[All] Fw: Highland Quarry: National Water Security risk

Wed Jun 15 02:42:50 EDT 2011

FYI

--- On Wed, 6/15/11, Louisette Lanteigne <butterflybluelu at rogers.com> wrote:

From: Louisette Lanteigne <butterflybluelu at rogers.com>
Subject: Highland Quarry: National Water Security risk
To: stephen.harper at parl.gc.ca, peter.mackay at parl.gc.ca, vic.toews at parl.gc.ca, jim.flaherty at parl.gc.ca, gerry.ritz at parl.gc.ca, peter.kent at parl.gc.ca, gail.shea at parl.gc.ca, Joe.Oliver at parl.gc.ca, diane.ablonczy at parl.gc.ca, jack.layton at parl.gc.ca, francis.scarpaleggia at parl.gc.ca, stephane.dion at parl.gc.ca, peter.braid at parl.gc.ca
Cc: jwilkinson.mpp.co at liberal.ola.org, ljeffrey.mpp.co at liberal.ola.org, dduncan.mpp at liberal.ola.org, cmitchell.mpp.co at liberal.ola.org, rbartolucci.mpp.co at liberal.ola.org, dmcguinty.mpp.co at liberal.ola.org, toby.barrett at pc.ola.org, hhampton-qp at ndp.on.ca, ernie.hardeman at pc.ola.org, ahorwath-co at ndp.on.ca, jerry.ouellette at pc.ola.org, mprue-qp at ndp.on.ca, joyce.savoline at pc.ola.org, tabunsp-qp at ndp.on.ca
Date: Wednesday, June 15, 2011, 2:42 AM

Dear Hon. Prime Minister and Hon. Ministers

This
 email is in regards to the HIghland Quarry proposal in Melancthon 
Ontario which is currently going through the provincial approval 
processes with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.

This
 is a massive quarry project that will essentially blow up one of the 
highest areas in Ontario, the Dundalk Dome for aggregate use. in spite 
of the fact the area contains some of Ontario's most productive 
farmland. Under the site is extensive Karst formations, which are 
underground water passages that serve as the headwaters for the Grand 
RIver, Notawassaga, Pine River etc. The area contains recharge that 
gathers and transports water on site to various municipalities.  This 
project will have adverse impacts to the municipal groundwater and 
surface water heading to Waterloo Region all the way to Lake Erie.  This
 video will serve to relay some of the facts of this proposal:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgS0m2XtBbI
To review a power point on how quarry activities pose a risk to communities such as Waterloo Region,  please see the attachment.

To
 review a power point regarding the risks associated with Quarry 
activity in Karst systems as published by the US Geological Survey, 
please visit this next website. This documents shows how quarries in 
areas of Karst can result in sinkholes, earthquakes, disrupted water 
connectivity issues, contamination risks and permanent damages to both 
surface and groundwater resources. pubs.usgs.gov/of/2001/ofr-01-0484/ofr-01-0484so.pdf
To review the Highland Quarry Technical notes visit here:http://www.highlandcompanies.ca/index.php/companies/melancthonquarry/
To review the criticism
 of the technical notes by various citizen groups, organizations and 
individuals including experts such as world renowned groundwater 
expert,  Professor Emeritus Emil Frind please visit here: http://66.212.167.146/MelancthonMegaQuarry/ 
Previously
 I submitted comments on this proposal using the Environmental Bill of 
Rights Registry. The document contains data relative to the risks posed 
to the City of Waterloo and downstream impacts right to Erie.  That 
information has been enclosed in the attachments for your reference. 
I've
 been reviewing hydrology data from projects all across Ontario for a 
number of years and generally speaking, poor test times and methods are 
frequently used to undermine risks in order to reduce the baseline 
evidence that would show causality should something go wrong. Many of 
the firms doing the hydrological studies could in theory, benefit from 
remediation when damage happens with the externalized costs being paid 
for by area taxpayers, the provinces and federal government by way of 
well remediation, flood management etc.  

Stantec is the firm who
 did studies for the Highland Quarry proposal and they also did  bedrock
 studies in Waterloo Region as well as a Lake Erie pipeline feasibility 
study. In Waterloo Region they handle our well remediation projects, 
they fund the University of Waterloo and sponsor conservation 
authorities. This poses a conflict during the review of sub 
watershed studies when the review is done by the agencies they sponsor. 
Their own studies became the baseline for the data used by conservation 
authorities in spite of the fact it is focused on predevelopment, not 
post development data. Conflicts also exist when conservation board 
members are made up of city and regional council members.  

There
 are consistent patterns in regards to flawed methods used in hydrology 
studies done by Stantec including the lack of spring thaw data, shallow 
bore hole readings. too much reliance on MODFLOW computer program 
assessments that lack regard to sediment types or localized geology. The
 computer model generally assumes that all aquifers are simply contained
 without regard to cross jurisdictional impacts. 

Stantec
 has conducted studies regarding potential water diversions from the 
Great Lakes with the US Army Corp to find solutions to the depletion of 
the Ogallala Aquifer. Example of one such study is here:  http://aquadoc.typepad.com/files/jh-paper.pdf
In
 my view, a water diversion through bedrock would be much harder to 
detect than a great lakes diversion scheme but the potential risks to 
Canada's water supplies and the health of the Great Lakes are enormous. 
In my view this Quarry project is a national security risk. If
 the flow is increased to the south as a result of this proposal, either
 by surface or groundwater transfers to Erie or to south bound aquifers 
we risk depleting Canada's fresh water resources while posing serious 
risks for Lake Erie all the communities linked to this key source area.

Economically,
 the Grand River provides for the same gross national revenue as the 
province of Nova Scotia according to the Grand River Conservation 
Authority. We have the second largest food belt in Ontario here in 
Waterloo Region. With firms such as RIM, Toyota, Manulife and Sunlife, 
Pillars and Schneider's meats along with the University of Waterloo and 
Wilfrid Laurier, it is critical we maintain the safety of our 
groundwater and surface water supplies to allow these economic systems 
and communities to continue to prosper. In the attachment is an economic
 assessment on the worth of the primary recharge areas for the Waterloo 
Moraine. To assure continued prosperity, we must protect our water 
supplies by placing a fiscal value on the function of aggregates left in
 place in order to plan accordingly or we risk enormous financial losses
 and massive externalized costs to replace what nature has provided for 
free. We can no longer be complacent about Canada's water resources. It 
is one of our greatest assets and we must take action protect it. The 
world will need farmlands with renewable water supplies to feed it's 
growing masses. If we protect our moraine systems, we can continue to 
provide and prosper. 

In light of these concerns would like to request the following:
-that the Ontario Environment Minister ask cabinet for a full EA process on this project 

-that
 the Federal Environment Minister establish a federal review panel to 
examine the potential impacts of this proposal on Canadian Water 
Resources

-that the Highland Quarry proposal be reviewed as a possible national security risk

-that
 the Highland Quarry proposal be reviewed by members of the 
International Joint Committee in regards to the potential cross 
jurisdictional impacts this project may have on Lake Erie

-that
 the Highland Quarry project be reviewed by the Ministry of Finance to 
assess the potential financial implications to see if this proposal 
economically serves the best interest of the Canadian public 

-that the Highland Quarry project be reviewed by the Ministry of Agriculture for the potential impacts it may have on agricultural sectors to both onsite and in downstream communities and what this project may mean for Canada's long term food security.

Thank you kindly for your time. 
Louisette Lanteigne700 Star Flower Ave.Waterloo Ontario
N2V 2L2
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