[All] Fw: GRCA released false and misleading info re: Highland Quarry

[Louisette Lanteigne]

--- On Wed, 7/20/11, Louisette Lanteigne <butterflybluelu at rogers.com> wrote:

From: Louisette Lanteigne <butterflybluelu at rogers.com>
Subject: GRCA released false and misleading info re: Highland Quarry
To: commissioner at eco.on.ca, scott.witmer at waterloo.ca, karen.scian at waterloo.ca, angela.vieth at waterloo.ca, diane.freeman at waterloo.ca, mark.whaley at waterloo.ca, melissa at melissadurrell.ca, jeff at jeffhenry.ca, ljeffrey.mpp.co at liberal.ola.org, cbentley.mpp at liberal.ola.org, rbartolucci.mpp.co at liberal.ola.org, tim.ryall at ontario.ca, jwilkinson.mpp.co at liberal.ola.org, dcansfield.mpp at liberal.ola.org, jmilloy.mpp at liberal.ola.org, lpendergast.mpp.co at liberal.ola.org, lsandals.mpp at liberal.ola.org, elizabeth.witmer at pc.ola.org, gary.goodyear at parl.gc.ca, stephen.harper at parl.gc.ca, rob.nicholson at parl.gc.ca, gerry.ritz at parl.gc.ca, christian.paradis at parl.gc.ca, peter.kent at parl.gc.ca, Joe.Oliver at parl.gc.ca, harold.albrecht at parl.gc.ca, peter.braid at parl.gc.ca, stephane.dion at parl.gc.ca, francis.scarpaleggia at parl.gc.ca, david.tilson at parl.gc.ca, CSargeant at regionofwaterloo.ca
Date: Wednesday, July 20, 2011, 4:15 PM

The Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) via an article published in today's Waterloo Chronicle has provided FALSE and MISLEADING information regarding the Highland Quarry and it's potential impacts on the Grand River Watershed.

To view the article please visit here:

http://www.waterloochronicle.ca/uncategorized/quarry-quandary/

Note that the GRCA says:

“The site is not in the Grand River Watershed, it is east of a shared 
boundary,” Schultz said. “It is entirely contained within the 
Nottawasaga Watershed.”

This information conflicts with a map as produced by Stantec regarding the delineation of the current quarry application. Please note the width of this proposed quarry is approximately 5 miles wide. Please view the map here: 

 http://www.flickr.com/photos/64027613@N00/5958282199/

Based on this map it is clear that 
a) the site is within the Grand River Watershed
b) the site is NOT entirely contained within the 
Nottawasaga Watershed

I believe residents and municipal leaders of Waterloo Region need to know about this fact if we are to secure a proper public process.

Considering the potential risks associated to residents of the Grand River I would like to secure an investigation by the ministries as to why the GRCA was apparently unaware of the fact that the Highland Quarry is taking place within the recognized delineation of our watershed. Waterloo Region is the largest Region in Canada dependent on ground source drinking water and home to the second largest food belt in Ontario second only to Niagara. How our Conservation Authority could provide expert comment in regards to the Highland Quarry without knowing of fact it encroaches upon lands contained within our watershed is an outrage. This agency is responsible to protect the population and our water supply for the long term. The fact they believe the quarry is entirely outside of our watershed
 is an outrage and I beg the government to intervene to understand how this happened. 

Currently the GRCA are not able to be investigated by the Ontario Ombudsman because they are not answerable to any ministry since they run at arms length to ministries. If someone can inform me in writing as to how I can formally file a private compliant about their performance in regards to this matter I would greatly appreciate it. I also would like to take the time to recommend an ombudsman to oversee the activities of Conservation Authorities.To have an agency with that much influence running without a means of securing proper reviews of situations like this poses a serious risk. 

In my view conflicts of interests exists in regards to the Highland Quarry and the GRCA because Stantec did the work the GRCA reviewed and they also are sponsors of the GRCA. Stantec stands to profit from remediation contract jobs should things go wrong with Waterloo
 Region's water supply since they often get the contracts to fix our wells and this firm is doing work to assess a Lake Erie Pipeline and are working with the GRCA in forming the new Source Water Protection legislations. The work of Stantec often forms the baseline data for the GRCA because they often do the subwatershed studies for area developers wanting to build over areas of recharge. 

In my view destruction for profit can occur where taxpayers must invest in large infrastructure projects to replace what nature once provided for free. Please help us to protect the Waterloo Moraine since it appears the GRCA is not doing diligence in regards to this matter when it comes to assessing the potential risks of the Highland Quarry. There are to many lives, industries and farmlands at risk if we don't do the job right. 

Thank you kindly for your time.

Louisette Lanteigne< span="">
700 Star Flower Ave.
Waterloo
 Ontario
N2V 2L2
<>
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