value, Melancthon is proposing to hold an information session for the public in late March, early April.  Again, this is not THE meeting to which you have to attend to be a party to the OMB, but you should make plans to attend.

I will keep you posted as to the particulars when the date has been determined. 

FILE THIS...

Highlands has filed for their 2,400 acre, 200 foot below the water table mine.

Please ensure you follow http://www.ndact.com/ or STOP THE QUARRY on facebook for information as to the process for objectings, dates of public meetings and more information as it is available.

Township of Melancthon has notification on their website:
http://melancthontownship.ca/aggregateupdate.htm

And you can download all the reports, background studies and self serving crap off of Highlands site:
http://www.highlandcompanies.ca/index.php/companies/melancthonquarry/ara_process_dates/

Examples of Highlands self serving crap:
"...to insure that it achieves the appropriate balance between the need for aggregate, the protection of the environment and respect for the community."

"...support the conclusion that the Melancthon Quarry is located in an exceptional area for aggregate development and is designed and can be operated to maximize production with no adverse affects on its neighbours or the environment."

"...of licensing and operating a state of the art, modern quarry that is sensitive to its neighbours and the environment."

"We have taken a proactive approach to communication with the community about our project."

Blow by blow analysis in the days to come.  In the meantime, look to credible sources for your information including those listed above.

BIG NEWS AT COUNCIL TODAY

Big news at Council today.

What was the news?  Not exactly sure.  It is like the old game of telephone.  Lots of different versions of what was said today at the meeting coming in phone calls and emails, but from the horses mouth?  Or any ONE of the elected horses mouths?  NOT one word from any of them to the ratepayers group who is most interested in this issue.

Can't wait until Council gets the minutes posted three weeks from now so all of the public who couldn't make a 9:00 am meeting today will find out what the news was, because there is nothing new posted on their website.

Apparently the news was dropped at the end of the meeting with the Mayor expressing his disappointment that the spokesperson for company about which the news is related, didn't have the courtesy to inform the council about the news.  

Like I said, not ONE call from any elected official from Melancthon after the meeting to inform the the citizens group about the news, but the Mayor is disappointed??


I guess if you want to know the news before the next Council meeting, you could file an FOI request, as per Melancthon's new policy?  Just a thought.

HITS TO THIS SITE

My daily hits are down on this page, which must mean that all the staff and politicians are at OGRA/ROMA and haven't had a chance to get caught up!!

I believe the conference is over today and hopefully Melancthon will hear from their politicians that they met with several Ministers over the threat to our community and 1 million Ontarian's water source-a proposed 2,400 acre 200 foot deep hole in the ground.  As well as the basic unfairness of aggregate policies and the need for a fulsome review.....