[All] Fw: Quarries are a threat to long term food and water security

Mon Apr 12 00:32:41 EDT 2010

Melancthon Quarry is an enormous quarry proposed to be built in Dufferin County. For more info visit: http://www.ndact.com/NDACT/Welcome.html

If you have a quarry issue, you might want to hang on to this one for reference. I sent a similar email to Hamilton in regards to the St.Marys quarry they want to build under the water table over there.

Lulu :0) 

--- On Mon, 4/12/10, Louisette Lanteigne <butterflybluelu at rogers.com> wrote:

From: Louisette Lanteigne <butterflybluelu at rogers.com>
Subject: Quarries are a threat to long term food and water security
To: dfawcett at melancthontownship.ca, bhill at melancthontownship.ca, jcrowe at melancthontownship.ca, jelliott at melancthontownship.ca, dwhite at melancthontownship.ca, "dholmes at melancthontownship.ca" <dholmes at melancthontownship.ca>, cao at dufferincounty.on.ca, warden at dufferincounty.on.ca, jim.vollmershausen at ec.gc.ca, cbentley.mpp at liberal.ola.org, jgerretsen.mpp at liberal.ola.org, ljeffrey.mpp.co at liberal.ola.org, dmcguinty.mpp.co at liberal.ola.org, "Gord Miller" <commissioner at eco.on.ca>, "Sharon (ENE)Bailey" <Sharon.Bailey at ontario.ca>, "MIN Feedback (MNR)" <minister.mnr at ontario.ca>, AlbreH at parl.gc.ca, Braid.P at parl.gc.ca, GoodyG at parl.gc.ca, NichoR at parl.gc.ca, PrentJ at parl.gc.ca, RitzG at parl.gc.ca, ParadC at parl.gc.ca, gerry.martiniuk at pc.ola.org, elizabeth.witmer at pc.ola.org, cmitchell.mpp.co at liberal.ola.org, kwynne.mpp at liberal.ola.org, pfonseca.mpp.co at liberal.ola.org, dmatthews.mpp.co at liberal.ola.org, dduncan.mpp at liberal.ola.org, hhampton-qp at ndp.on.ca,
 jerry.ouellette at pc.ola.org, mprue-qp at ndp.on.ca, peter.shurman at pc.ola.org, tabunsp-qp at ndp.on.ca, Scarpaleggia.F at parl.gc.ca, Baird.J at parl.gc.ca, Flaherty.J at parl.gc.ca, Paradis.C at parl.gc.ca, Aglukkaq.L at parl.gc.ca, Mcalzavara at canadians.org
Cc: info at ndact.com
Date: Monday, April 12, 2010, 12:20 AM

Dear Mayor and Dufferin Council members.

Please review the following correspondence in regards to the proposed Melancthon Quarry. 

I do not believe this quarry proposal is compliant with Provincial planning laws and my concerns are well noted in the attached Power Point presentation.

I've recently completed a successful OMB appeal in an effort to protect groundwater resources in the Region of Waterloo. If this proposal is approved, I will not hesitate to give assistance to area residents who may wish to utilize the OMB.

Given the great number of articles available on the internet, you should be aware that the majority of those articles do not support this proposal. You ought to consider that point when you are balancing the odds of winning your next election. 

You should be aware that lawyers and planners may give you a positive picture of this proposal. The name for this syndrome is 'Group Think'. That's a situation where everyone around the table convinces themselves that they are right in doing something, even when it's the dumbest thing to do. In my humble opinion, you are shooting yourself in the foot with this proposal and robbing tomorrow's children of the resources they'll need to survive.

I've been involved in a couple of legal cases in my life, and frankly, I've found that the lawyers and planners are far too easily convinced of the chances of success. Regrettably, even when they are dead wrong, you still pay for their efforts. 

By approving of this proposal, your municipality will create such negative publicity and local disruption that even if you win, you lose. 

Many countries across the globe will be in great need of food in the days ahead. Aquifers are going dry from overwithdrawl in China, India and the US putting pressure on global grain supplies.  

What the world needs are agricultural lands that have a long term renewable water supply. We can provide for that global need in the days ahead by protecting our agricultural areas but if we circumvent tomorrows profits by squandering the land and water resources today we'll have nothing left for the children but debt, drought and disease. 

There is a corporate advantage for a Brazilian based company to destroy locally grown food. Wipe out the competition and the imported can replace what we grow. More oil sold, more carbon emissions produced, more diseases for our children but there is money to be made in the destruction. Destroying the groundwater will create drought for agricultural communities and foster the need for water pumped in from other sources. Does the hydrology firm doing the study have any vested interest in the remediation of wells or a possible pipeline?  Are they sponsors of the same conservation authorities who review their studies? Follow the money behind those who will profit and you will see the truth behind this scheme.

This proposal is not compliant nor is it morally or ethically justified. This is nothing but greed at work. Have faith in the laws and do not fear taking this matter to the Ontario Municipal Board. I did and I won my case. The laws are there and they are good. Use them and have faith in the processes afforded to you.

Thank you kindly for your time.

Louisette Lanteigne
700 Star Flower Ave.
Waterloo Ontario
N2V 2L2
519-885-7619
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