[All] Fw: Regional position regarding the Highland Quarry requested.

Wed Apr 27 03:38:37 EDT 2011

I've just sent the following request to Waterloo Regional Council. 

I would like to propose that GREN send an official letter to the Region and 
various municipalities requesting that our municipalities establish an official 
position in regards to the Highland Quarries ( as Guelph is doing.)

Details below for your reference. 

Lulu

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Louisette Lanteigne <butterflybluelu at rogers.com>
To: Regional Councillors <RegionalCouncillors at regionofwaterloo.ca>
Sent: Wed, April 27, 2011 3:34:34 AM
Subject: Regional position regarding the Highland Quarry requested.

Dear Hon. Council Members

The Highland Company Quarry  proposal is slated to be placed in  Melancthon in 
the vicinity of recharge areas and A1 farmlands. This project would introduce a 
quarry approximately 2400 acres, 200  meters below the water table. Many 
explosives will be required to access the aggregates, there  will be enormous 
amounts of trucking required and this project will use  600 million liters of 
water per day equal to 25% of Ontario's total daily  water usage.  There is a 
section of the Grand River  Watershed on site but as with all watershed schemes, 
delineation is based on topography  without any regard to subsurface geological 
connectivity so the true impact  of this project will be much greater in terms 
of how it will impact our local water supplies both in the Grand River and in 
our Aquifers.

Currently Guelph's City Council is reviewing the potential impacts of  this 
project to see how it may impact Guelph's aquifers and I would like  to formally 
request that the Region of Waterloo do the same. To review a Guelph Mercury 
article regarding this visit here: 

http://www.guelphmercury.com/news/local/article/521025--guelph-officials-examining-massive-quarry-proposal

The Highland quarry application has been submitted to the Ministry of Natural 
Resources (MNR). Public feedback by way of the Environmental Bill of Rights 
process was initially going to end on Tuesday April 26 however a 75 day  
extension for public comment has been given by MNR Minister Linda Jeffery on 
Tuesday April 26.  At this time we  have 75 days to initiate an official 
position on this matter. 

I have personally reviewed this project and submitted input to both the  MNR and 
the Highland Quarry focusing mainly on the hydrogeology as seen in the 
attachments. The response  includes numerous pages of supporting materials that 
I will deliver in full to the Region later this week should you wish to review 
the rest of the documentation.

To review the technical studies produced for the Highland Companies supporting 
this proposal visit here:
http://www.highlandcompanies.ca/index.php/companies/melancthonquarry/technical_studies/

In a nutshell:

	* Stantec handled the hydrogeology studies using Modflow, a computer program 
created by the US geological survey to predict impacts. Essentially all they did 
was punch bore hole numbers into this computer program to get their results.  

	* Modflow lacks specificity to sediment type and localized geology.  It's a 
flawed model to rely on and almost impossible to replicate because the program 
is so subjective. To be effective it requires proper data gathering to 
adequately map out the geology of an area. 

	* The hydrology data used for this report lacks spring thaw analysis and they 
rely on bore hole studies done in 1945 to support their data.
	* In an outwash moraine system bore hole info results in false readings unless 
the data is reasonably supported with Ground penetrating radar images. 

	* There is an overwhelming lack of regard to sediment composition and geology 
to prove their infiltration systems will actually work.
	* Basically, Stantec repeated the same flaws here as seen in the West Side 
Lands, Mount Nemo in Burlington, Capital Paving in West Montrose etc. They use 
the same standard strategies to undermine water risks while pitching promises 
that they can replace lost water volumes by infiltrating water into the ground. 

	* They assessed spring thaw surface water runoff by peaking over the fences to 
make observations and they admit this in reports. 

	* They relied on water quality submissions regarding residential wells to 
predict water quality impacts of this project on local wells. 

	* It's horrible data to work with and not the least bit reasonable to assess a 
project of this magnitude. Technically speaking this quarry does not require a 
proper Environmental Impact Study. The risks to our water supply are many. This 
project will adversely impact flow, flow rates, water temperature and water 
volumes heading to both the Grand River and our Regional aquifers because this 
area is located in the headwaters for the Grand. 

Technically by law it is subject to the Haldimand Tract treaty because the 
project sits within the 6 miles of the Grand. I've spoken with aboriginal 
leaders from the Anishnebeg and Iroquois communities about this  issue on 
Tuesday.  They have yet to be consulted and they strongly oppose this project 
along with the Council of Canadians. 

It is my sincere hope that our Region and perhaps individual municipalities as 
well, can take the initiative to establish an official position on this issue. 
Should the MNR approve this project an OMB hearing will be forthcoming. It would 
be in our best interest to have a say now before it gets to that point. It's our 
water supply and our community should have a say on this. 

The protocol at this point is to forward concerns to both the MNR and the 
Highland Companies at the following addresses:

Ministry of Natural Resources Midhurst District, 2284 Nursery Road, Midhurst ON, 
L0L 1X0
The Highland Companies, P.O. Box 377m Shelburne, ON L0N 1S0

Thank you kindly for your time.

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