[All] Fw: Aggregates: We're loosing billions worth of revenues

[Louisette Lanteigne]

FYI

--- On Wed, 10/27/10, Louisette Lanteigne <butterflybluelu at rogers.com> wrote:

From: Louisette Lanteigne <butterflybluelu at rogers.com>
Subject: Aggregates: We're loosing billions worth of revenues
To: tim.ryall at ontario.ca, "Gord Miller" <commissioner at eco.on.ca>, "Dwayne (MAH) Evans" <Dwayne.Evans at ontario.ca>, Sharon.Bailey at ontario.ca, elizabeth.witmerco at pc.ola.org, dmcguinty.mpp.co at liberal.ola.org, ljeffrey.mpp.co at liberal.ola.org, jwilkinson.mpp.co at liberal.ola.org, Layton.J at parl.gc.ca, Ignatieff.M at parl.gc.ca, Harper.S at parl.gc.ca, Duceppe.G at parl.gc.ca, Scarpaleggia.F at parl.gc.ca, Duncan.L at parl.gc.ca, peter at peterbraid.ca, dduncan.mpp at liberal.ola.org, hhampton-qp at ndp.on.ca
Cc: 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
Date: Wednesday, October 27, 2010, 12:59 PM

Honorable Prime Minister, Hon. Premier and respective ministers

As I was driving through Waterloo Region this morning, I'm noticing many new construction areas featuring massive mounds of aggregates on sites. I was curious so I contacted Diane Schwier at the Gueloph MNR office to find out if quarry permits are required when developers have to level hill features on site. To my surprise the answer was no. All they need is a municipal building permit and they can remove as much aggregate as they need to in
 order to allow their project to be built.

In my view, a hill is akin to an inverted quarry. Just because it's above the ground doesn't mean the value of the aggregates extracted is worth less money. So why are developers allowed to keep the profits all to themselves? Think of the
 millions, perhaps billions of lost revenue for the provinces across the country because we don't put a permit system for aggregate extraction of this type?

The extent of aggregate extraction in new development areas is staggering in our area. There are massive mounds of aggregates to be found on each site.  In some cases, it appears that new subdivisions are actually being dug a grade lower than the surrounding developed lands and this indicates to me that the value of the aggregates offset must make that work worth the effort economically. 

I am concerned at the fact permits are not needed for the exploitation of above ground aggregate materials. In my view the province is losing millions in potential revenue in allowing this uncontrolled aggregate extraction to continue. Municipalities who rely on groundwater resources are at an increased risk of water budget losses from this sort of activity. Less storage of groundwater, broken flow
 and alterations to water flow rates happen as grading changes the lands. 

Obviously if gravel permits were needed for this type of aggregate extraction it would bump up measures to protect the environment in order to prevent risks but currently those provincial measures are not applied. In cases like this all builders require is a municipal building permit and they get the right to profit from the sales of these aggregates without any provincial benefit. Municipal water supplies are a publicly owned commodity and people need water taking permits to exploit that so why aren't aggregate managed the same way? It shouldn't matter if it's above or below the ground. Aggregates are aggregates. It sells for the same prices.

We need to assess the situation to prevent loss of provincial revenues and to protect our public water resources. The benefit of doing so could generate billions in revenue for the province or federal government. It could be
 worked into as part of a Federal Water Strategy or perhaps through the Provincial Policy Statement but either way, it's a gaping economic hole that needs to be closed. 

Thank you kindly for your
 time.

Louisette Lanteigne
700 Star Flower Ave.
Waterloo Ontario
N2V 2L2


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