Donna T:
Two years ago, during the last provincial election, the
Ontario government ordered a review of the outdated and flawed Aggregate
Resources Act because of the concerns raised about the proposed Highland
Mega Quarry.
Public hearings were held in the spring of 2012. Many of you
will remember the struggle we had to ensure those hearings were open to
agricultural stakeholders, and the energy they spent preparing their excellent
presentations. As well, many of you will recall the "tour" the Standing
Committee on General Government took of the proposed Mega Quarry site from
the seats of a bus.
Over the past few months, the Committee regrouped and completed writing its recommendations for possible changes to the ARA. Those recommendations were released this afternoon and they are disappointing.
It's a long report - complete with photos of the MPPs at some of the 12 aggregate sites they visited.
It does not contain protection for Ontario's prime farmland and source water regions.
Instead, the ARA report focuses on rehabilitation of pits and quarries on prime farmland after excavation.
http://www.ontla.on.ca/committee-proceedings/committee-reports/files_pdf/Legislative%20Assembly%20Aggregate%20English%20Readable.pdf
Well I wouldn’t believe it if I had not read it with my own eyes! The government, not just the Liberals, a mix of MPPs, got together and actually completed something they set out to do!
ReplyDeleteAnd they did a good job!
The best part is they actually listened to factual comment and concerns from experts and not all the make believe hub-bub a lot of people and groups have tried to pull over their eyes.
Hopefully this will help our province start to pick up business once again, so we can become a “have province” not a “have not province” the Liberal turned us into!
Thanks to the Ontario Sand Stone and Gravel Association (aka OSSGA aka the AGGREGATE INDUSTRY) for the above noted comment
Deletehhmmm Planning Act - protects farm land and other land uses
ReplyDeleteSource water protection act - protects water
aggregate resources act - protects aggregate
maybe you are barking up the wrong tree!
if you weren't so intensely hugging the tree you may have noticed that.
Just a thought
GOOD GRIEF, I just read the first comment. Guess there are more people smoking crack than just the mayor of Toronto. Whoever wrote this, (hey, Moreen Miller, how ya doing?), we will NOT be accepting this ridiculous JOKE of a report without making a LOT of noise. We will do whatever's possible to preserve agricultural land and put food and water first in Ontario. So don't assume that the aggregate industry will continue to pad its fat wallets for much longer. The people will be heard. Again.
ReplyDelete