[All] OP Ed. submitted to Record

[Louisette Lanteigne]

Hi folks

Just submitted this to the Record.  If the Record doesn't pick it up I'll pitch 
it to the Chronicle next. 



Lulu 
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Quarries puts the Grand River and Waterloo Moraine at Risk

Taxpayers along the Grand River watershed are facing increased taxes and paying 
mult-millions to protect wells and water resources but recently the Highland 
Companies have submitted an application for a mega quarry in North Dufferin 
County which seeks the right to use 600 million litres of water per day. That 
volume is equal to 25% of the total daily water use for the entire province of 
Ontario. This quarry is set to be built in the headwaters for the Grand River 
and firms like this can acquire the water taking permit for a pittance of the 
costs we taxpayers pay to conserve it.

In reviewing the supporting documents for this project, I have yet to see any 
reasonable data to prove this mega quarry will not jeopardize the water needed 
to support the growing water needs of downstream communities, industries and 
agricultural sectors along the Grand River. This matter is cross jurisdictional 
and will impact water quality, flow and flow rates heading to our community and 
Lake Erie. The question must be asked, where is the public dialogue to address 
this matter? Residents in Waterloo Region deserve a say on this key issue. 


Currently private industries don't have the obligation to assess the cumulative 
impacts of lost water volumes and water quality outside the scope of their 
localized projects but clearly this matter will  affects multiple downstream 
communities. Currently there is no government agency analyzing the potential 
downstream ecological or economic impacts of this project. It's like analyzing 
the udder of a cow and creating a plan to protect it, all the while expecting it 
to provide milk regardless if the cow lives or dies. The risks of 
underestimating this project's impacts on water systems are enormous.  


The International Joint Committee released a report on Great Lakes Water 
Quality. The report states Lake Erie is currently the "poster child" for 
eutrophication. The experts from Canada and the US agree that the toxic status 
of the 1970's has returned in spite of the many efforts made restore the lake to 
good health.  Meanwhile Waterloo Region anticipated the need of a 1.2 Billion 
dollar pipeline to Erie to provide for our future water needs but realistically, 
this lake may not be drinkable in the future. We must prioritize the protection 
of our existing water supplies as the better long term option. It's safer, it's 
cheaper and it works. 

The Waterloo Moraine is not made of water. It is made from a unique lay out of 
sand, gravel and rocks that captures, holds and transports water passing through 
it. If we augment it, we risk floods, drought and contamination issues. If we 
protect it, we benefit from a renewable localized natural water infrastructure 
system that sustains fisheries, farmlands and communities while offsetting flood 
risks. Currently there is no economic value given to this natural system nor is 
there any reasonable measure of legislation to protection it. The Source Water 
Protection Act does not prohibit aggregate activity or regard it as a "risk" to 
water systems and there are no provisions to protect primary recharge areas 
outside of identified well head protection areas. 


There are some in position of power who view moraines as a cheap source of easy 
to access aggregates and they prefer to keep it that way hedging their bets on 
big city schemes and in my view it's not to hard to envision destruction for 
profit scenarios by engineering firms who get contract jobs to fix the issues 
they created. We have a long way to go to prevent the exploitation of situations 
like this. 

In the meantime, I encourage all citizens to write to your elected Minister of 
Provincial Parliament to voice your concerns regarding the Highland Companies 
Quarry application and tell your MPP that you as a citizen of Ontario demand the 
Province of Ontario support a Waterloo Moraine Protection Act which  recognizes 
the Waterloo Moraine as a Terrestrial Natural Heritage System that requires 
uniform protection across multiple jurisdictions. 


Together we can make a difference. 
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